LEXINGTON, KY - What's the best way to find out how age-related perspectives are affecting central Kentucky's multigenerational employees in the workplace? Ask them.
Last year, a team of faculty members from the business and teacher education divisions at Midway College set out to collect information directly from central Kentucky's workforce on their generational differences. The survey asked employees to rate the importance of such topics as key performance motivators, preferred communication methods and overall value systems. Their goal was to find out if the prevailing thoughts on generation-specific attitudes in the workplace nationwide held true in the Bluegrass.
They discovered that, on the whole, the different attitudes and work styles commonly associated with Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y employees are the same in Central Kentucky as they are in the rest of the country. At the same time, however, the Midway College researchers have uncovered some commonalities between the generations that they hope will help businesses more effectively manage employees across the age spectrum.
"I think it's important that people begin to appreciate that there are differences in the way we do things, but there are a lot of things that bring us together," said Dr. Frank Fletcher, chair of the business division for Midway College. "This study helps us not only in recognizing differences and appreciating them, but also in giving us the opportunity to build around some common ground."
Specifically, the survey, which included responses from 834 Central Kentucky employees at 17 workplaces, found that Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y workers all place a high value on loyalty from their employer and the maintenance of good working relationships. In addition, respondents of all ages indicated that they consider comprehensive health care benefits to be important, they feel comfortable with co-workers of different genders and backgrounds and they take their performance evaluations seriously.
Overall, the survey results showed that the perspectives of Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y employees in Kentucky are very similar to those in other regions.
"We did not find any significant differences in terms of the cultural or demographic location of Kentucky," said Roy Mundy, an instructor and full-time faculty member at Midway College.
Findings from the study indicate that Central Kentucky Baby Boomers see themselves as more work-focused than family-focused, and they are more likely than their younger co-workers to value in-person communication, loyalty to their organization, and a company-funded retirement plan. Local Gen Xers are more motivated by competition and they prefer a team-oriented approach to projects. Generation X participants were also more likely than Baby Boomers or Generation Y respondents to appreciate company-sponsored social events for employees and families. At the same time, Generation Y employees in Central Kentucky indicated a significantly stronger desire for advancement opportunities than their older co-workers, and they are more strongly motivated by factors such as tuition aid, special recognition and tangible rewards.
Companies participating in the survey included Central Baptist Hospital, JPMorgan Chase, Georgia Pacific Corporation, Lexington Fayette County Health Department, Homestead Nursing Center, Lexington Sunrise Rotary Club and WTVQ-TV in Lexington; Georgetown-based Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky; Woodford County School System, Osram Sylvania, Bluegrass Community Hospital and Woodford Reserve in Versailles, Ky.; Sherwin Williams Automotive Finishing in Richmond, Ky.; Hobart Corporation in Danville, Ky.; and 3M based in Cynthiana, Ky.
Information on the values and communication preferences of multiple generations is of particular value to industries that rely heavily on a team-based work atmosphere, such as health care, Fletcher said. Also, while many Baby Boomers are expected to remain in their jobs longer than previous generations, there is still a need for them to transfer their institutional knowledge to the next generation of workers, Mundy said. Helping businesses understand the preferred communication methods of each generation will aid them in effectively navigating this informational transition, he said.
"Surprisingly, at least in our looking at what is out there and what has been done on generations in the workplace, there were very, very few surveys that had actually been done," Mundy said. "We think that our approach, where we actually go to the employees and get their input, was a pretty objective and academic approach."
In addition to Mundy and Fletcher, Midway College faculty who contributed to the project included chair of the teacher education division Charles Roberts, Christine Gibson, David Gibson, David Cooke, Linda Eldridge and Wendy Hoffman.
According to Hoffman, an assistant professor in Midway's business division, the survey is simply a first step in what she expects will develop into more long-term analysis and application on generational issues in the workplace, both for Kentucky and across the nation.
"It opens up a door to a lot of new studies, and with some time, a little more far-reaching conclusions than we were able to determine from this study," said Hoffman. "I think that there is going to be a continuation of this project, whether it will be to take it to further industries or further application of the study."