Working with Millennials: From the Perspective of Baby Boomers and Gen Xers

Abstract

The workplace has never been as diverse as today, and the presence of Millennials has been very distinct. As a generation different in multiple ways, they have brought many challenges to today’s current multigenerational workplace. The purpose of this study was to explore the Baby Boomers’ and Gen Xers’ experiences as they worked alongside with Millennials with the objective of employing the results of the study as future inputs in creating organizational synergy. Ten participants from a variety of industries in Thailand were involved in the qualitative study that was conducted through face-to-face interviews. The results of the study reported that Millennials were creative, assertive, have great and new ideas, and represented “new blood” in the organization. They also possessed Millennial market knowledge and were significant drivers of the organization through their technological expertise. Millennials have transformed the workplace by creating a better and livelier working atmosphere and have added a good balance in the organization. On a more unfavorable side, they were reported to have low levels of organizational loyalty and commitment, low work tolerance, a short working life span, were irresponsible, unreliable, stubborn, impatient, overly confident, frequently using their phones, and not listening to their superiors.