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EMERGING TRENDS IN
THE WORKPLACE
Angela Griffin
Agriffin0528@gmail.com
Abstract
The Baby Boomers are exiting the Workforce at a rate of 10,000 a day. With
them they are taking valuable skills and knowledge. They are being replaced by
the Millenniums who are really different from Baby Boomers. They have a set of
ideals and values that are different from any other workforce.
With this movement and difference great change within the workplace will need
to take place. If employers are to attract and retain talented Millenniums they will
need to change. What worked for my mother (baby boomer) in the workplace will
not work for my son (millennium)?

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Angela Griffin
Training and Development
October 2, 2016
Nothing stays the same. And according to Knoll Workplace Research there are five
trends that will dramatically change work and the workplace. This research was conducted by
Joe Aki Ouye, Ph.D. Co-Founder and Partner New Ways of Working, LLC. Joe argues that “The
first two trends have been around for more than a quarter of a century: 1. The continuing
distribution of organizations 2. The availability of enabling technologies and social collaboration
tools 3. The coming shortage of knowledge workers who from here on out I will refer to as the
Baby Boomers 4. The demand for more work flexibility 5. Pressure for more sustainable
organizations and workstyles. In this paper I will focus on the third trend “the upcoming shortage
of knowledgeable workers. The Boomers have started retiring in record numbers; 10,000 a day
and in their retirement they are creating a knowledge void that if not managed effectively will
cause chaos, dysfunction and potentially outright failure in the workplace. the Millennials are the
emerging trend who will replace the Baby Boomers in the workforce. There numbers in the
workforce are increasing rapidly and preparation for an even great flow of their migration into
the workforce needs to be seriously taken into consideration. They are coming! However, before
discussing the trend and what measures I believe should be considered in an effort to prevent
total chaos and dysfunction in the workplace I will briefly discuss the Baby Boomers; those who
will be passing the torch to the new workforce the millenniums.

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The Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. The oldest of the 79 million Baby
Boomers reached age 65 in 2011 and the youngest will get thee by 2029. They are work-
centric: Baby Boomers are extremely hardworking and motivated by position, perks and prestige.
Baby Boomers relish long work weeks and define themselves by their professional
accomplishments. Baby Boomers may criticize younger generations for a lack of work ethic and
commitment to the workplace. Baby Boomers are confident, independent and self-reliant. This
generation grew up in an era of reform and believe they can change the world. Baby Boomers are
not afraid of confrontation and will not hesitate to challenge established practices. With
increased educational and financial opportunities than previous generations, Baby Boomers are
achievement-oriented, dedicated and career-focused. They welcome exciting, challenging
projects and strive to make a difference. Baby Boomers equate work and position with self-
worth, they are quite competitive in the workplace. They are clever, resourceful and strive to
win. Boomers believe in hierarchal structure and rankism and may have a hard time adjusting to
workplace flexibility trends. They believe in "face time" at the office and may fault younger
generations for working remotely.
So who are the millenniums? aka the “Sunshine” generation if you find yourself in
Canada. Millenniums are those who between the ages of 18-34 in 2015.
(http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/25/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/). They
number 75.4 million, surpassing the 74.9 million Baby Boomers (ages 51-69). Millennials have
surpassed Baby Boomers as the nation’s largest living generation, according to population
estimates released this month by the U.S. Census Bureau. According to Neil Howe and William
Millenniums have always been treated as special and important. This generation of children has
been the most wanted. Every milestone was marked with celebrations and praise. They may

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carry a sense of entitlement about them and have an expectation of frequent positive feedback.
It’s been instilled in them that they are vital to the nation and to their parents’ sense of purpose.
They feel they are here to solve world problems that older generations have failed to solve. They
may claim they want privacy, but they crave attention. They were rarely left unsupervised. They
were sheltered from having to take care of their own conflicts as parents advocated on their
behalf, and “spared” them from unpleasant experiences. As college students, they may expect
faculty and staff to shelter, protect, and nurture them – and resolve their conflicts for them. As
workers they will expect the same.
They are motivated, goal-oriented, and confident in themselves and the future. They
expect college to help launch them to greatness. They have high levels of optimism and they feel
connected to their parents. They are assertive and believe they are “right”. They are group
oriented rather than being individualists. They may sacrifice their own identity to be part of the
team. They prefer egalitarian leadership, not hierarchies. They are forming a tight-knit
generation. While they are group-oriented within their own cohort, they may “politely” exclude
other generations. They do not want to stand out among their peers, they want to be seen as part
of the group. They dislike selfishness and are oriented toward service learning and volunteerism.
They see college as the key to a high paying job and success. Their focus is more on the world of
achievement rather than personal development. Millenniums are very patriotic (shaped by 9/11).
https://students.rice.edu/images/students/AADV/Oweek2008AADVResources/Characteristics%2
0of%20the%20Millenial%20Generation.pdf. They are the most educated generation They are
extremely tech savvy. Ambitious but not entirely focused. Millenniums are attached to their
gadgets. They have not lived without computers. They are eager to spend money and fiercely
independent. They believe in making change using technology. Their parents are their heroes.

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Millenniums are very innovative; they think out the box. Millenniums are loyal to their
peers. They make workplace friends They have a “Me First “attitude in work life. Millenniums
are driven please others. They seek responsibility early on in their roles at work. They are
ambitious What’s next? They will test authority but often -seen out authority figures when
looking for guidance. Millenniums are effective workers but gone @5PM. View work as a “gig”
or something that fills the time between weekends. Training is important and new skills will ease
stressful situations. They are motivated by learning and want to see immediate results. They are
interested in a balance with work, life and community involvement and self-development. Flex
time, job sharing, and sabbaticals will be requested more by this generation. They content that
because of technology, they can work flexibly anytime, anyplace and that they should be
evaluated on work product-not how, when or where they got it done. They have a high
Expectation to influence the terms and conditions of the job.
Their work ethic does not mandate 10 hr days. Millenniums are very patriotic (shaped by
9/11). They place high expectations on their bosses and managers to assist and mentor them in
attainment of professional goals. Millenniums desire long-term relationships with employers,
however they will leave if they are not satisfied. Millenniums are goal oriented. Millenniums are
Looking for careers and mentoring is important to them; they are obsessed w/ career
developments. They thrive in informality &fun. Millenniums recognize that people make the
company successful. They are quite tolerant of difference and thrive in a collaborative work
environment. Training is important to them. They expect to learn new knowledge and skills (they
see repeating tasks as a poor use of their energy and time and an example of not being taken
seriously) They respond poorly to inflexible hierarchical organizations. They are quite
responsive to more networked, less hierarchical organizations. Flexible schedules Want to be

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evaluated on output not input- on the work product itself They expect to be paid well They want
to make a difference Because of being a product of the “drop down and click menu”, they may
need to be given a list of options. They despise for menial work (they are brain smart) They want
to work with bright, creative people, they expect to be treated respectfully. Millenniums were
raised to feel valued and are very positive about themselves; they see as a sign of disrespect any
requirement to do things just because this is the way it has always been done or to pay one’s
dues. Things are changing and Employers need to make the necessary adjustments if business is
to be well. For every action there is a reaction and the same rule applies in social dynamics.
Knowledge is power and based on what is known about the millenniums it is no doubt that this
emerging trend will definitely impact the training and business strategy alignment of
organizations?
The wise employer will make the necessary adjustments in a way that will meet the needs
of the incoming millenniums and meet the business objectives. What this will lock like is that
they will begin the process of engaging the millenniums in a manner that is respectful of who
they are; they will move toward incorporating new training programs into the culture of the
company that will appeal to the millenniums The wise employer will also take this opportunity to
align the bossiness strategy in a manner that will satisfy the millenniums in a way that will
motivate them to excel. When an employee excels this makes for a company that excels.
Companies who demonstrate dynamic employer/employee relations are those companies that
attract and retain dynamic talent; which is essential to organizational success. Knowing who you
are dealing with is key in engagement. With millennials set to make up 50 percent of the global
workforce by 2020, and 75 percent by 2025, it's important that employers who haven't already

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started to make the changes that are needed to attract and retain talented millenniums start to
think about making those changes.
Appropriate engagement of millenniums will be critical business success. For many
millennials, it is not enough that their work simply be a way of earning a paycheck. This
generation is unique in its social consciousness, and members of the millennial generation make
decisions based on that awareness. According to a Business Insider article, 90 percent of
millennials say that their purchasing decisions are influenced by a company's social commitment,
while 63 percent say that they expect their employers to contribute to a social cause. Millennials
are more likely to stay engaged at work (and come to work for you in the first place) if your
business has a reputation for social responsibility. Anything you can do to show a connection
between employee value and work, such as providing opportunities for volunteering or donating
to a worthy cause, can go a long way towards keeping those employees engaged. Millennials are
more likely to stay engaged at work (and come to work for you in the first place) if your business
has a reputation for social responsibility. Anything you can do to show a connection between
employee value and work, such as providing opportunities for volunteering or donating to a
worthy cause, can go a long way towards keeping those employees engaged. the most crucial
mistakes that managers often make with millennial employees is failing to communicate with
them regularly. Millennials crave regular feedback on their work, not because they want to be
patted on the back every time they complete an assignment, but because they want to do solid
work. Millennials often seek out feedback as a way of growing in their jobs and ensuring that
their work is valuable to the company.
With that being said, some form of employee recognition can be a great way of
motivating millennial employees. They aim for positions where they feel that their skills will be

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put to use so they can best help the company. Managers can keep their millennials motivated by
providing career training opportunities and stressing opportunities for advancement Just like with
work, millennials also want to be able to connect with their co-workers, both in and out of the
office. Smart managers will take heed and devote a significant portion of their time to team-
building and encouraging socializing. One way they can do that is to embrace social media and
other online platforms and encourage employees to join in. While some may view this as a
potential distraction, it can ultimately help your business by turning your workforce into a
tightly-knit community and facilitating strong communication between your employees. While
millennials can be highly dedicated to their work when some of the above conditions have been
met, it doesn't mean they love the idea of spending eight hours cooped up in an office every day.
For the first generation of digital natives, the very idea of an office can feel somewhat antiquated
since they are fully aware of how much work can be accomplished with little more than an
Internet connection. It may seem counter-intuitive, but while many millennials are extremely
interested in forming meaningful connections with their work and their fellow employees, they
also tend to view themselves as being more independent than workers from earlier generations.
Employers may find that they will get the most productivity out of their millennial employees by
giving them the freedom to work remotely when possible, and by creating a casual office
environment that allows employees to move around and work in groups. When it is al said and
done the employer who realizes that things will need to change will have the greater understand
of how important this information is and how important it is to be open and willing to do what is
needed for the success of the company. The key is to work with the millenniums; if the feel
respected they will be motivated to do great work.

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http://www.trainingindustry.com/workforce-development/articles/how-to-engage-millennials-in-
the-workplace.aspx
https://www.massmutual.com/businesses/educational-articles/millennials-in-the-workplace
Millennials will enter the work force with more experiences than any generation before
them. They will continue to seek this through requests for more experiences and opportunities. If
they don’t get it at their work, they will seek it elsewhere. Willing and eager to take risks; don’t
mind making mistakes-they consider this a learning opportunity. Millennials are the best-placed
generation to develop as leaders because of their understanding of the reality of today’s world,
commented Angus Ridgway, cofounder of Potentially. Walker Smith argued that in order to
understand how to develop Millennials as leaders, it’s necessary to take into account how they
differ from other generations. Millennials. A generation which has frequently been labelled as
loyalty-lite, hungry for feedback and with high expectations for rapid career development. Yet
harnessing the talent and loyalty of this generational cohort will be absolutely critical in the next
10 to 15 years’ time as many of these Millennials ascend to leadership positions. Deloitte
estimates that Millennials will make up 75% of the global workforce by 2025. However, it
appears as if the leadership development of Millennials isn’t seen as a priority for organizations,
according to a Brandon Hall Group’s 2015 State of Leadership Development Study. The study
found that just 20% of organizations identified the Millennial leader segment as critical for
development over the next 24 months. Neither are organizations invested in coaching and
mentoring of Millennial leaders. Millennial leaders crave advice particularly from senior
leadership yet on average, just 7% of organizations invested in offering Millennial coaching,
mentoring and dedicated time with their chief executive and other senior leaders. Attracting and
retaining the best of this generation is critical to the future of any business, remarked Sib

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O’Connell, executive vice president and managing director for Europe at Cielo the Millennial
population in the workforce is increasing rapidly, many baby boomers have already reached, or
are fast approaching, retirement age. The flight of baby boomers, and consequent loss of skills
and experience built up over many years, could leave a significant skills gap. One of the reasons
why millennials are so interested in performing well, receiving feedback, and earning recognition
for their work is that they are very interested in career advancement. Millennials tend to
disengage quickly if they feel stuck in a dead-end job.
The primary challenge that I see training departments potentially having is in failing to
prepare. As it is said, “fail to plan and you plan to fail”. It is essential that employers
acknowledge that this issue is a valid issue of concern, that they fail to seriously take into
consideration who the millenniums are as a group, their lack of understanding the importance of
taking the millenniums learning style into serious consideration in the development of their
training programs, a resistance to build another wheel. In other words, training departments may
need to toss out some of their training programs and bring in new programs that appeal to
millenniums. currently are using and replace Must seriously take into consideration their
learning style and prepare to make all necessary adjustments so that training will be effective. It
has been made apparent that many of the current learning theories and teaching styles are not
efficient with the millenniums. It is apparent that adult learning theories will need to be re-
examined and readjusted to meet the needs of the millenniums. Millennials don’t need traditional
classroom-based leadership training. They don’t want to spend time studying. In their time-
pressed world, they are eager to get to action. They will respond much better to approaches that
allow them to practice and ritualize new leadership behaviors without leaving the context of day-
to-day life. Training department need to immediately start the process of seeking out those

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trainers and training institutes who specialize in training modalities that appeal to millenniums
and utilize training and learning modalities that appeal to them. We are already witnessing the
early stages of the wave of new instructional design methodologies/technologies that are being
created to meet the learning styles of the millenniums and generations to come.
So what does this mean for business. Easy answer; the leader who yields to the facts of what
is coming down the pipe (a whole new group of workers who are really different from other
generations) is the leader who will take this information in and immediately make preparation to
adapt her engagement styles, training programs and development programs to the align with who
the millenniums are and what they need. The employer who understands the value of attracting
and retaining talent will make the appropriate adjustments sooner than later. The employer who
is committed to meeting the business objectives will make the adjustments. The smart leader will
make the adjustments. Can’t fit a square peg into a circle. Change is inevitable. The wise
employer will adjust to these changes by make the essential changes thereby setting himself, the
employee and the company up for success. The not so wise employer will stand in denial or
reluctance and will reap the repercussions of not listening to what is being said here; “start
preparing for the Millenniums”.

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Bibliography
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?https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2014/07/24/do-10000-baby-boomers-
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Richard Fry; Millennials overtake Baby Boomers as America’s largest generation; Pew Research
Center; http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/25/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/;
October 3, 2016
Jessica Brack Executive Vice President & General Manager 2U Inc. & Kip Kelly Director UNC
Executive Development ; Maimazing Mileniums in the Workplace; Kenan-Flager Business
School;https://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/executive-development/custom-
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http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/20/fashion/millennials-mic-workplace.html?_r=0; October 4,
2016