Building Dialogue

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26 / BUILDING DIALOGUE / JUNE 2015
T here seems to be a ceaseless fascination
with the generations at work. Just as one
balances the workplace for the current mix
of workers, the promise of a new, unfamiliar de-
mographic is eminent.
The current generational landscape supports
four, coexisting generations, with the growing ma-
jority of millennials assuming leadership positions
around the world. As the next generation is loom-
ing in the near future, corporations are becoming
increasingly concerned with how to recalibrate and
sustain not only four, but five generations in their
work environments.
• Silent Generation, born prior to 1946
• Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964
• Gen X, born between 1965 and 1978
• Gen Y, born between 1979 and 1997
• Gen Z, born after 1998 (ongoing)
(Generation Z will enter the workforce by the end
of this decade.)
So, Who is Generation Z and what
will they need to work effectively?
Little is known about Generation Z, the children of
Generation X. This generation, more than 23 million
strong, began in the late-1990s and is ongoing. The
first of this group will have graduated college and
be entering the workforce by the end of this decade,
right about the time when Generation Y will hit its
peak as a share of office workers. Thus, the workplace
will need to address both groups.
Members of Generation Z have a unique set of char-
acteristics that could easily propel them to leadership
positions at work (such as being expert at online col-
laboration tools) or, at the same time, trip them up
and cause career setbacks (i.e., weak face-to-face social
skills).
Characteristic 1
Appreciation for social connection, structure, order
and predictability
Generation X parents had to be independent as kids
because their family life was unpredictable In turn,
they encourage independent thinking in their Gen-
eration Z offspring. Divorce rates for Generation X are
lower than national norms, partly because so many
Generation X members lived through their parents’
split and they do not want their kids to have the same
feeling of being “on their own.” Today, Generation Z
kids have the highest home schooling rates in U.S.
history and high rates of one “stay-at-home parent,”
both of which emphasize the “art of parenting,” and
family as a secure base. Thus, Generation Z members
are learning to value connections with family, order,
structure, a work ethic and a sense of predictability in
their lives.
Planning Opportunity
Offer legible planning layout with clear circulation,
interior landmarks, visual access and obvious intent
of spaces.
Jenny West
Architecture
and Design
Manager,
Knoll
Moving Forward
Appreciating social connections