b'FROMcommercial internet access was first offered to customers in 1995, boomers were well into adulthood, with the youngest being 31 and the oldest being 49. And because of improved life expectancy and the baby boomers strong work ethic, most of BOOMERS them are retiring later than previous generations.What to do for baby boomers at your workplace:Baby boomers value the seed company or organization they TO ZOOMERS work for, the positions they hold, and the length of time they have been with the organization. Recognizing their accom-plishments will increase your chances of keeping them. And be sure to make time for in-person interactions. Create a culture that welcomes an aging workforce. Ageism A primer on the various social generationscan be subtle or overt, and regardless of their age, employees and how to deal with them in a seed company. should be provided with opportunities for advancement, access to training, recognition of their performance, and regular feed-Compiled by Marcel Bruins back and coaching.Characteristics of Gen Xers:SOCIAL GENERATIONS ARE groups of people (also calledAs the children of two working parents, Gen Xers learned to be cohorts) who were born in the same date range and who shareindependent and solve problems on their own early in life. And similar cultural experiences. And although this approach tothey often have a good education. The decline of manufactur-social generations has been gaining a lot of traction in the pasting jobs while Gen Xers were leaving for college resulted in a few years, it is an idea that has a long history and can be foundgeneration that saw education as a means of advancing profes-in ancient literature as far back as mid-19 thcentury.sionally. Gen Xers are very comfortable with technology such as Our sister publication, Seed World Europe, thought it couldcomputers and smartphones, as well as learning new software be interesting to provide you with a simple guide to each ageor programs. In addition, they prefer to keep their professional group. Such a division into social generation cohorts can beand personal lives separate. Gen Xers value work-life balance helpful for HR leaders and managers, but it is important not tomore than their predecessors.make any assumptions about an individuals preferences based on their generation.What to do for Gen Xers at your workplace:As baby boomers retire, Gen Xers are poised to take on leader-Characteristics of baby boomers: ship roles, and their direct communication style and hands-off Baby boomers are competitive and driven individuals. Becauseapproach to getting things done make them excellent manag-of the increase in population, boomers faced more com- ers. You should find ways to use Gen Xers leadership skills in petition for jobs when they reached working age. Thisyour workforce, whether through formal positions or mentor-resulted in a generation of hardworking employeesship programs.who are proud of their jobs. They value visibil- Allow them to continue learning, because Gen Xers value ity in their work, and this makes remoteeducation. And you should provide work flexibility. Many work environments difficult for them. employees between the ages of 46 and 55 indicated that work-Unlike some other generations,ing remotely improved their work-life balance. Furthermore, boomers were not born into47% believe that working remotely improves job satisfaction. technology, and theyve had to adjust to newCharacteristics of Millennialstechnology. WhenA large majority of millennial workers say collaboration across multiple teams is critical to their job retention. Millennials, as a generation, would rather approach their work with considera-tion for different points of view than take top-down direction. Millennials prefer work that allows them to express themselves creatively, use their talents, and have an impact on others. They grew up in the digital age. Early versions of wifi were available as early as 1990, so millennials grew up with the internet and have witnessed the develop-ment of technologies from the start. Many millennials are currently employed at the entry, intermediate, or mid-level levels. As a result, they are focused on their own 28GERMINATION.CANOVEMBER 2023'