How to Manage a Multi-Generational Federal Workforce

The entry of Generation Z into the federal workforce should up the pressure on supervisors to integrate a new generation of workers, heighten the tension and intergenerational divide between colleagues, and add emphasis on coaching and other management programs to upskill generations, writes InsideOut Development CEO Bill Bennett in Government Executive . Supervisors can prepare by making an effort to understand that different generations of workers differ in their backgrounds and their expectations of work. Bennett's company learned that baby boomers prefer face-to-face communication while Generation X favors email, and millennials and Gen-Zers desire fast, brief communication through the latest technology. Boomers also are motivated by recognition, while Gen X needs stimulating projects, Gen Z likes work that appeals to their competitive spirit, and millennials generally flourish in a team setting. Supervisors also should attempt to manage the intergenerational divide by highlighting strengths. "Each generation has a core work value that motivates them (and should be celebrated)," Bennett writes. "Baby boomers value success and loyalty, Gen X values time and productivity, for millennials it's individuality and contribution, and for Gen Z the core work values are inclusion and opportunity." Bennett also advocates intergenerational unity through coaching practices, citing the Goal, Reality, Options, and Way Forward model, which prevents micromanagement.