Posts by Tag

"Every generation needs a new revolution.” – Thomas Jefferson

On May 16 at 3 p.m. ET, We Know Next conducted a lively and insightful #NextChat discussion on "Creating Generational Engagement with Reverse Mentoring" with Next Official Blogger, Microsoft's Ross Smith and his reverse mentor Prem Kumar. Ross and Prem shared their experiences with reverse mentoring and explained how leaders should think differently about managing multiple age groups. Reverse mentoring helps to remove stereotypes. It…

“Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.” – George Orwell

When your alarm goes off each morning, and you roll out of bed to schlep off to work, you are entering a community that’s unprecedented in human history (even if it doesn’t feel that way on a Monday).

Yep, it’s true - you are a part of the first global workforce that contains members of FOUR generations.  Economic, technological,…

Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.  - George Orwell 

Mentee perspective – Ross

 I am 48 years old and started working on software before my mentor, Prem, was born.  Prem’s research on Gen Y was intriguing, particularly his recommendations around reverse mentoring, and I asked if he would be MY mentor a few years back.  A few of the things I’ve learned is how similar Prem is…

Note: This series is based on the paper  My Generation. 

Generational and life-stage issues affect us both consciously and subconsciously every single day.

A survey by Lee and Hecht Harrison tells us that “70% of older employees are dismissive of younger workers’ abilities and nearly half of younger employees are dismissive of the abilities of their older co-workers”. 

Even at the most progressive of companies, these trends often persist. It’s important to address them head-on to win the battle of engagement.

Each day HR professionals in companies of all sizes are addressing issues related to planning for the eventual departure of baby boomers from the workplace.  There is much talk of succesion planning as it relates to filling key positions and roles within these companies.     In the midst of these conversations, another question needs to be raised: "Who will succeed our current generation of HR professionals?"    On  April 18 at 6 p.m. ET, Curtis Midkiff, SHRM's "Social Media Guy", hosted #NextChat and tackled questions such as Who'…

The first thing you should know about recruiting Generation Y? According to pioneering generational researchers William Strauss and Neil Howe, workers born between 1982-2000 actually prefer to be called Millennials. 

That nuance illustrates the essential element to recruiting and attracting the best Millennial talent -- effective communications that speak to and understand their language and values. 

Millennials and Social Media Use

While it’s no secret that communication is increasingly facilitated by social tools and technologies,

Is it possible the practice of retirement for hard-working employees could be disappearing from America’s social landscape? The concept of retirement has been the ability to relax and enter a phase of life where you pick and choose your activities, vacation with your spouse, volunteer at a local non-profit agency, go fishing, play golf and talk about old times without much worry of your financial future.    Poof! Your future retirement may have left the building.   Attention Workers, Your Retirement Has Been Cancelled   The freedom to choose your post-career activities is supposed to be your…

HR is in a boring field. We are in business of mitigating risk and keeping our executives out of trouble. There are very few bold predictions for 2012.

Here is my attempt to gaze into a crystal ball and tell you about the upcoming year.

This is the year where your CEO says, “This is the year of mobile.” Feel free to roll your eyes. You know that the sale of mobile devices is on the rise. And you know that your employees use…

For many demographers and social scientists, the long-awaited year has come and gone, almost. It was estimated that between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2011, more than 7,000 people would turn 65 years old every single day. Those numbers are astounding.

In AARP's 2010 survey of boomers turning 65 in 2011 finds this first wave of the boomer generation were generally satisfied with their lives and optimistic about the next third of life.  Financial security and improving their health were a few top concerns which affected their outlook about the future, and their retirement plans.

In a few respects, boomers turning 65…

Note: This series is based on the paper My Generation.

The makeup of formal – and informal - organizations has always mirrored that of society as a whole. As societal demographics shift, organizations have no choice but to consume the transformation.  A “failure to respond to the demographic changes of society will make it difficult, if not impossible, for…