Four generations of talent in the workplace explained

17 of October, 2022

Baby Boomers, Generation X, generation Y, and generation Z are four explosive generations of  talent that coexist in today’s times with their personality and particular traits. More technological profiles, profiles based on innovation, profiles with clear objectives and strong ethical principles, profiles that seek growth, professionalism and the perspective of the future, value of health, and so on.

We know that demographics and interests are what differentiate each generation of talent. With their strengths and weaknesses, each and every one of these generations has had an impact on a personal and professional level, both in the public and private spheres of companies. Be that as it may, talent attraction and proper people management are determining factors in the success of an entity, to the extent that managing it effectively makes an organization richer.

Nowadays, it may be a good idea to do this task with the help of an HR software that will save you a lot of management work.

From Baby Boomers to generation Z 

One of the biggest mistakes that HR departments can make is not knowing how to differentiate between generations and the types of talent that currently exist. For this reason, today we will reflect on the 4 generations of talent that coexist in our day to day and that, as we have already mentioned, are the following:

1. The Baby Boomer generation stands out for its rigor, for its professionalism and for the future value it gives to well-being and health.
2. Generation X, known as the bridge generation or as the generation that advocates teamwork.
3. Generation Y which is the millennials generation, the generation of self-confidence, flexibility, versatility.
4. Generation Z (centennials), the generation of the future where everything remains to be described, but with endless challenges and expectations on their hands.

Now that we know which these generations are and their names, we will reflect now a little more on their beliefs, principles and differences.

The Baby Boomer generation, the strictly professional generation (1946-1964)

Its name is a heritage for being the post-war generation. We owe this generation the lifestyle that has been instilled in our society over the years. This generation is the one that began to claim individual freedoms. Here the feminist fight breaks out and the fight for LGTBI rights.

They are the generators of buying habits, the ones that hoard the most wealth, especially in the US. Unlike their successors, the Baby Boomer generation will have to adapt to new technologies, which is why they will be considered digital immigrants.

Generation X, the generation that has fostered collaboration (1965-1980)

Between Millennials and Baby Boomers, generation X is the one that marks the seventies and the eighties. It brings together the spirit of cooperation as a growth engine for company success. They cannot be considered digital natives because technology back then was rather limited, and they are not considered Baby Boomers because they were not born immediately after World War II.

This is what makes it a bridging generation, but unlike the rest, it stands out for its power of conciliation, for its virtues of dialogue. It is a generation that is committed to the world and has lived marked by the emergence of consumerism.

Generation Y, millennials as digital natives (1981-1996)

Known for being digital natives, this generation has been targeted by companies for the “little experience” they have. And, in this context, we cannot forget that it has been one of the generations most affected by the great economic crisis of 2008.

In any case, generation Y or millennials have an unprecedented digital capacity and it is important to define strategies to attract their talent. On a personal level, they are people with strong cores of empathy and leadership. It is one of the most diverse and academically educated generations.

Generation Z, the generation of social networks and digital language (1997-2010)

Generation Z, iGen, Gen Z. There are many names for this generation, but if there is one thing that defines it perfectly, it is precisely its comfort and security regarding the digital environment and social networks.

Generation Z, despite everything, is a preserved generation in terms of their personal lives. Compared to millennials, they are more aware of the negative effects of overexposure in the digital world.

They are especially self-taught people, who control digital language perfectly.

What will be the generations of the future?

The well-known T generation, touch generation or Alpha generation will be subjected to the challenges of the future, especially those related to the educational and environmental fields.

Children of generation X or the Millennial generation, this will be the generation that inherits the world, and it will be in their hands to write the future.