Differences between generations at work show up in conference rooms, communications styles and job satisfaction levels, as well as the most valued perks.
A new report from PayScale and Millennial Branding turned up many distinctions from levels of stress reported (millennials have the least) to amount of meaning found in their jobs (two-thirds of Boomers report a lot, much more than Gen X or Y). The preferred perks—those most commonly used—also diverged widely:
- Millennials: bus passes, paid overtime, and pet healthcare plans
- Generation X: 100% work from home, paid internet access at home, and paid sabbaticals
- Boomers: defined benefit retirement plans, private medical insurance, and a company car
Millennials must really love their pets because they also listed dogs at work right ahead of a company profit-sharing plan. “Their expectations of jobs are much higher—and they’re not being met,” said Dan Schawbel, founder of Millennial Branding, author of Promote Yourself and co-sponsor of the research.
One area where they all three generations agree: The top thing they’d like to change about their job is the pay.