Phoenix Mecano is at the forefront of manufacturing processes and trends, always seeking to improve our knowledge and skill sets to provide outstanding results. We embrace all generations of workers within our organization, and enjoy the value each brings to our company.
What we’ve heard from our team members and learned through our own research is that the manufacturing industry can be biased to job seekers, especially Generation X. Why? What’s driving the disparity?
Defining the Generations
Maybe some of the answers can be found when we define the principle generational labels, and the perceived characteristics of each.
The Silent Generation: Born between 1928 and 1945, the silent generation planted the roots of the civil rights movement. This generation is small in comparison to those that follow, with World War II affecting them deeply on many levels. These workers comprise roughly ⅓ of the workforce.
Baby Boomer: Born between 1946 and 1964, baby boomers are focused and disciplined job performers, driven largely by goals, both personal and job-related. This generation may not be as tech-savvy as those that follow, and may even be reluctant to learn the skills necessary to thrive in today’s workforce. Baby boomers comprise around a quarter of the modern workforce.
Generation X: Making up a third of the current workforce, Generation X is the label for those born between 1965 and 1980. This generation directly precedes millennials, and tends to be focused on work-life balance and independence. This generation has an entrepreneurial spirit, and the average age of a small business owner is just over 50 years of age. This generation ushered in the founding principles of some of the technologies we use today, and are more open to learning how to use technology to make life easier.
Millennials: Also referred to as Generation Y, millennials are well-educated, confident, and results-oriented. Born between 1981 and 1994, they thrive in collaborative environments. Technology was learned throughout their lives, and they are comfortable with learning all types of technology. Millennials make up approximately one-third of the workforce.
Generation Z: Born after 1994, this generation was created with technology in their hands. They are independent and competitive by nature. This group is more diverse than any preceding it, with an easy acceptance of all ethnicities, lifestyles, and religions. As it stands now, they are on track to be the most educated generation. This younger generation currently holds about 5% of the workforce.
Generation X and Millennials: Same Job, Different Approaches
In welcoming all generations of workers, Phoenix Mecano has witnessed how they differ in their approach to the same job. While Generation X can walk throughout the plant and instinctively “know” something isn’t quite right before collecting data on the issue, millennials primarily rely on data to give them the information they seek rather than their instincts. It makes sense; Generation X has typically had far more experience around manufacturing equipment than their younger counterparts. Millennials, however, may have the benefit of their knowledge of tools and how to make the best use of data.
Only by understanding the benefits of both approaches, especially when combined into a single unified team, can employers make wise choices when it comes to hiring from either generation.
Generation X vs Millennials: The Educational Divide
Generation X’s pen hovers over the “Bachelor’s Degree required” square of job applications, frustrated that their lack of a diploma will keep them from getting a job they are well-qualified for. Millennials may find their own pens hovering over the “five years of manufacturing experience required,” frustrated that their lack of on-the-job experience will prohibit them from getting the job despite a diploma and glowing academic record.
A majority of millennials believe that a college education is critical to their success, with 40% of them having graduated already or are on their way to completing their education. Generation X, however, averages only 30% college graduates.
Meanwhile, many Generation Xers hit the job market after graduation, honing their skills with valuable on-the-job training. Still, many hiring in the manufacturing industry have a bias against hiring even well-qualified Gen Xers over a college-educated millennial.
Generation X is sometimes called the Forgotten Generation, and for good reason. Not only are they less likely to be hired when competing with a millennial for the same job, this generation is also frequently passed over for promotional opportunities, too.
Ageism is Real
Per a recent study, ageism is real. In fact, it’s been discovered that those over the age of 45 understand that age-related discrimination is the biggest barrier to finding employment, leading to persistent unemployment trends in this age group. It’s not that they don’t want to work; they can’t get past the gatekeepers that reject them based on age.
In general, according to this research, hiring managers feel that job candidates over the age of 44 have a low ability to adapt, and, they feel, poor skills in general. Conversely, the same managers acknowledge that Generation Xers have job performances on-par or exceeding millennials.
Generation Xers have proven invaluable to our own team, but we have found huge benefits to both generations when they are allowed to continue training, both on the job and at the college level.
Millennials May Be More Tech-Savvy, But Generation X Isn’t Far Behind
While many feel that millennials are leaps and bounds ahead in technological knowledge, remember that many advancements made today are because of technology that Generation X brought forward with them. Generation Xers are quite comfortable with technology, and have seen evolutions of programming that millennials may find laughable. It’s surprising that a generation surviving dysentery along the Oregon Trail is quickly written off as being unwilling, or unable, to master current technologies.
Millennials do have the advantage, though, because the technologies they have grown up with are still in use today while Generation Xers had no concept that one day a “mobile device” would completely take the place of a telephone.
The Wage Gap
One way that the current job market is failing millennials, however, is in salaries. Getting past the hiring manager is only one obstacle a millennial will face. Once hired, they are looking at a distinct wage gap. In fact, millennials are earning 20% less than older generations did at the same age and level of experience.
Partly to blame is a lack of negotiation skills on the part of the manufacturing job seeker. Many of these millennials are just starting out on their careers, and have yet to understand their worth or how to negotiate a more workable salary. Millennials also were initially attempting to break into the job market during a recession, and are currently competing with a gig (freelance) economy.
The result is many millennials are taking lower paying jobs, such as food service and retail, just to put food on their tables. Settling for low paying jobs and overwhelmed with crippling debt from student loans, millennials seem to be stuck in an unfortunate position of never quite catching up to Generation X in earnings.
Personal Preferences: When Bias is Part of the Hiring Process
The hiring manager will play a big role in choosing which candidate advances to the next stage of the interview process. Unfortunately, their own personal preferences may block some candidates from moving forward. A college educated millennial, for instance, may not see the value in a Generation Xer’s experience in the manufacturing industry if the candidate doesn’t also bring a college diploma to the table. S/he may also feel that a Generation Xer wouldn’t fit company culture, or is too rigid to learn a new way of doing things. Conversely, a Generation Xer may discount a millennial’s diploma, or be too quick to characterize them in an unflattering light.
This can go both ways, with bias on the part of the job seeker as well. Both generations may find it difficult to report to someone of a different generation, with the younger generation believing that Generation X isn’t as skilled or informed, and the older generation not wanting to accept “answering to” someone younger than themselves.
Putting it All Together: Merging Millennials and Generation X for a Dream Team
Phoenix Mecano is proud of the generational diversity within our group. We’ve found that age is not a factor in a person’s ability to do the job, and that each generation brings its own unique perspective and way of doing things to the floor.
There are always challenges when merging the generations, and understanding the way each processes information and learns is critical to a culture of happiness and satisfaction.
Streamlining communications, for instance, can be challenging. Both millennials and Generation Xers have preferred methods of communication. For millennials, texting may be preferred, while Generation X may lean towards more traditional methods of communication.
Cultural differences between the generations can be bridged with team building exercises, activities, and encouraging social interaction between Generation X and millennials on your team. Phoenix Mecano human resources manager Andrea Vaughan started a global book club to help her teams increase their interactions together outside of work.
We’ve also learned to never assume things about someone based on their age. Let their job performance and accomplishments speak for themselves. In addition, encourage your entire team to share ways to make their jobs better, and you’ll find that both Generation X and millennials have valuable insight for you.
And lastly, make sure that there are opportunities for advancement for all members of your team, regardless of age. Promotional opportunities should be based on merit and accomplishment.
Think you’ve got what it takes to be a part of our awesomely diverse organization? Check out Phoenix Mecano’s career page and let us know.
