‘Ultimate workplace diplomats’: How millennials became generational mediators
Today’s workforce is at times a vortex of generational clashes. And like most disputes, often someone gets stuck in the middle — attempting to help bridge the gap between sides. It’s often millennials.
Multi-generational workforces are an important asset for organizations. They include knowledge, expertise, and varying perspectives of four different generations, each with vastly different life and working experiences that shape the way they show up to their jobs.
The youngest — generation Z — is in their 20s, millennials (also known as Gen Y) are in their 30s to early 40s, Gen Xers are in their mid-40s to late 50s, and boomers, are in their 60s or older.
Gen Z workers, in particular, have different asks from these previous generations and care deeply about breaking long-held workplace taboos around discussing their mental health on the job, salary transparency, and lack of work-life balance.
Often there is a communication breakdown between those on the opposite ends of the age spectrum, albeit with exceptions. Workplace observers believe that this leaves millennials as the default arbitrators in the post-pandemic, hybrid working world.
“Millennials are the ultimate workplace diplomats as they’ve seen it all — from dial-up Internet to TikTok. Having experienced evolving work environments, millennials are great mediators for balancing traditional work values with modern, tech-savvy methods,” said Eva Chan, a career advisor at Resume Genius.
Members of the millennial generation, who are now primarily in their thirties, have worked in corporate environments both pre and post-pandemic, and had similar experiences growing up with technology as Gen Zers. But they’ve also worked for Gen X and boomer bosses, and are familiar with their working styles and philosophies. Many millennials are also managers themselves. About 40% of Gen Z workers have a millenial manager, according to a survey from EY.
“This is a population that I think could be well prepared to help articulate and coach Generation Z on what more tenured members of the workforce are expecting of them, and likewise, coach executives and more senior members of the workforce on what the emerging generation want and expect,” said Stefanie Coleman, partner in people advisory at EY.
Coleman recognized how millennials can help bridge the gap in her role as a millennial manager herself. She often finds more Gen Z workers coming to her for conversations about setting personal boundaries and establishing work-life balance while making sure they can still meet the expectations of the role. They are also more open to having conversations about their mental health and available resources.
About 40% of Gen Z employees and millennials said they feel very comfortable discussing mental health in the workplace, and feel supported and encouraged to ask for help when they need it, a survey from BetterWorks found. Just 20% of Gen X and boomers said they felt the same, that survey found.
“Older generations value long hours and dedication, while younger ones prioritize work-life balance and mental health. As millennials move up the corporate ladder, they can push for a work ethic that values productivity over just being present, so it’ll create a culture where hard work is recognized without sacrificing well-being,” Chan said.
“Similar to their younger Gen Z counterparts, millennials want work that aligns with their values and makes a positive impact. They’re drawn to companies with a purpose and roles that offer growth and development. Unlike previous generations, they’re not afraid to change jobs often to find better opportunities and a more fulfilling career,” she said.
In Coleman’s experience, Gen Z workers have also expressed difficulty building relationships and trust with older co-workers and asked how they can establish rapport and make more connections, “sometimes because they feel fairly removed from those types of relationships,” she said.
Proper guidance from millennial managers can help better connect younger workers to older ones at higher levels of the organization and help boost their visibility and job prospects, she said. “As a millennial, we do serve as somewhat of a translator to help young employees connect up to the most senior levels in the organization, with some of those generational expectations not necessarily as clearly aligned,” she said.
Ultimately, millennials can help the most by honing in on commonalities rather than focusing on differences between the oldest and youngest workers, Coleman said. “So I think part of it is to identify what the commonalities are and use those as binding mechanisms, as opposed to focusing on some of the differences that are perceived from one generation to another,” she said.