The Baby Boomer was born between 1946 and 1964 and comprises approximately 80 million of the nation’s employees. The Boomer responds to symbols of recognition such as titles, money and other status symbols or indications of peer recognition. They tend to be extremely competitive, a likely result of their vast number. They value individual choice, community involvement, prosperity, ownership, self-actualizing, as well as health and wellness. Within this age group, many are reflecting on their lives and realizing they have spent too much time at work. As a result, they typically want to add more balance to their lives and may feel that the subsequent generations need to put “their time in.”
"Though the Boomer Generation saw increasing social and economic equality, they also came of age in a period when the country was frequently torn by differing views on politics, war and social justice. The Baby Boomer Generation witnessed and participated in some of the greatest social changes in the country’s history during the 1960s and 1970s with the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Movement. This generation experienced dramatic shifts in educational, economic and social opportunities.
"The face of the workplace began evolving from a fairly racially homogenous, paternalistic environment to one of increased racial and gender diversity. The workplace slowly began to reflect the rapid political and social changes in the nation. This generation coined such terms as the “glass ceiling” and the “equal opportunity workplace,” and began using personality profiles to build awareness of how to get along with all co-workers." (CookRoss, 2004.)
References:
Lancaster, L. & Stillman, D., “When Generations Collide: Why They Are. Why They Clash. How to Solve the Generational Puzzle at Work,” Harper Collins, 2002
Learner, N., “When Generations Meet on the Job,” The Christian Science Monitor, 2002,
http://www.scmonitor.com, p. 20
(No Author given), “Managing a Multigenerational Workforce, The Diversity Manager’s Toolkit,” 2004, Cook Ross, Inc.
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