The Leader - September 2007 - (Page 71) sta yIN G o N: e mp lo ye e re te NtI o N by de s I G N Another significant challenge facing employers right now because of the changing demographic tide is transforming the workspace, and corporate culture, in a way that will appeal to the diverse preferences and expectations of multiple generations. X and also, from Generation Y (or “Millenials”), to keep things running. However, these are smaller generational groups, and thus, simply from a numbers standpoint, cannot fill the void to be left by departing baby boomers and the last handful of so-called “Silent Generation” workers, born between 1925 and 1942. This demographic shift has many employers ramping up their employee retention and recruitment activities: They want to hold on to valuable knowledge workers already in their ranks for as long as possible, while also attracting the best and brightest available from a very limited labor pool. Keeping retirement-age workers on the payroll likely will mean creating more part-time and consulting arrangements, which will further grow the need for telecommuting practices and the amount of unassigned/ plug-and-play, drop-in and satellite office space. Another significant challenge facing employers right now because of the changing demographic tide is transforming the workspace, and corporate culture, in a way that will appeal to the diverse preferences and expectations of multiple generations. Never in the history of business have so many generations worked together side by side. Gen X and Gen Y view work and life in ways markedly different from their older colleagues. For example, they reject – or don’t even see – hierarchy dictated by office space (private offices for management vs. cubes for average workers) and typically don’t exhibit the “Winner-Takes-All-Work-isLife” attitude that defined the work ethic of many boomers. Instead, by and large, workers under age 45 – and most particularly, under 30 – tend to prefer informal, unthreatening and collegial work environments where they feel comfortable expressing their creativity and individuality; believe in advancement based on talent and performance; prefer to work in close proximity with like-minded individuals; and feel good about working for companies that are socially and environmentally conscious. And it is extremely important to them to be able to indulge regularly in activities for fun and self-improvement – hence the current trend toward building workplace amenities such as game rooms and yoga studios. Leading employers are noticing these generational differences in attitude toward work and the work environment, and life, and to address them, are making changes to the physical workspace. Following are workspace trends designed to appeal to the growing multigen- th e le ade r 71 september / october 2007
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