Each generation is shaped by the economic, cultural and political climate of the period in which they were born and raised. For this reason, each generation has different characteristics from each other. At this point, it is of great importance to benefit from the different perspectives of generations in business life.
Very soon, the majority of the workforce will be made up of generations Y and Z. It would not be wrong to say that it is a necessity to get to know the Y and Z generations closely in order to capture the environment where these two different generations will work together, work directly, efficiently and happily.
The birth interval of the Y generation, also known as the Millennial generation, is considered to be the early 80's mid 90's, and the Z generation birth range is considered to be the late 90's and early 2010s. The Y generation are the children of the X generation, who felt the effects of the Second World War intensely in economic, social and cultural terms. Z, on the other hand, is a generation born entirely to the internet and technology, and has never met a world without the internet. Of course, these two generations, who grew up in different conditions, have different aspects as well as similar aspects. Of course, these different perspectives are reflected in their business life in different ways.
According to research, the team that Y generation works for, is one of the most important issues in business life. The Y generation, who enjoy teamwork rather than individual work, seems to be inclined to change jobs easily if they think that they are not working with the right people with whom they communicate well. Contrary to this situation, generation Z prefers to work individually. Having their own workspace motivates generation Z. However, a similarity between these two generations is reflected in their business preferences. Flexible working hours are important in business life for these two generations, who are very fond of their freedom.
Although the Y generation is associated with the internet and technology, it is not a generation born into technology like the Z generation. For this reason, Generation Z keeps up with technological developments without having difficulties. This generation, born into the digital world, continues to chat in the social environment they are in, while examining a celebrity's Instagram profile on social media, and at the same time, they can follow a series they have opened on Netflix. As in this example, they have the ability and versatility to run multiple jobs at the same time in business life. We can say that this is a feature not seen in any previous generation. However, it is possible to say that this valuable feature brings with it the problem of concentration.
Our job is an important part of our lives, so we need motivation to climb the career ladder. According to research, issues such as being appreciated in business life and getting seniority are important for the Y generation. Generation Z makes sense of motivation as a work environment where reward systems, raises and good conditions are offered over wages. While millennials need motivation on more social issues, generation Z wants to be rewarded in every way.
Generation X, which currently makes up the majority of the business world, will soon be replaced by Generations Y and Z. With their distinctive and similar features, these two generations will determine the dynamics of the business world in the coming period. Blending these differences and keeping up with the change and turning them into an advantage will shape our future. With different perspectives of different generations, well-thought-out decisions will be made, better quality work will be produced with a diversity of skills, and wider audiences will be understood and addressed.