There are TikTok creators making a living off satirizing the generational differences among workers -- something perfectly suited for the very-online Millennials and Gen Z -- but minute-long video clips aside, generational differences in the workplace do exist and they do amplify one workplace strategy reality that's only become more evident over the last five years. That reality? That there is no one-size-fits-all approach in a well-managed workplace.
Human insight platform User Testing released its Q4 2024 High Tech Pulse, a report looking at worker preferences in technology, and what stands out in their findings is how generationally varied the responses are.
Take the question of work-from-home preferences. Among American respondents, the greatest enthusiasm for being in the office was among the under-35 cohort (your younger millennials and all of Gen Z) and the over-55 cohort (your older Gen Xers and all of the Baby Boomers who are still working). This makes sense -- research has shown that younger workers see value in going to the office for mentoring time and acquiring ambient knowledge that helps them advance. As Stanford's Nicholas Bloom noted in a research report last year:
“People in their 20s have high returns to professional networking, on-the-job training, and mentoring—activities that benefit greatly from in-person interactions. Young workers may also place more value on socializing at the workplace or nearby. They are more likely to live in small or shared apartments, which reduces the appeal of work from home.”
And older workers tend to like going to the office for both the structure and the in-person collaboration. Also unsurprisingly, the people who most value flexibility are also the ones in the thick of childrearing, where flexibility in scheduling and location really have a halo effect outside work.
The other striking generational split was along attitudes toward artificial intelligence. Younger workers are more likely to trust that AI will deliver "a positive experience," with 74% of workers aged 25-34 saying so. However, even the older cohort (age 55+) is still more bullish on AI than not, with 56% of workers thinking about AI favorably.
The gap is also striking because it dwindles when respondents are asked about very specific uses of AI: everyone feels great about it. Younger Gen Xers (age 45-54) are the most avid about AI getting rid of busywork, with 90% bullish on how AI can improve scheduling and calendar management, while 92% trust AI for report generation and data analysis. By contrast, the Gen Z working cohort (ages 18-24) have a little bit less enthusiasm, with 82% bullish on how AI can improve scheduling and calendar management, while 87% trust AI for report generation and data analysis.
Generational cohort sentiment may be mixed on how many days a week they want to be in the office -- but the belief that AI will improve the work experience by helping to manage time and analyze information is a rare universal consensus. Smart workplace strategists should spend some time talking to teams about their pain points around information management and what tools they need, then see where and how AI fits the bill. And remember -- just because sentiment around AI may be consistent, that doesn't mean a one-size-fits-all deployment is the answer.
