Millennials vs. GenXers: Who Influences Your Tech Decisions More?

Millennials can’t imagine life without computers, the Internet and social media. They grew up with it and have an innate comfort with it. They’re also making up a big part of the workforce. According to Pew Research Center, there are 85 million Millennials compared to just 65 million GenXers. It’s no wonder companies tend to cater to the needs of this younger, more tech-savvy group.

On the surface, this may seem like a good decision, based on the sheer number of Millennials in the workplace. But in your attempt to appease your younger employees with the types of technologies they like, are you forgetting about a possibly smaller, yet still important sector of your workforce? Are the needs of the GenXers of your company being considered in your tech decisions? Are you investing time and money in technology that comes naturally to Millennials and forgetting to properly train the GenXers who may need a little more hand holding?

It’s no mystery that job satisfaction leads to greater productivity, so if you’re leaving those GenXers out in the cold, they just might bolt. Or, they may grow so disillusioned with their jobs that they let their level of performance slip. Meanwhile the Millennials are thriving. New research from MetLife reveals that about two in three GenXers are happy at work, compared to 75 percent of Millennials.

So what’s the solution? Simply recognizing that a tech gap might exist between the GenXers and Millennials in your company is a good first step. Next, take an audit of your company’s current tech setup. Are there certain pieces of technology that are going unused by a certain demographic? If so why: Lack of training, familiarity, or confidence? Finally, query those few but mighty GenXers about their comfort levels using the technology that your currently have, and what might help them become more proficient at using it … there could be technologies that you haven’t even thought about that could put your GenXers back on track to job satisfaction and fulfillment.

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