OPINION — Across the Generations

 By Sher Kirk, Operations Director, Utility Safety Partners

As we see the last of the baby boomers retiring and the beginning of the exodus of GenX from the workforce, it should change how we structure our organizations for the future. While GenX is responsible for the introduction of the new technologies we take for granted today (personal computers, cell phones, the internet), millennials have been fully immersed in those technologies throughout most of their lives and their expectations about how businesses provide services is vastly different than those of GenX.

Business development during the 80s and 90s focused on using technology as a tool to improve efficiency and to improve the bottom line. Computers were used to gather and store information, to track finances and build databases. Between the 90s and 2000s, technology became the hallmark of communications and how we understand the world. Rather than focusing on the North American bubble, the millennial generation came into the workforce with a greater understanding of diversity and the advantages of understanding how the rest of the world lives and operates. It makes sense then that millennials have a greater sense of global responsibility, and their values reflect a desire for equality and social justice. Millennials have a greater desire to make a difference and their definition of success does not necessarily include a career that lasts a lifetime and home ownership. With millennials now moving into management and executive positions, it makes sense that companies are paying more attention to how we treat employees and customers, making sure the bottom line doesn’t always come before accountability to each other.

With GenZ entering the workforce, businesses can expect to take advantage of the first digital natives and their deep immersion in a small world connected by the Internet of Things. Businesses will no longer be able to rely on the "old ways" of doing things, as the expectations of this generation are totally digital. It won’t be enough to give them a platform to self-serve from a mobile device. Their expectations will include speedy and smart solutions that include AI that keeps pace with changes. It will be fascinating to see how this generation is impacted by the changes that affected their parents. It seems that they will be more focused on the accumulation of wealth than the two generations before them, as they learn from their parents that money gives you the power to make the change you want to see in the world, and that loyalty to a single employer can’t be relied on to take care of you later in life. These "Zoomers" will take change in stride and will expect to change loyalties to employers, service providers and suppliers as they seek the best option for themselves in the moment.

At the USP 40th Anniversary and Damage Symposium, we plan to discuss the importance of understanding generational differences as we look ahead to where the damage prevention industry can go in the future. Join us for an interesting look at the possibilities and the pitfalls of envisioning a future that works for generations to come.