Generational Diversity: An Exciting Time in the Workplace

Dear colleagues,

“Si jeunesse savait, si viellesse pouvait” is a French proverb my mother often said to me when I was a child. It roughly translates to: “if youth knew, and if elders could.” She would say this when I became too eager to become an adult and not enjoy the experiences of my childhood, just like Simba’s famous line, “oh I just can’t wait to be king,” in the Disney movie, “The Lion King.” I couldn’t wait to grow up.

French humanist Henri II Estienne is credited with this quote. It speaks to the idea that youth often lack experience and the elders lack the strength.

When thinking about generational diversity, I focused on separating the two words. Diversity to me refers to the life experiences, backgrounds, and history that make each one of us different from each other and make us unique individuals.

Like most people, when I think about what generations mean to me, I focus on my grandmother, my mother, and myself. We were born in different times in history. We remember different formative historical events, and although the familial thread between us is strong, we value slightly different things in life and work. Mary Cooney, Ph.D., an expert on generational diversity in the workforce, defines the term as “the concept of having a wide range of generations in the workforce.”

Sandy Athenaise Durosier, M.S., B.A.

Sandy Athenaise Durosier, M.S., B.A.

We live in an exciting time to be in the workforce! There are typically five generations present in our workforce: Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Traditionalists.

Which is the most ethnically diverse and largest generation in American history? It is Generation Z, born between 1995 and the 2000s. Millennials born between 1981 and 1996 represent the lowest rate of health care consumption, but perhaps they’re just different kinds of health care consumers. Technology is their world.

Gen Xers born between 1965 to 1976 were the first generation to grow up with personal computers. Baby Boomers born between 1946 to 1964 are known as the silent generation. Traditionalists, known for their patriotism, sacrifice, and “doing more with less,” were born between 1909 to 1945.

Suffice it to say, each group are contemporaries who were born in the same century sharing national and global events together, but from different viewpoints. Many of those shared experiences have shaped the way those generations approach their life and with it, the workforce. For instance, I remember where I was when the attack on the Twin Towers occurred.

Some crucial events of the last 100 years include the assignations of President Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., the fall of the Berlin Wall, 9/11, the Iraq/Afghanistan wars, Hurricane Katrina, the election of President Obama, and the Sandy Hook shooting.

 Some crucial events of the last 100 years include the assignations of President Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., the fall of the Berlin Wall, 9/11, the Iraq/Afghanistan wars, Hurricane Katrina, the election of President Obama, and the Sandy Hook shooting. 

Generational diversity is often based on the country where one has lived. People who grew up in different parts of the world may have completely different historical events that have shaped who they are that are not related to the history of the United States.

As healthcare professionals, what does generational diversity mean for our work environment, and for our work with patients? I invite you to engage with someone from a different generation. I encourage you to shed the preconceived notions you may have about them.  Find out what’s important to them. What important historical event has shaped their worldview? What do they like to do to have fun? What are their ideas to make our workplace better? What health concerns do they have? What are they afraid of? What health initiatives do they want to develop? What are their dreams and goals? What are they excited about for the future? 

As you may imagine, generational diversity is a great thing for the workforce. It brings together the experience and the strength of different generations to make our workplace better. 

Creating generational engagement and harmony among the different generational groups is important. Let us make a conscious effort to manage our own generational bias.

We have differences and similarities if we go deeper into what that means. We can learn and help each other, whether you are a Millennial, Gen Z, a Boomer, or whatever generation you are from. 

Let’s embrace our uniqueness!

Sandy Athenaise Durosier, M.S., B.A.
OMS II – Class of 2025
Scranton, PA – Site at The Wright Center for Community Health
A.T. Still University – School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona