Higher Ed's Multigenerational Work Force - Perceptions and Realities About Age Groups - and How to Manage Them
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INSIGHTS
REPORT
Higher Ed’s
Multigenerational
Work Force
Perceptions and
Realities About
Age Groups
- and How to
Manage Them
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SUPPORT
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Higher-Ed’s Multigenerational Work Force was written by Alina Tugend and is sponsored by Workday.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Higher Ed’s
Multigenerational
Work Force
4 Introduction
6 What Research Tells Us
9 Higher-Education Generations
13 Technology: The Great Divide?
16 Conclusion
Cover photo by iSTOCK
Contact CI@chronicle.com with questions or comments.
higher ed’s multigenerational work force 3
INTRODUCTION
iSTOCK
higher ed’s multigenerational work force 4
A
higher-education work force Stereotypes (the out-of touch older person
today can easily encompass four, of the “OK, boomer” meme, or the perception
or even five, generations — from that all millennials are lazy) aren’t going
those born before World War II to go away, but as Lauren Bowen, provost
to those who could first vote only of Juniata College, in Pennsylvania, puts it,
four years ago. “people at every age want to feel heard and
Even though the oldest and respected, and age in either direction brings
youngest are sparsely represented its own set of insecurities about that and how
now, such a generational span you’ll be received in the workplace.”
— as people live and work lon- There are ways to address those insecurities
ger — signifies an unusual time in the history — through more deliberate inclusion of mul-
of work. And while research on generational tiple generations on committees, especially
challenges in the higher-education workplace those related to technology, more openness in
is scant, there is more information available acknowledging how we perceive different age
on the impact on the workplace in general. groups (similar to how colleges are trying to
The exact years that divide each generation address race and gender), and through the use
are hardly scientific, but generally, tradition- of nontraditional mentors, such as younger
alists are considered those born between employees advising older ones.
the 1920s and1945, baby boomers (roughly
1946-60), Generation X (1961-80), millennials
(1981-96) and Generation Z (1997 to present).
And each of those groups have their own
instantly recognizable stereotypes, played “People at every age want to
out repeatedly across popular culture and
social media.
But what research has found is that genera-
feel heard and respected,
tional differences are far more often perceived
than real; nonetheless if people think there and age in either direction
are real distinctions, they will still make
(often negative) assumptions that can hamper
workplace relationships.
brings its own set of
That doesn’t mean generational disparities
don’t exist, particularly in the area of technol- insecurities about that.”
ogy. Or that an age group that faced a major
national or global event during its formative
years – such as a war or financial crisis – isn’t The generation gap is shallower than most
in some ways shaped by that trauma. But even people believe, and through these kinds of
those around the same age will experience efforts, facile stereotypes can be replaced
the impact differently depending on race, with something more nuanced, realistic, and
gender, nationality, and ethnicity. positive.
higher ed’s multigenerational work force 5iSTOCK higher ed’s multigenerational work force 6
What Research
Tells Us
T
hose looking to affirm their be- teristics, they tend to interpret behavior
liefs about how annoying boom- through that lens.
ers, millennials, or Gen X or Z For example, millennials often get the
are won’t find Eden King much bad rap of being entitled, and “if you think
help. someone of a certain generation is enti-
“The conclusion that has fairly tled, you’re going to treat them consistent
wide consensus in our field of or- with that belief,” King adds. A 20-some-
ganizational psychology is that thing may think she’s being friendly call-
a lot of the ways people think
about generations and gener-
ational differences is just a myth,” says
King, a professor of psychology at Rice
University, who works on diversity and
To the researchers’
inclusion in organizations.
“There really aren’t huge differences
surprise, “all age groups
between generations in terms of their be-
havior and attitudes,” she says. “But what
is relevant to the discussion of generations
thought other people
is that people believe there are differenc-
es, and we treat people differently based
stereotyped them more
on their generational group.”
In fact, many researchers say they prefer
to speak more in terms of age rather than
negatively than they
generation, meaning they think people are
more likely to reflect behaviors based on
actually do.”
what period they are in their life (20s, 30s,
etc.) than based on when they were born.
Nonetheless, King says, even if actual ing a professor or administrator by their
differences are much smaller than most first name; the older person may simply
people assume, if people think a certain see it as another example of that genera-
group of people have specific charac- tion’s disrespect.
higher ed’s multigenerational work force 7King’s research asked people of specific wanted participants to interpret the
age groups what stereotypes they had of values their own ways, but then it failed
others of different ages and what stereo- to capture the nuances of how the genera-
types they thought other generations had tions might differ in their interpretation of
of them — something King called “meta- a value such as “security” or “autonomy.”
stereotypes.” For example, everyone said they valued
To the researchers’ surprise, “all age
groups thought other people stereotyped
them more negatively than they actually
do.”
“They all had the same
For example, all age groups had largely
positive views of older people, using words
like “responsible” and “hard-working.”
core values, but their
Yet older workers themselves assumed
that others saw them as “boring” and
perceptions of each other
“grumpy.”
Other research looks at actual versus
perceived generational differences of
differed widely.”
values at work, such as preferred forms
of communication, teamwork, security, social media, but there were differences in
recognition, autonomy, and fun. how often they wanted to use it. But even
“We had the subjects tell us what they in the case of technology and forms of
personally valued, but then had them go communication, the perceived differences
through three different iterations — ‘this were stronger than the actual ones, she
is what I think a millennial would think, says.
this is what I think a boomer would think, One surprise was the answer to the
and this is what a Gen Yer would think,” question, “to what extent do you prefer to
says Rhetta Standifer, an associate pro- work with people your own age?”
fessor of management at North Central “We went into it thinking that the older
College, in Illinois, and co-author of an workers would be the ones who might
article discussing the findings. have that preference,” Standifer says.
“By far the generations are much more “What we actually found was that it’s by
similar to each other than different,” Stan- far the younger workers who tend to have
difer says. “They all had the same core that preference — and the younger the
values, but their perceptions of each other workers are the more likely they are to
differed widely.” have that preference.”
That was particularly true when looking For Megan Gerhardt, a professor of
at boomers and millennials, she says, who management and leadership at Miami
had many mistaken beliefs about each University, in Ohio, the trick is neither
other. ignoring nor exaggerating generational
Standifer acknowledged that the study differences.
was somewhat limited by broad catego- “Generations aren’t everything,” she
ries. That was deliberate, as researchers says. “But they’re not nothing.”
higher ed’s multigenerational work force 8Higher-Education
Generations
S
o how do these perceptions She sees those coming out of college
and stereotypes of generations today as “distrustful but really eager to
play out among staff, adminis- fix systems.” They have a willingness to
tration, and faculty members question assumptions and make change;
at universities and colleges? attitudes that can be perceived by those
While there are a lot of simi- older as pushy and ignorant of the history
larities to other organizations, and values of the institution.
there are some differences.
Since professors might work
well into their 70s and there
is a constant influx of students in their
late teens and early 20s, there is perhaps “If you were to look at the
greater generational interaction than other
workplaces.
Another distinctive feature: On the
demographics in a college like
faculty side, most employees start eight to
10 years later than other fields because of ours, we have more senior
the need to complete a Ph.D., says Barbara
Altmann, president of Franklin & Marshall
College.
people than other sectors.”
“If you were to look at the demographics
in a college like ours, we have more senior
people than other sectors,” she says. For Tetlow, who is 48, that questioning
And while this can also be true of corpo- in the workplace can sometimes “lead to
rations, universities especially are “full of an uncomfortable self-righteousness. The
oral traditions and unwritten rules, and if trick is how to push back on the fact of
you start out so eager to shake things up and complexity without sounding like you’re
don’t learn those, you’re at risk of making making excuses.”
some serious mistakes,” says Tania Tetlow, But, she adds, “if you are too busy react-
president of Loyola University New Orleans. ing to lack of experience, you will miss out
higher ed’s multigenerational work force 9on the vitality they bring, and how they have remained as strong as ever, but now “I
can be unfiltered and blunt, but also tell realize that going in guns blazing usually
the truth.” On the other side, if “you’re too doesn’t get the job done. I’m much more
busy seeing older people as being resistant attuned now to reading a room.”
to change, you miss their experience.” Bowen, 58, of Juniata, understands that
Alexandra Voorhees, who was recently older employers can interpret that eager-
hired as an academic adviser for engineer- ness as entitlement, but she sees it differ-
ing students at the University of Colorado ently.
at Boulder, knows the experience from the “It’s agency, it’s a confidence, and it’s a
other side. desire to have a meaningful career,” she
“We want to get things done, and we says. “They want to advocate for them-
often don’t understand why there are bar- selves because they think it’s better for the
riers at universities,” says Voorhees, who is organization.”
25. “It requires so much effort and work to Another difference among younger ver-
bring about change, which in turn incites sus older staff, Bowen notes, is how much
young professionals to feel like they have deference to give seniority. “They have a
to be more outspoken and more firm with perspective, they have a voice — they exer-
their ideas. That’s not always greeted with cise it and are never disrespectful, but I can
excitement.” observe and watch people who have been
Over her time working in higher educa- here 20 or 30 years who are expecting, well,
tion, she says her passion and advocacy greater deference.”
ILANA PANICH-LINSMAN FOR THE CHRONICLE
iSTOCK
higher ed’s multigenerational work force 10Such informality isn’t always appreciat- says, want to make teaching “more ac-
ed; Tetlow admits that she sometimes gets tion-minded and relevant, and don’t expect
frustrated at the relaxed nature of email it to be inherently so.”
and texts and worries that the mode of For example, after the “Unite the Right”
communication sometimes overshadows 2017 march and death of a protester in
the message. Charlottesville, Va., she recalls students
But she also notes that as a young law-
yer, she wore a pantsuit to work, which
was considered shocking by some people,
while “I was oblivious. What my grandpar-
ents were scandalized by is very different
than what I’m scandalized by. There are
“There are still things younger
still things younger people do that I don’t
understand at all. But if you get hung up on
people do that I don’t understand
the rules you had when you were growing
up, you will miss people’s intentions.”
Altmann, of Franklin & Marshall, says
at all. But if you get hung up on
she sees generational differences ranging
from substantive issues to the more frivo-
the rules you had when you were
lous — yet all need to be dealt with to en-
sure staff and faculty members feel heard
and understood.
growing up, you will miss people’s
“When we look at our benefits package,
there are diverse opinions on where we
intentions.”
ought to invest our money,” she says. “The
younger faculty tends to be less interested
in the retirement benefit and much more and younger faculty members insisted that
interested in keeping up with market it was a time to act, not read.
wages, while, not surprisingly, perhaps, the “For more senior generations on a college
senior faculty are very interested in prepar- campus, reading and words are often un-
ing for their retirement.” This, of course, derstood as action,” Bowen notes.
makes sense given the life stages of those And she echoes the thoughts of others,
age groups. who say they see a difference between
A less consequential difference, she says, younger faculty and staff members in
is that millennials and those younger have terms of work-life balance — especially
a different approach to social events. the millennials. “They’re dedicated to the
“We decided to move to a more informal organization, but not quite willing to bleed
structure, more mixing over heavy hors themselves dry,” she says. For example,
d’oeuvres rather than dignified plated during this summer when everyone was
dinners,” saying she heard from millen- working intensely, it was usually the mil-
nials that “the more informal style suited lennials who asked if they would get paid
their social preferences much more strong- extra for their time.
ly — that choosing a table and sitting with “I don’t begrudge them that, but I was
people they didn’t know was more anxi- pretty clear — not this summer,” Bowen
ety-producing, while more senior people says.
preferred the plated dinners. That was a Generation X is often overlooked,
revelation.” squashed as it is between the behemoth
But such generational distinctions boomer and millennial generations. Lara
appear not just in socializing and ways of Carver, now the administrative director of
communicating, but also in the essence undergraduate nursing at Western Gover-
of academe itself. Younger faculty, Bowen nors University, did her Ph.D. thesis in 2008
higher ed’s multigenerational work force 11iSTOCK
looking at the relationship between gen- start participating less in institutional
erational differences and organizational culture.”
commitment. Gen X is also key in both mentoring
As a Gen Xer herself, she tired of the rap younger employees and keeping older ones
on her age group that they changed jobs abreast of development, she says. “It’s well
frequently and weren’t committed. She worth institutional investment and other
sent out 5,000 surveys to nursing faculty resources to look out for that group — they
members nationwide; she received a 30 pick up a great deal of the labor and need to
percent response rate, with an age range be recognized. We need to not let those in
of 25 to 80 years old. She took millenni- mid-career slide along quietly.”
als out of the equation because only two Lee Skallerup Bessette, a learning-de-
responded. sign specialist at the Center for New
Carver found that there were little Designs in Learning & Scholarship at
generational differences when the re- Georgetown University, sees the Gen X
spondents were asked about their level generation as the leading edge in chang-
of commitment and plans to stay at their ing the academy, especially in using
organization. social media to organize and question the
“It validated what I already believed — underlying assumptions about working in
we weren’t a bunch of slackers,” she says. higher education. At 43, she is at the tail
Altmann, 63, sees Gen X as the pivotal end of that age group.
generation at universities. “Gen X scholars were the perfect age and
“Like a middle child, it flies under the looking for the perfect thing when Twit-
radar, but we can’t afford not to pay atten- ter really hit it big,” she says. “We formed
tion to our mid-career people, whether on great communities on Twitter of adjuncts.
the staff or faculty side,” she says. “It’s very Any work I could around adjunct advocacy
clear if they don’t have access to contin- was because of my network on Twitter. We
uous professional development, that that were able to talk and form a community
group begins to founder a little bit, and in a new way that other generations didn’t
sometimes they become disaffected or understand.”
higher ed’s multigenerational work force 12Technology:
The Great Divide?
W
hen talking about genera- sire and willingness to change, as long as
tional disparities, tech- it wasn’t just for change’s sake,” she says.
nology — including use But there’s sometimes a reverse side to
of social media — is front comfort with technology — a discomfort
and center. with speaking out in real life. Last year
That’s not surprising. Franklin & Marshall began allowing par-
Educators, psychologists, ticipants to text in a response or question
and parents bemoan the at faculty meetings, in part, Barbara Alt-
sight of young people mann says, because the young instructors
glued to multiple screens can feel uncomfortable speaking from the
at once, while older people painstakingly floor.
attempting to join a work Zoom call has
been the stuff of comedy shows.
It is the most obvious and perhaps
important difference among age groups,
because, as Tania Tetlow of Loyola says,
“When there’s a clear
it’s like learning a language at a young
age — it’s no surprise that millennials and
Gen Z are fluent, while older generations
emergency like we had, the
generally find it less instinctual and more
difficult to navigate.
faculty at every age showed
But during the pandemic and switch to
remote learning, Tetlow says, her faculty
and staff members stepped up to the plate.
a desire and willingness to
She tells of a physics professor who, at 92,
was excited last spring to fundamentally
change, as long as it wasn’t
shift what he had been doing for 60 years
and move online.
“When there’s a clear emergency like we
just for change’s sake.”
had, the faculty at every age showed a de-
higher ed’s multigenerational work force 13iSTOCK higher ed’s multigenerational work force 14
Victoria Rosario, district director of hu- boomers — they don’t want to lose every-
man resources and support programs, has thing we’re building upon,” says Rosario.
long seen how generational differences “But then we have millennials saying,
affect adaptation of various forms of tech- ‘Yeah, that’s how we did it back then, but
nology. She has been with the Los Rios that is not working now for our students.’
Community College District, in California, Trying to navigate those complex perspec-
since 2000 and was for 10 years the asso- tives and expectations is quite a challenge
ciate vice chancellor for student services for organizations and not something we’re
at Los Rios, the second-largest commu- necessarily trained to do.”
nity-college system in the state, serving The same is true with the use of social
about 70,000 students at four colleges. She media. For example, Lauren Bowen of
also wrote a thesis in 2012 on generation- Juniata says, younger faculty members are
al differences in adopting technology at more likely to retweet students on hot-
community colleges. button issues, such as advancing racial jus-
At 57, she calls herself a boomer with tice at the college, “while other more senior
Gen X tendencies. folks see it as ‘what happens on campus,
During her time working at Los Rios, she stays on campus’ and would be more likely
saw the transition of student-support ser- to send me an email letting me know that
vices — such as registration, orientation, students appear upset about an issue.”
financial aid and education plans — from But younger faculty members tell her
face to face to online. that retweeting is a way to show solidar-
“When I started, we were still taking ity with students and it’s a way to get her
counseling appointments on a clipboard,” attention.
she says. “It’s different styles of communication
One of the major tensions she saw was and very different understandings of the
that “the people holding the purse strings power and the role of social media and
were mainly baby boomers, and they what it means to be part of an organiza-
were completely happy with how we were tion,” she says. “It also complicates the
conducting business.” It was the Gen Xers boundaries of relationships with students.
who were most excited about moving I do see a generational split in how to use
many of these services online. social media to communicate and effect
“Institutional memory is critical for the change.”
higher ed’s multigenerational work force 15CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
C
omplaints about the generation- And there are times you just have to accept
al divide are centuries old, yet that some people will not embrace something
somehow people of all ages have new. Rosario remembers when Los Rios rolled
still managed to work togeth- out its new online education plan, some se-
er. And maybe it seems more nior counselors simply refused to use it.
pronounced today (if indeed, it So she hired people by the hour to input
is) “because we’re in a moment of the counselors’ written information into the
such tentativeness, uncertainty, computer.
and stress,” Bowen says. “When “Sometimes you have to figure out a work-
people are tired and stressed and around for those few,” she says.
working so hard to bring their best selves to Using mentoring to challenge generational
the party, you feel the generational differ- tropes is one possibility. Eden King, of Rice
ences more keenly.” University, has conducted research about
But those who study the issue think that in whether discussing age differences between
the 21st century, there are ways to bridge the a mentor and a mentee could minimize ste-
gap more intentionally. reotypes of each other.
One important point, as has been learned She and her colleagues didn’t find strong
with other demographic differences, is to evidence that such a conversation had a sub-
simply be aware of the issue. Victoria Rosa- stantial impact, but “we might have tried to
rio, of the Los Rios Community College Dis- do it too formally, and informal discussions
trict, says when she is gathering a team for could be useful.
any technological-implementation plan, she “We think that’s a direction we should
deliberately brings together those who are take going forward,” she says, “what kind of
excited about the project — usually younger dialogue would be helpful in mitigating the
staff members — and those who are resistant effect of these stereotypes and meta-stereo-
– often older workers. types?”
“It’s critical to have objectors at the table,” Employees can benefit when mentoring
she says. “We won’t get full adoption until goes both ways, Rhetta Standifer, of North
they’re heard. If you end up with a homo- Central College, says, not just the traditional
geneous group of thinkers, that’s a huge red older worker coaching a younger one. For
flag. If you’re not getting the outliers at the example, a junior employee might mentor
table, adoption will be painful and excruciat- the senior employee on technology.
ingly slow.” “It helps to begin a dialogue among the
It’s also crucial to make sure people under- generations and helps them work with each
stand that you appreciate what they bring to other — to the extent that you can cross-pol-
the conversation. linate across the generations, it’s a good
“We can’t make our boomers feel like thing,” she says.
they’re left behind, because we need them And be very aware of generational shaming
and we’re building upon the work they’ve directed at any group, says Megan Gerhardt,
done in the past,” Rosario says. “We can’t just who co-authored the book Gentelligence:
move forward with fast-moving early adopt- The Revolutionary Approach to Leading an
ers that have no connection to our history, Intergenerational Workforce, which is due out
culture, and institutional memory.” next year.
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