Those from the Silent Generation that are still in the workforce are at least 63 years old. Their generation lived through two world wars and for some, the Great Depression. They tend to value hard work, respect authority, and be family-oriented and thrifty with money. Members of the Silent Generation respond best to communications in writing, are motivated by cash bonuses, and want to be respected for their experience.

Generation Xers grew up as the latch-key children of Baby Boomer parents who were divorced and working long hours, sacrificing their work and family life balance. As a result, the Gen Xers demand work/life balance for themselves, and have independent natures, disliking someone looking over their shoulders. They grew up using computers, primarily as a tool. They tend to be a goal-oriented generation, much like the Silent Generation. Generation Xers are entrepreneurial, motivated to save, and appreciate having time off and the flexibility to be with their families. They want direct and immediate feedback on their performance and like being given difficult challenges, while still working well with structure and direction. They realize that there may not be career ladders and loyalty within companies, but they are looking for opportunities to be challenged and learn new skills in order to remain employable and advance themselves in their career tracks.

Lastly, outnumbering the Gen Xers, we have the Millennials, also referred to as Generation Y. We have a lot yet to learn about this generation, which is only now entering the workforce. Many of us who work in economic development and workforce development hear every day about the problems with the workforce’s lack of soft skills and work ethic. The solution to this problem may rely upon how all of us manage this next generation of workers.

The Millenials are different from the generations that precede it. They see work as a means to an end, not an end in itself. They more than demand work/life balance in their lives — they feel entitled to it and expect it. They are not workaholics like the Baby Boomers, nor do they have that same sense of loyalty to their employers. They have grown up with technology that provides instant gratification, and they expect that on the job. Their communication style is electronic, not personal. Millenials are very tolerant of others and expect that same tolerance in the workplace. They want meaningful work, and must be challenged with multitasking, as they are used to doing multiple things at once while on the computer. They will be highly educated, but will incur enormous debt for their education. They are entrepreneurial, confident, sociable and demanding. This generation wants to be challenged, wants leaders with integrity, wants to work with people they like, wants to be rewarded for their efforts, wants access to updated technology, and expects to have some fun in the workplace. This is a demanding — even high-maintenance — generation with the capacity for great performance.

With such a broad array of personality traits and expectations, how will a multigenerational workforce function? Managers not only need to craft styles and strategies that function well with each generation under their supervision, but must also develop a management style that creates and maintains harmonious relationships between members of different generations. This will become an increasingly pressing challenge as multigenerational workforces become more common. Not only will members of older generations sometimes fall under the supervision of younger generations, but different generations will have to learn how to work well together as teams.

These are situations which can easily breed resentment and conflict, but that, if handled well, can also prove to be very rewarding for staff and companies both.

The future holds other changes as well. As Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation retire, a significant gap will be left in the upper management and knowledge-worker ranks. The small group of Generation Xers will rapidly be promoted to fill this void. This will result in a gap in middle management, which means that Millenials will move more quickly into middle management.

It’s interesting to ponder how this will change the workforce. For instance, many companies today won’t hire workers with tattoos or piercings. But many workers in Generation Y have already tattooed or pierced their bodies, and they will be the managers of tomorrow. Generation Y has grown up “chatting” on the Internet, not on the telephone. Will tomorrow’s managers meet in person with employees, or utilize a more removed and impersonal medium? Generation Y is much more tolerant of others — accepting not only diversity of religion, race, and national origin, but sexual preferences as well. How will this change tomorrow’s workplace?

It may still be unclear what tomorrow’s workplace will be like, but what is certain is that it will be different from today’s. New management styles must be developed to handle this new composition of the workforce. Regardless of which generations those currently in management positions belong to, it is clear that adaptability and forward-thinking are traits that the future demands of them.

(Editor’s Note: Julie Tappero is the President and owner of West Sound Workforce, a professional staffing and recruiting company based in Poulsbo and Gig Harbor. She can be reached at julie@westsoundworkforce.com. The recommendations and opinions provided are based on general human resource management fundamentals, practices and principles, and are not legal opinions, advice, or guaranteed outcomes. Consult with your legal counsel when addressing legal concerns related to human resource issues and legal contracts.)