The millennials in the attic

Is your office infested with older employees who live back in the day and creak when they walk?

Or are you suffering because of young employees who seem hypnotized by their iPhones?

Which one is Cro-Magnon and which is Neanderthal Man, uh, Person?

The “correct” answer probably depends on how many birthdays the person you ask has celebrated, or ignored.

Many older people (anyone born before 1982) have a problem with young workers, based on how they dress, their keen interest in social media and their attitude toward work. Many younger people (those born by the turn of the century) find their elders are not necessarily wiser, and that their longer time in the workplace isn’t always an asset. That is their office elders are set in their ways, wedded to outdated concepts and definitely out of step with technology, which is second nature to most millennials.

Federal News Radio recently did a special report on the impact of millennials on the federal workplace.  Good and bad. Warts and all. The series by reporter Nicole Ogrysko looked at how older feds felt about working with your employees and also how millennials view their Gen X colleagues. Regardless of which generation you belong to, the information was interesting, in some cases surprising (and disturbing) but useful if you want to navigate the sometimes choppy waters of office politics. The survey found that about two-thirds of all feds under age 35 believed they are perceived differently (and not necessarily for the better) because of their age.

And the survey took place before the Pokémon Go app zoomed to almost overnight popularity. Does this mean that younger folks at the Pentagon, CIA and NASA are now spending their spare time playing the game? Or is this part of the welcome to the 21st century club?

Today at 10 a.m. on FederalNewsRadio.com, Nicole and reporter Meredith Somers will talk about the gap — if any — between older and younger workers at the office. Especially your office. And if it is a problem, what might be helpful in making things better. If you have questions or comments, email them to me at mcausey@federalnewsradio.com. We won’t use your name if you want to remain anonymous — and welcome in your office.

Listen in if you can and sound off if you’d like — and tell a friend! Should be an educational hour regardless of your age.

Nearly Useless Factoid

By Michael O’Connell

Four Pokémon have palindromic names: Girafarig, Eevee, Ho-oh and Alomomola.

Source: Pokémon Trivia: 649 Things You May Not Have Known!

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