How to Work With Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers

Author: Shelly Cammish

Baby Boomers. Generation X. Millennials. Generation Z.

We are sitting next to each other in meetings, reporting to one another, hiring one another, managing one another and sometimes driving one another absolutely crazy.

One person is thinking, Why can’t she just pick up the phone?

Another is thinking, Why are you calling me when you could have sent me a message?

Someone else is wondering why an employee expects feedback after completing a project because, in their mind, if nobody said anything, you did a good job.

Meanwhile, that employee is sitting at her desk wondering whether her manager liked the project at all.

Then there is the debate over remote work.

One person believes being physically present demonstrates commitment. Another believes that if the work is getting done, where you are sitting shouldn’t matter.

Neither person necessarily has a bad attitude.

They may simply have a completely different definition of what being a good employee looks like.

If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated with someone at work and thought, I just don’t understand how this person thinks, this episode is for you.

Because today we’re going to talk about what shaped each of the four major generations in today’s workplace, what they tend to value most, what they tend to value least, and—most importantly—how you can work successfully with all of them.

And I want to start with an important disclaimer.

Generations are not personalities.

There are 60-year-olds who love remote work and 25-year-olds who want to be in the office every day. There are Millennials who want to climb the corporate ladder and Baby Boomers who couldn’t care less about having a title.

So we’re talking about trends—not rules.

But trends can still be incredibly useful because generations grow up during different economic conditions, different technologies, different parenting philosophies and different cultural events. Those experiences influence how people think about authority, communication, money, career advancement and work itself.

And that can show up very clearly in the workplace.

Let’s Start With Baby Boomers

Baby Boomers are generally defined as those born between 1945/46 and 1964/65. I use these dates lightly as there are many people who are reflect the values of a generation they may not be exactly born into (I call these people cuspers who can swing in either direction).

For many Boomers, the traditional model of work was relatively straightforward.

You joined a company. You worked hard. You proved yourself. You accumulated experience. You moved through the hierarchy. You earned authority. You stayed at one company and were rewarded for loyalty.

And importantly, many Boomers entered the workforce when longevity with an employer could actually be rewarded.

Pensions were more common. Long careers with one company was the rule and not the exception. Institutional knowledge mattered tremendously. There was an expectation that you paid your dues before getting certain opportunities.

That shaped how many Boomers think about professional credibility. Credibility equalled experience. Experience matters a lot to this group. And hierarchy also is important to this group.

SHRM’s discussion of today’s multigenerational workforce describes Baby Boomers as bringing substantial experience and institutional knowledge while continuing to redefine what retirement looks like.

What Baby Boomers Often Value Most at Work

They often value commitment, professionalism, experience, reliability and personal relationships.

Many also place value on face-to-face communication. They want to shake your hand look you in the eye. They can also distrust the work from home model.

If you’ve ever worked with someone who would rather walk into your office than send six DMs back and forth, there may be a generational component to that.

And Boomers may interpret visibility as engagement. That looks like coming into the office, physically participating in meetings. Being available. Taking responsibility. Following through. These things often signal professionalism.

What They May Value Least

Many Baby Boomers have less patience for workplace behavior that appears to prioritize convenience over commitment. They don’t trust easy…

That could mean excessive informality, constant changes in expectations, questioning processes before understanding it, or expecting advancement before demonstrating capability.

The phrase they sometimes use is:

“You have to pay your dues.” “Trust but verify” “Let’s circle back on that”, “Face time”, “Bottom line”, “Bring to the table”- descriptive phrases that suggest in person and hard work ethic like “Putting in sweat equity”

And here is where generations can collide.

A younger generation may hear the phrase “you need to earn your stripes” and think, Why? If I have demonstrated that I can do the job today, why should the number of years I have been here matter?

A Boomer may respond, “Because there are things you don’t know yet that you don’t even realize you don’t know.

And sometimes both people are right.

How to Work Well With Baby Boomers

Respect their experience without assuming that experience automatically makes every old process correct.

If you’re younger and working with a Boomer, recognize that credibility may need to be demonstrated before it is assumed so come prepared, follow through, and listen to their experience.

Show that you understand the history behind something before proposing that it changes.

And when possible, have the conversation in person.

Sometimes a five-minute phone call will build more trust than twenty messages. Pick up the phone or stop by their office- they will appreciate it and you will gain a lot more credibility.

At the same time, Boomers managing younger workers should remember that asking why isn’t necessarily disrespect.

Sometimes it is simply how younger employees understand the purpose behind the work. For Boomers they need to realize that meaningful work is important to younger employees.

Generation X: The Independent Middle Child of the Workplace

Next comes generation: Gen X, generally born between 1965/1967 and 1976/1980.There is a millennial cross here between 1977-1983 (this is a micro generation that could be gen X or millennial depending on their experiences also called micro generation Xennials)- The micro generation are the only generation to enter school in analog and finish in a digital world.

And Gen X is fascinating because they sit right in the middle of an enormous workplace transformation. This generation remembers the workplace before email. They remember fax machines, getting their first corporate email address, the first company phones, and they remember when your boss had to physically find you or call your office phone.

They we lived through the entire digital transformation of work while at work. This generation paved the way for better operating systems and computer applications, email, cell phones, BlackBerry’s, smartphones, social media and cloud technology. This group build businesses and managed them as early adopters of new technologies.

Gen X learned to adapt because almost everything about work changed during our careers.

SHRM describes Gen X workplace tendencies as including independence, skepticism and a more direct communication style.

The word I think best describes a lot of Gen X workers is:

independent. Many of them were latchkey kids. They came home from school and figured things out. Parents weren’t tracking them through a phone. They tend to be problem solvers.

What Generation X Often Values Most

Gen X tends to value autonomy, competence, efficiency and results. Give us the assignment. Tell us what success looks like. Give us the resources. And then please get out of the way.

That can be one of Gen X’s greatest strengths. They tend to be very comfortable operating independently. But it can also become a weakness when managing other generations.

Because sometimes Gen X managers think:

“Nobody had to explain this to me.”

Or: “I figured it out. Why can’t they?”

What Gen X Often Values Least

Micromanagement. Unnecessary meetings. Bureaucracy. Corporate theater.

And perhaps more than anything: wasting our time.

If a meeting could have been an email, there is a very good chance a Gen Xer somewhere is irritated. They also tend to have a fairly healthy skepticism toward institutions.

They lived through layoffs. Corporate restructuring. The dot-com crash.The Great Recession. Mergers. Offshoring. Downsizing.

They learned something important:

Companies can tell you that employees are family and still eliminate their jobs on Friday.

So loyalty often has limits and started to shift to internal loyalty versus external loyalty. For the first time people started to do what was best for themselves over the company.

How to Work With Gen X

Give them ownership. Be direct. Don’t overmanage them. Explain the objective and allow them some freedom in how they accomplish it.

If you’re managing a Gen Xer, they generally don’t need constant reassurance. But don’t mistake independence for disengagement.

They may not give you a running commentary about everything they are doing.

They may just do it. And Gen X leaders need to recognize that younger employees often want more feedback, mentoring and explanation than they were accustomed to receiving.

Millennials Changed the Conversation About Work

Millennials are generally born between 1979/1980 and 1995/96. I am identify as a millennial.

Millennials got blamed for almost everything when they entered the workplace.

We were called entitled. We all supposedly wanted participation trophies.

I was called a job hopper. We wanted flexible schedules and casual workplaces. We wanted feedback and most importantly we wanted a sense of purpose.

Interestingly, a lot of the things Millennials asked for became normal workplace expectations as the years and continued and we saw things like the cost of living increases and then Covid.

Millennials can be somewhat credited for Flexible work. Personal Development. Coaching. Purpose. Meaningful Collaboration. Transparent leadership. Better work-life balance.

Millennials didn’t destroy the workplace they changed the way society viewed it. Millennials do not live to work nor do they want to work to live…they want to live a whole life including the things they value into their working lives while keeping a sense of community and personal lives separate from their work environment.

They challenged some assumptions about what work had to look like.

What Millennials Often Value Most

Millennials tend to value growth, collaboration, flexibility, meaningful work and feedback.

Deloitte’s 2025 research involving more than 23,000 Gen Z and Millennial respondents found that career decisions increasingly revolve around three interconnected priorities:

money, meaning and well-being.

Millennials frequently want to know that they are developing. They don’t simply want a job.

They want to know: Where is this going? What am I learning? What skills am I building?

How does this position help me get to whatever comes next? And feedback matters.

Many Millennials came into professional environments where coaching and development were becoming much more common.

So the old management philosophy of “If you don’t hear anything from me, you’re doing fine” doesn’t work particularly well.

What Millennials Often Value Least

Rigid hierarchy without explanation.

Being told: “That’s just how we do things.” Being physically present simply for the sake of being physically present does not sit well with this group.

The organizations that talk about values but don’t behave consistently with those values will find this group leaving to find better companies. Millennials want to work for companies that “walk the talk”…they say “show me don’t tell me”.

Millennials tend to be much more comfortable questioning systems which can make older leader uncomfortable.

And this is another place where generational conflict happens.

A Boomer may hear questioning and interpret it as disrespect. A Millennial may be thinking:

“I’m trying to improve the process.”

Same conversation.

Completely different interpretation.

How to Work Well With Millennials

Explain the why. Millennials want to know the why behind the what.

Give meaningful feedback. Connect projects to a larger objective. Provide opportunities to learn. And don’t assume development always means a promotion. This group will trade titles for flexibility and likely will turn down positions with too much corporate responsibility. Having a flexible lifestyle is more important than money.

Development can look like:

Exposure. New projects. New skills. Mentoring. Education.

Cross-functional responsibility. Millennials often want to feel that their career is moving somewhere. They also want a sense of community.  Give them visibility into where that somewhere might be.

And Then Came Generation Z

Generation Z generally includes people born from the late 1990- 1997s into the early 2010/2012s, depending upon the definition being used.

And Gen Z entered the workplace under circumstances no other generation experienced.

Many had their education or early careers disrupted by COVID. They grew up with smartphones. Social media has existed for nearly their entire conscious lives and was amplified during COVID and continued.

Information has always been immediately available. Customization is normal. Technology is intuitive. And they are now entering careers at the same time artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape entire categories of work. These people are dreamers that believe they can do anything. They love niche or narrow categories of interest.

SHRM’s research describes Gen Z as particularly accustomed to personalized technology and optimization. They are often frustrated by unnecessary bureaucracy or outdated technology that prevents them from working efficiently. They are also under-socialized and have a tendency to be soft or sensitive to others’ opinions of themselves. They are more artificial about their image and getting respect or views from others is important to them. They are also the most caring regarding the world and compassionate to causes.

What Gen Z Often Values Most

Gen Z tends to value flexibility, transparency, development, well-being, financial security and authenticity.  And there is something really interesting happening with ambition. Gen Z is ambitious. But ambition doesn’t necessarily look like becoming vice president.

Deloitte’s 2025 research found that only about 6% of Gen Z respondents identified reaching a senior leadership position as their primary career goal. They have little to no interest in climbing any corp latter which can frustrate older generations.

Yet learning and development were among the leading reasons Gen Z chose their current employer.

That distinction matters. Older generations sometimes look at a younger employee who doesn’t want to become a senior executive and assume:

“They aren’t ambitious.” Maybe they are. They may simply define ambition differently.

Their ambition might be: Developing expertise. Building financial independence. Many of the Gen-Z’s I talk to are very interested in building person wealth. Having multiple income streams. They create flexibility. They love traveling. Building something outside their primary job.

Having time for family. Or protecting their mental and physical health. That doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t care about work. It means work may occupy a different position in their lives.

What Gen Z Often Values Least

Gen Z has very little patience for performative workplace traditions.

Being in the office because someone wants to see you sitting there. Meetings without a purpose. Technology makes work unnecessarily difficult. Corporate language that doesn’t match corporate behavior. These are the silent leavers…. they are not going to tell you they do not drink the corp KoolAid they will just leave with no explanation.

They will not be sacrificing personal well-being simply to prove commitment.

This can be incredibly frustrating to older workers who remember doing exactly those things.

You may hear someone say:

“I worked nights and weekends when I was their age.” And a Gen Z employee may quietly be thinking: “I’m sorry you had to do that. I don’t want to.” And you know what?

That isn’t an entirely unreasonable response.

How to Work Well With Gen Z

I love this group…I didn’t understand them when they first entered the workforce but I got the joy of working with a few Gen Z’s and really started to not only appreciate them but to admire the way they stand up to owning their life experience. You can work well with this group if you explain expectations clearly. Give frequent, useful feedback.

Offer mentoring. Allow them to ask questions. Give them technology that actually works and ask for their input regarding technology…They know so much and are willing to share for the better of everyone.

And don’t confuse flexibility with a lack of accountability. Give them the expectations without setting specific parameters like hours or physical boundaries.

You can absolutely have high expectations while allowing flexibility- this is an art. I have found that Millennials tend to do this best as they already believe in flexibility when it comes to work where Generation X tends to watch hours or clock people. For example, I had a Gen-X director report to me who had millennial and gen-Z direct reports. I was also a millennial. The company was very baby boomer and gen X led so being in the office Monday through Friday from 7 to 5pm was silently expected.

I pushed for flexibility and freedom to operate and allowed my team 2 flexible days to work remotely and did not watch the clock nor did I expect them to tell me or anyone else when they came and went. I discussed projects and work opportunities not hours. My director struggled as she was a gen-x and did manage with hours and timed expectations for her team. Her team was always in my office trying to get her to back down and see the work they were doing verse managing them. I had several conversations with her about being flexible on time and location and focusing on what was getting done and the quality of the work…also guiding her to be flexible on how the team came to each accomplishment- I believe in freedom to operate, guidelines, setting expectations but not micro-management or having ridged rules. I also believe in open conversations and challenges are welcome. I also love mentoring young people in the work place- they are our future.  

In fact, Deloitte found roughly half of Gen Z respondents wanted managers to teach and mentor them, while considerably fewer said they were actually receiving that level of mentoring.

This generation isn’t necessarily asking for fewer expectations.

A lot of them are asking for better leadership not bosses.

The Workplace Is Changing Because the Workforce Is Changing

And this is where I think this conversation gets much bigger than generational stereotypes.

For decades, organizations essentially told employees what a successful career looked like. Work hard. Move up. Become a manager. Become a director. Become a vice president. Get the office. Get the title. Get the bigger paycheck. Retire.

But younger generations are asking a different question: “What if that’s not the life I want?”

And businesses are going to have to reckon with that.

Deloitte’s recent research found Gen Z and Millennials overwhelmingly say purpose matters to their job satisfaction, while financial security and well-being remain deeply interconnected with how they evaluate careers.

It means we are going to have more definitions of success sitting next to one another at the same conference table.

Baby Boomers bring decades of experience.

Gen X brings independence and adaptability.

Millennials pushed organizations toward collaboration, development and flexibility.

Gen Z is asking whether the systems themselves still make sense.

You don’t want a workplace made entirely of one of those perspectives.

You want all of them. Because the strongest team isn’t the one where everyone thinks the same way. It is the one where people understand how to translate between different ways of thinking.

The next time someone from another generation irritates you at work, try something before deciding that they’re lazy, outdated, entitled, rigid or difficult.

Ask yourself: What does this person value that I may not value in the same way?