Firstly do you know what generation classification you fall into?

Generations have been defined as when you were born and how that affects your attitudes, behaviours, values and perceptions. There are now 6 well-known generations, with an additional one from the turn of the century, but this was an American definition and has a lot to do with the Great Depression, there are very few of this age profile even alive today and if they are they are in their late 90s.

Here are the 6 Generations and a little about their attitudes:

The Silent Generation: Born between 1926 and 1945. Those born in 1945 and now in their late 70s and therefore no longer in the workplace (they may well be carers of partners or family members, struggling with health issues, they would have lived through WW2 and are probably savers rather than spenders, they are loyal and dedicated and would have often been with the same employer for most of their working life.

Baby Boomers: Born between 1946 and 1964, the youngest is now approaching retirement and will probably be caring for elderly parents as well as looking after their children’s children and for many still working full time. They are the largest part of the UK population as many parents waited until after the war to start a family. This is a real issue for the UK as this generation now fully enters retirement, and there will be a real skills gap.

Generation X: Born between 1965 and 1980, the youngest will be in their early 40s, this generation looks for efficiencies in the workplace, is the generation that experienced how the internet changed their work life and is happier with technology than the Bany Boomers. They expect monetary rewards but also look for a better balance at work.

Millennials, Generation Y: Born between 1981 and 1996, the youngest of this group are in their late 20s, they are tech-savvy and expect employers to provide the technology to do their job more efficiently. They are not afraid to challenge the norm, they were already working flexibly and expecting to work from home pre-Covid. This group are starting families much later and expects to travel and work while away.

Generation X: Born between 1997 and 2015, the youngest are still in school but the oldest are in their early 20’s, their life is run from their mobile device, they are digital nomads and have a global mindset. They are looking for alternative options to training rather than university, don’t want to be saddled with student loans and are heavily influenced by social media platforms. As this group enter the workplace, if they study at university, they have higher expectations of employers are prepared to travel for the right job.

Generation Alpha: Born from 2016 to now, we obviously don’t yet know what this generation will be like in the workplace, but what we do know is that AI will be an enormous part of their life. Western falling fertility rates are now beginning to impact population numbers and this group will be the first to feel the decline.

We are a recruitment company who deal with all ages of applicants and many of the different behaviours are apparent in the workplace. If you are looking for an employment agency, who understands how to get the best candidates for their clients, get in touch today for an initial consultation,