Understanding the Generational Factor in Appraising Staff Output, Essay Example

To: The Chief Executive Officer

CC: The Director of Human Resource Management

From: David Alenga

Date: June 1, 2009

Re: Understanding the Generational Factor in Appraising Staff Output

In our day and age, understanding generational differences in the work environment is not only crucial for managerial policy making but also has wider implications for employee appraisal and above capacity to deliver based on the standard that has been set. There is a significant variation in names and labels associated with the different generational groups in our contemporary times largely due to the scores available literature on the subject matter from writers from different backgrounds. However, within the limited scope of this submission emphasis will be placed on the three main groups namely: baby boomers (1946-1964); a combination of the Xers and the Yers (1965-1977 and 1978-1986 respectively) and the Millennials (from 1987 till date). It should be noted that as far as the Xers and the Yers generations are concerned, some experts are of the opinion that the differentiating distinguishing features between them are most often than not to obscure that eventually the relevance of the difference becomes merged, it is this latter view that has informed my decision to lump them into a single unit to enhance convenience.

Another prime motivator for this posture is the fact that within the stated limits of this submission with regards to its capacity to serve any useful purpose within an organization such as ours, it is prudent to avoid needless bloating of the sampling target.

Howe & Strauss (2000), leading experts in the labor generational discourse remains convinced that latent factors built on historical trends rather than sequential dates are of extreme relevance in conceptualizing the generational discourse. Thus far their argument extends to elaborate on the common attributes that is inherently expressed by generational members which includes among other things the level of real or perceived membership, common beliefs and behavioral patterns, a uniform place in history and what have you.

In a recent survey carried out by the reputable Universum Communications firm revealed very telling facts that have significant resonance on the key points to be stated in this memo. The survey involving 37,000 participants mainly drawn from the millennial generation drawn from universities and colleges in the United States reveals that of paramount concern to people within this category are establishing a balanced professional and personal life; having financial security; pursuing higher education and engaging in social activities ranked very highly on the scale of priorities within this generational group. Citing the millennial generation at this section is intended to bring to the fore the existing realities in our world not only today but even how it presents an idea of the future outlook. It is for no mean reason that this generational group constitutes the largest segment of the labor force today and most importantly exhibit highly unprecedented features alien to members of the other two generations being discussed.

Table 1 presented below is a summarized display of the three main age groups as shown by Debard (2004).

Unlike the generation of boomers, Xers and Yers, the millenials are inherently not addicted to work. But they are distinguished by the significant place technological inputs are playing in all their dealings. Moreover, in this technology age driven by innovative dynamism this generation is imbued with the capacity to acquire knowledge within the framework of interactive platforms. Evidently, they are skilled at delivering with the aid of technology (Schooley, 2005). Boomers belong to the generation that is accustomed to the milieu that emphasizes premium on collective group interests as opposed to the personal aggrandizement that is synonymous with the millennial generation. The world has changed in many dimensions much to the astonishment of boomers, now leaving them on the brinks of the new aura of tough competitive work environment.

Generation X women have not been left unscathed by the current spate of events within the work place. To some extend, this generation has not been able to build on the success of the boomer generation that agitated and secured equality in dispensation of workplace opportunities. A subtle believe in the existence of gender bias has resulted in their reluctance to aspire for top managerial positions with the defective view that it is the exclusive preserve of members of the masculine gender. It is this perception that Shelton (2005) alludes to the eventual high turnover amongst females within generation X and Y.

Reversing this anomaly and consequently increasing the efficiency of females within this generation requires a paradigm shift in policy gears to embrace reform. To facilitate the development of morale should begin by the stimulation of positive human relations amongst all employees creating avenues for continuous learning under a lively work environment will eventually prove to be helpful. Baby boomer supervisors are very vulnerable to inciting misgivings amongst generation X and Y subordinates because of a tendency to demand a more work centered attitude from them. A common premise is that typically as women in generation X and Y are more inclined to readjust their priorities in favor of family interests than work concerns. This factor has to be considered to guide the working relationship between members of these two generations.

Finally, technology should be at the forefront of policies that are geared towards enhancing the efficiency of workers within the millennial generation. It is the livewire that will drive their activities within the work environment. For instance, it will be appropriate to place them within areas and departments that have less to do with manual activities and more to do with technology driven activities.

Reference:

Debard, R. D. (2004). Millennials coming to college. In R. D. Debard & M. D. Coomes (Eds.).    Serving the millennial generation: New directions for student services (pp. 33-45). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Howe, N., & Strauss, W. Millennials rising: The next great generation. New York: Vintage Books, 2000.

Schooley, C. (2005). Get ready: The millennials are coming! Changing workforce. Cambridge, MA: Forrester Research, 2005.

Shelton, C., & Shelton, L. The next revolution: What gen x women want at work and how their boomer bosses can help them to get it. Mountain View, CA: Davies-Black Publishing, 2005.