{"id":8977,"date":"2025-07-30T01:45:50","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T05:45:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/2025\/07\/30\/bye-boomer-a-new-workplace-dream-team-just-clocked-in\/"},"modified":"2025-07-31T12:46:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T16:46:00","slug":"bye-boomer-a-new-workplace-dream-team-just-clocked-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/news\/bye-boomer-a-new-workplace-dream-team-just-clocked-in\/8977\/","title":{"rendered":"Bye Boomer: A New Workplace Dream Team Just Clocked In"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Chris Miller, Founder + Head of Performance, Mabl<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Two generations are stepping up and reshaping workplace culture as we know it. The new dynamic duo\u2014Millennials and Gen Zers\u2014are unabashedly turning the tables on outdated work practices, pushing for change that not every generation is ready to embrace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

When the line \u201cOK, Boomer\u201d manages to make it all the way to the Supreme Court<\/a>, it\u2019s clear that the generational tension between Boomers and their successors is all too widespread. But did our more seasoned generation really pioneer the work culture woes Gen X leaders<\/a> are now struggling to let go of, or were Boomers merely \u201cPatient Zero<\/a>\u201d\u2014dutiful workers dedicated to a paycheck, who followed in the footsteps of their Great Depression-era predecessors, and unfortunately never bothered (or wanted) to challenge the status quo?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Once the backbone of our businesses, Boomers are now a meager 15%<\/a> of today\u2019s workforce, with Gen X and Millennials each holding over a third, and Gen Z nearly on par with their Boomer counterparts. The modern workplace has evolved dramatically over recent years, but not all of its workforce has been able to keep up. Saddled with a stereotype of resisting change, clinging to rigid hierarchies, being married to the job (What work-life balance?), rejecting remote work flexibility, resisting tech (Who needs Slack when you\u2019ve got a fax?), and an attachment to in-office meetings (Please make them stop!), Boomers have struggled to adapt to a rapidly changing culture and find their footing with the \u201cwhippersnappers\u201d who report to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Opposites may attract, but if so, someone definitely missed the memo. Far from narrowing the divide between the groups, generational differences are driving a wedge in today\u2019s workplace. Boomers are being dismissed outright by Millennials and Gen Zers as the old guard who can\u2019t retire soon enough. Meanwhile, Millennials are dubbed as the narcissistic \u201cMe Me Me Generation<\/a>\u201d hooked on self-care<\/a>, while Gen Z is labeled as lazy<\/a> and demanding<\/a>. Grateful not to be part of the intergenerational drama, the \u201cLatchkey Generation<\/a>\u201d (Gen X) is simply trying to keep the peace and survive until retirement, which is par for the course considering they basically raised themselves. And, though mostly retired, the Silent Generation\u2019s legacy of discipline<\/a> and loyalty lives on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The unfortunate truth is: each generation has invaluable insights to offer the other, but if unhelpful stigmas and preconceived notions aren\u2019t set aside, each may miss their chance to understand and benefit from the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

THE CYCLE STOPS HERE<\/h2>\n

An estimated 35 to 40 million<\/a> workers are expected to quit their jobs this year alone (That\u2019s 3.3 million <\/a>a month), making good management the much-needed linchpin for employee engagement and retention. The younger generations, namely Millennials and Gen Zers, are requiring more from their employers\u2014more work-life balance, more effective leadership (think \u201ccoaching\u201d\u2014not \u201cbossing\u201d), and more purpose in their position. Add in their demand for a positive, inclusive work culture that takes into account their mental and physical well-being as a non-negotiable priority, and you have a very different work environment than the one Boomers spent decades upholding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Unlike Boomers, who were taught to keep their heads down and their mouths shut, younger generations have refused to turn a blind eye to unhealthy work practices that come at the cost of their well-being. Can you blame them? Shouldn\u2019t we all prioritize our mental and physical health over a paycheck?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Whatever the truth may be about who made toxic work culture what it is today, the power duo that’s predicted to make up two-thirds<\/a> of the workforce within the next few years\u2014Millennials and Gen Z\u2014has no plans of perpetuating the cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

THE NEW DYNAMIC DUO IS HERE AND IT’S THRIVING<\/h2>\n

With each generation having different wants and needs, only two stand out for getting along in the workplace, like a Boomer and their PowerPoint presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

The two generations? Millennials and Gen Z.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

When it comes down to creating an environment that\u2019s not going to send Gen Zers silently quitting or running to therapy, Millennial leaders arguably have the upper hand and may just be our best chance at keeping Gen Z engaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Why? Because Millennials and Gen Zers share many of the same struggles and the same \u201ctrifecta<\/a>\u201d of values:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n