Washington Business Spring 2017 | Washington Business | Page 10

eye on business
A Generational Shift is Happening

Kris Johnson, AWB President
If you talk to the last of the Generation Xers, born around 1980,
they’ll tell you they remember using pay phones and typewriters.
Ask a millennial about those “technologies” and they’ll likely pull
out their smartphone and give you a sideways look.
This generational shift, driven by things like technology and
life experiences, is a very real issue facing employers today —
and membership organizations like AWB.
What we often call the “silver tsunami,” is the reality that
boomers are retiring at a rapid rate, and it’s accelerating every
year. Meanwhile, Gen Xers are moving into those leadership
positions and millennials are taking their place. Leadership at
companies, on boards and within membership of organizations
is getting younger.
It’s a necessary and natural progression that brings both
opportunities and challenges as organizations attempt to
understand the needs and expectations of this younger
generation of leaders and of millennials who represent the
fastest growing generation entering the workforce.
As we heard from last year’s Policy Summit keynote speaker
and millennial expert Dan Schawbel, millennials have different
expectations in the workplace and are motivated in different
ways. For example, technology has made it such that what used
to be “office” work can be largely done from home, making
telecommuting or flexible work hours desirable job “perks.”
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But, the million-dollar question is: What do we as employ-
ers and organizations need to do to attract and adjust to the
next generation?
AWB is working through these questions right now. Several
of our board members are retiring after long and successful
careers, not only with their businesses but also in service with
us and to their communities. They’re passing the torch to Gen
Xers and millennials.
Because of this, we hosted several millennial
focus groups around the state to hear what is most
important to them when joining an organization.
Some key takeaways are:
• Washington state millennials often feel a sense
of angst, uncertain about whether they will
remain in the community or with their company
for the long-term.
• They often pursue entrepreneurial interests
outside of their day jobs, also known as a “side
hustle.”
• Seattle millennials are very different from
millennials in other parts of the state, and often
did not grow up in the Pacific Northwest.
The results highlight the need to rethink the
workplace, to better explain our organization’s
mission and vision. Equally important, we must
take steps to ensure knowledge transfer from one
generation to the next and put in place mentoring
opportunities before we lose key interpersonal
workplace skills to retirements.
Rebecca Ryan, futurist and economist and the keynote
speaker at AWB Institute’s Workforce Summit March 22 (see
article on page 20), has some good advice for us: The time to
prepare for the workforce you need tomorrow is today and, in
some cases, yesterday.
Looking ahead five, 10 and even 20 years, we need to take
stock of our workforce needs and determine how to best
harness employee talent. What makes this younger generation
tick? Is it more vacation time or higher pay? Do they prefer
a flexible or rigid work schedule? Are they cause-driven
or purpose-driven? What does that mean for Washington
employers and for AWB?
We’re carving a path through this new landscape together
and, ultimately, we must prepare for and embrace change as
we navigate the new ways in which the workforce operates,
communicates and leads.