Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X have more in common than you think
How to motivate employees of any age

What if we told you that Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X actually have quite a lot in common ?

When we carried out research with 500 Gen Z workers and 250 of their older managers, we confirmed something interesting.

When it comes to work, all age groups are motivated by the same basic needs:

• To feel competent: Feeling confident that you can do a good job.
• To have autonomy: Feeling that you can have a say in how things are done.
• To feel connected: Feeling a sense of belonging and relatedness with others.

And when these needs are met, motivation and perseverance are high. That applies whatever age you are. Generational gaps appear when looking at how important each need is and how to satisfy them.

So while the world of work – and society – has changed dramatically over the last few years, the fundamental values are familiar to us all, meaning it’s possible each generation can relate and collaborate.

What’s the biggest motivator for Gen Z and older workers?

When it comes to older managers (Millennials and Gen X), their stand-out psychological priority is feeling competent (47%), followed by connection (29%) and autonomy – having a say and being able to express themselves (24%).

For the 16-25-year-olds we questioned, autonomy and connection were jointly important, followed by competence.

This suggests Gen Zs accept they don’t know everything in their job or industry, but they are likely to thrive if they have a supportive network and their voice is heard.

What motivates all generations?

As well as feeling adept, trusted to make decisions and having shared connections, our research found Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X share a few other similar traits.

Pay is the most important factor for 16–25-year-olds deciding where to work, and the second most important priority for older managers when looking for a new job.

But salary is not what will retain them.  It doesn’t make either group feel valued.

Workers of every age feel valued if they are:

• Recognised for a promotion,
• Given verbal praise,
• Trusted,
• Given responsibility.

Gen Z and older managers both place these priorities over salary, with Gen Z also wanting to feel part of a team.

Promotion is the top factor in making 16-25s feel valued at work and the second most important factor for managers, according to our research.

On average 81% of both groups feel that seeing career progression is key to feeling motivated.

What does this mean for businesses?

So how does this knowledge feed into workplace management?

Society has been keen to pit different generations against each other and our research tells us Gen Z feels hugely misunderstood (just say the word ‘snowflake’ or ‘woke’).

It’s important to break down the barriers between generations with each side seeing they actually have quite a lot in common and that employees of all ages are as ambitious, keen for responsibility, and eager for validation as each other.

For managers and business leaders feeling lost, or for younger employees feeling misjudged, honing in on these key values could be an important first step in building successful age diversity into the workplace.

Then our psychologically-backed frameworks can help benchmark your organisation’s age diversity, give insights into the generational gaps in your organisation, and provide practical recommendations to address these gaps.

How can genpotential support you?

My aim is to help companies see where they are on their journey in identifying generational gaps.

Your organisation might be starting to become aware of some of the differences in how your employees want or need to be managed. Or perhaps you have already taken steps to address generational gaps and want to delve deeper. Or, this may be the first time you have thought about it.

Whichever stage you are at, you can use our one-minute quiz to see where your organisation is on your genpotential journey .

Get in touch today to see how we can help: info@genpotential.com