Episode: 35-what-baby-boomers-really-want-at-work

Tease: At work, the Baby Boomers only care about their career success and paycheck…or, do they? Find out today on The Perna Syndicate, coming up next.

Ep 35 show:

Hello, and welcome – I’m your host Mark Perna. This week, we’ve covered what Gen Z, the millennials, and Generation X each want in their workplace. Today, let’s look at what the recent ManPowerGroup study uncovered about the Baby Boomer generation. 

Boomers—defined as ages 55 through 64—have long been characterized as being solely focused on their career and paycheck. For decades, they’ve been climbing the career ladder and earning good money as they made their way up. But now, as they’re beginning to look toward retirement, they’re starting to want something else, too. 

According to the survey, pay and challenging work still lead their list, but they’re also now placing higher importance on relationships with both company leadership and co-workers. They value their managers and peers and want to have positive, productive work relationships that enrich their professional lives. They realize that their time is limited, retirement is coming, and that their careers are not just about their careers, but the people they influence along the way.

Additionally, Boomers are less interested in professional development to learn new skills—preferring instead to (in their words) “grow as individuals, not just employees.” In other words, they are still very career- and success-driven, but they want to grow in other ways, too. Could it be that their younger co-workers are rubbing off on them a bit?

That’s your insight for today from The Perna Syndicate. Keep empowering your career journey with more insights from my bestselling book, Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance in Younger Generations.