Times are a changin’ and I perceive that one of the greatest generational differences is in how we are all motivated in selecting a career and working to succeed. I believe that an understanding of motivations for people in IT is a key leadership trait in today’s management team. Oddly enough, when an employee looks at an opportunity and declines it, the words may sound the same from any generation, but what motivates them could be very different.
I have written before about the influence of veterans in forming my early work habits. On this Veteran’s day, I feel most grateful for my old man and the WWII guys who were senior leaders when I was a green engineer. Still, I kept some of my personal motivations as part of making my career decisions.
Those military generations had a metal that I just do not have due to what they did in response to attacks on our homeland. Pearl Harbor was the call for many to drop what they were doing and volunteer to set things right. This attention to duty and pride of our country carried over to doing what is best for the company. This group was full of those who sought a “long career in one company” and the companies used benefits and pensions to encourage long-term service. Thirty years at one company was no big deal to this generation. Similar to the rule of “Once a Marine, always a Marine.”
How was my motivation different? I was part of a generation that enjoyed an extended peacetime with the exception of the first Gulf War. My career start had a lot to do with being independent, moving out of my childhood home and having my name associated with some technical accomplishments. When I hit the big time at about $5.25 per hour, I had no idea how I would spend that amount of money. Within 2 years I had 4 mouths to feed, and the motivation to improve my earnings and look for a larger home took over. Jobs were tight – there was a clear advantage to the company in stacks of resumes for positions. Labor unions were still successful due to their ability to protect the worker. Longevity was still more common because it was more difficult to hop from one company to another. There seemed to be many candidates for each job posted.
My motivations in order (after happy wife/happy life):
- My first motivation was food on the table and a healthy home for the loud kids and barking mutt.
- Job security was important with the job market so tight.
- Next for me was to have interesting work to do. The challenge of pushing the envelope with tech was something that was always a key challenge.
- Greater responsibility through recognition. I really liked to have great work be seen and rewarded.
- Social rewards. I made many friends who I hung out with and played sports poorly. Our families spent time together. We tended to help each other out during tough times at work or home.
In my training from that greatest generation, I took away some valuable attitude. If there was a day that did not go well, and I groused about the difficulties, all I had to do was look at the veterans. Not only did they not complain a stitch, but I could imagine their reaction to my small problems.
“Kid, we beat the Fuhrer, Il Duce and the Emperor. Nothing is impossible.”
The next generation, the 80s born kids, appeared to me to be in the group that needed both the IT degree and some kind of experience to get a foot in the door to a good position. Motivation for that group was to get the opportunity to show their stuff. I recall internships being vital to making that impression on the hiring managers. Especially around the tech bubble pop, managers were down to using micrometers to figure out which engineers to hire.
In my opinion, this group had a motivation to prove themselves and look to promotions, but this group valued more personal leisure time and home time than my generation did. Hard to argue with that from my perspective. I would call this a proper “Work to live” attitude instead of “Live to work.” This is not to say that this group would not do their part. Everybody in IT is asked to do extra, and the 80s generation does great work. However, I think that there is better judgement in this group to determine when extra working hours are truly needed.
The 80s kids responded to 9/11 in the same way as the greatest generation. They volunteered in military service to try to set things right. I feel proud of the leaders who are part of this generation.
What do I see in the generation born in the late 90s and early 2000s? First, we know that the IT jobs market is wide open. Rather than demanding degrees with experience, a talented individual can receive online certifications and get a chance to start in a position. Graduates of tech “boot camps” are getting snapped up in certain tech. Starting pay rates of top companies are out of sight.
This generation will have more flexibility in where and how low they work with any IT company. This may sound a bit like old communist propaganda, but the power is truly in the hands of the IT worker. If you are good, you will likely have more than one option in employment. The motivations in hiring today (to my ears) sounds like work-life balance, a competitive pay rate, and an enjoyable workplace. I feel that this generation will be heavily influenced by an opportunity to have a great place to work. Leaders in IT, it will be up to us to attract and keep great talent.
Although I like painting generations in broad brushes, leadership demands that I break through any assumptions and get to the heart of what an employee holds most important. Now more than ever in IT, I need to understand the key motivations for each person on my team. Conversely, I have even greater responsibility to determine if I have a person who is not being that good teammate and making our company a less desirable place to be. I can’t cultivate top talent if they move to find a better company culture or team.
Leaders will need to use their coaching skills to find each employee’s motivations while keeping high standards in quality, performance and teamwork.