Understanding the experiences and needs of a multigenerational workforce

Before we begin our analysis, we must first define the generations. The exact point of transition from one generation to another is often open to debate, but for the purpose of this report, we’ve chosen to use the parameters defined by the Pew Research Center.

The Baby Boomer generation is the largest in terms of time, spanning 18 years from 1946 to 1964. Generation X follows the Boomers for 15 years until 1980, and Millennials, soon to be the largest generation represented in the workplace, span from 1981 until 1996.

The current global workforce only includes the tail end of the Silent generation, and the very first members of Gen Z. As such, the amount of data available to us on these groups is much less than that of other generations. In any analysis, it is better to have groups of similar size, therefore we chose to focus on the three demographics that make up the majority of our dataset: Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials.

Accounting for biases

Before we begin to look for differences in generational experiences and attitudes, and draw conclusions from our dataset, it’s important for us to take into account potential factors that may bias our conclusions. For example, certain generations may have greater representation in certain industries.

Since Millennials are more likely to work in the tech sector than other generations, the conclusions we reach about Millennials may actually be due to the influence of the tech industry instead. Similarly, Baby Boomers are more likely to have been in their organisation for longer, and the findings we uncover may be a reflection of leadership experiences rather than a generational mindset.

Fortunately, these biases can be modelled, quantified and accounted for. We have taken this into account in our analysis using True Benchmark® technology, so we can be sure to tap into the generational effects. To understand more about how different employee demographic factors—such as age, tenure, region, department and seniority—affect employee engagement, refer to our True Benchmark® calculator .