Millions of Boomers are expected to retire in the coming years. While those looking ot climb in the job ranks, this can be an advantageous time for some. But the concerns from the workforce is not just losing a good employee. The concern is that the younger generation will not fill the void of the wisdom that the boomer possessed. Does the incoming generation have what it takes to fill the shoes of the boomers? Junior does, but let’s see what the study says….
Who Will Fill The Void?
According to research from The Conference Board, as younger generations of workers fill the void left by boomers, there will be a “significant drain of business wisdom”. This drain will have direct effect on the decrease of innovation and lower growth capacity. The Board goes on to say that “Younger workers can’t be counted on to fill the void, as they lack the experience that builds deep expertise.” Part of this is that the younger workforce tend to change jobs more often than their boomer counterparts. By doing so, job skills are lost in the transition and they never get a chance to hone on any particular skill.
Let’s Understand How They Learn
As the generations have gone on, they all have learned under different capacities. Here’s a look to see what the differences are between the generations:
- Baby Boomers (born 1955-1964) – Most boomers are used to being taught in the formal classroom seting. They are used to reading text but are learning to use computers more efficiently.
- Gen Xers (born 1965-1979)– Can learn from the formal setting but would prefer to learn from more of an informal one. Most of Gen Xers look to find real solutions to real problems while in the workplace. Since computers were introduced to us at a younger age, we learn more from visual aids than verbal. I’m sorry, what did you say?
- Gen Yers (born 1980-1995)– Commonly referred to as "digital natives", they were truly born in the computer world. From Blackberrys to IPods, technology as surrounded them from day one. They are the generation that want to do, not be told. They jump in and prefer to learn from their own mistakes rather than wait and see a opportunity pass them by. With the introduction of social media, they can learn as a group sharing life experiences to help them make certain decisions.
Will They Have What It Takes?
Only time will tell to see how the passing of the torch pans out. I know from this Gen X’ers opinion, we have what it takes. We have the ability to multi-task and utilize the wealth of knowledge from the web to apply it to perfecting our trade.
What do you think? Does the next generation have it?