A revealing look at the intergenerational approach to higher education and what institutions must do to understand, recruit and engage millennial employees and generation Z students.

3. Strategic imperatives are changing
• Becoming more competitive globally
• Improving quality, productivity,
consumer outreach, customer service
and culture
• Retain, recruiting & advancing diverse
talent
• Applying new information technology to
reach greater innovation

7. Silent Generation (b. 1928-1945)
Baby Boomer Generation (b. 1946-1964)
Generation X (b. 1965-1979)
Generation Y/Millennials (b. 1980-1995/2000)
Generation Z/Digital Natives (b. 1996 - 2012)

8. ¢ Silent Generation/Traditionalists -1928-1945
— Very defined sense of right and wrong
— Loyal, disciplined, detail-oriented
— Fastest growth on social networking sites has come from this generation
¢ Baby Boomers- 1946-1964
— Loyalty to employer, strong work ethic, long hours
— Career and self one in the same
— Finding solutions to problems, respect for authority
¢ Generation X- 1965-1979
— Set and meet goals, productive
— Balance work and life-enjoy flex hours
— Comfortable with authority, but not impressed with titles
— Tech savvy, value independence
¢ Millennials/Generation Y/Next/Echo Boomers- 1980-1995
— Teamwork, multitasking all the time
— Tech savvy-tech advancements
— Expressing oneself, work and social life are separate
— Need feedback, appreciates ownership

9. ¢ Baby Boomers- IDEALISTS
— It’s the right thing to do!
¢ Generation X - SKEPTICS
— This works. It makes an impact!
¢ Generation Y - COLLABORATORS
— Let’s do this together!
¢ Generation Z - REALISTS
— We can fix this!
Generational Edge

10. ¢ Baby Boomers = Individualism
¢ Generation X = Independence
¢ Generation Y = Influence
¢ Generation Z = Intuition
Generational Edge

11. The term ‘millennial’ applies to individuals who
reached adulthood around or after the turn of the
21st century born between 1980 and 1995.
Known as Generation Y, millennials directly follow
Generation X as the last generation born in the
20th century. Today, there are 1.7 billion
millennials making up one-third of the global
population.
They are defined as an “ethnically diverse
generation who are team players, optimistic,
confident, trusting of authority,
rule-followers, achievers in school,
and generally achievement-oriented
in everything they undertake.”
(Howe and Strauss, 1992)

12. According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, there are
more than 80 million millennials in America.
Millennials are the
largest generation
in history.
Millennials will make up
an estimated 75% of the
workforce by 2025,
ultimately changing the
face of organizational
leadership.

13. Organizational leaders are becoming
increasingly concerned that they soon will
be unable to find the talent they need to
succeed, with a shortage of suitably skilled
workers as the single biggest worry.
Businesses are competing
fiercely for the best
available talent to replace
the retiring boomers in
the upcoming years.
Every year, more and
more of that talent will be
recruited from the ranks
of millennials & gen Z.

14. Today’s teenagers will be the
nation’s first to grow up with social
technology as a full part of their
physical and social development.
Social media will shape ideas
about self-esteem and product
loyalty — and institutions will need
to embrace it to reach incoming
students.
The higher education industry is
scrambling to prepare for a
culture that will potentially wield
$3 trillion in buying power for
greater access to technology,
convenience and social capital.

15. Generation Z / Digital Natives (1996-2011)
Born during minor fertility boom around US Global Financial Crisis
The children of Generation X
CHARACTERISTICS
•Highly connected to
communication
• Instant gratification/thrive on
acceleration
•Independent, lacking a
community- oriented nature due to
social media
• Very open with little concern to
privacy and personal information.
•Thrive on small bits of information.
•Under a lot of pressure to succeed
AT WORK
•Very collaborative and
creative
•Will have to solve the worst
environmental, social and
economic problems in history
•Will not be team players
•Will be more self-directed
•Will process information at
lightning speed
•Will be smarter

16. Generation Z / Digital Natives (1996-2011)
Diversity
An African-American president
Legalization of gay marriages
Legalization of recreational
marijuana
Cyber bullying
School shootings
Wars without borders
The Great Recession
“Fake news”
15 seconds of fame
A world without boundaries
The Internet of Things

17. Generation Z / Digital Natives (1996-2011)
• The largest generation in the US population (25.9%)
• By 2020, they will account for one-third of the US Population
• They contribute $44 billion to the US economy annually
• They are less likely than Millennials to:
• Have a driver’s license by age 18
• Have dated by age 18
• Moved out of their parent’s home by age 30
• Be married before age 30
• Less focused with shorter attention spans
• Better multi-taskers typically using multiple devices

18. Generation Z / Digital Natives (1996-2011)
How they are different than millennials
• Have higher expectations, especially related to
access to state-of-the-art technology and a need
to feel appreciated
• More individualists; born on social media with 92%
having a digital footprint
• More global in their thinking and interactions
• More entrepreneurial

19. Generation Z / Digital Natives (1996-2011)
• 89% believe a college education is valuable
• 84% will take at least one college course before
entering college.
• 49% have already taken 2 or more college level
courses in high school.
• 64% like advanced classes much better
• 23% believe debt should be avoided at all costs.

20. Generation Z / Digital Natives (1996-2011)
• Gen Z students prefer visuals to reading
• Gen Z prefers influencer marketing more than Millennials do
• Gen Z students use multiple digital platform—often
simultaneously
• Like Millennials, Gen Z responds to marketing that is authentic,
and they don’t want to feel marketed to
• You only have a few seconds to grab their attention, so
• go straight to the point
• Marketing and communications must possess “Edutainment”
value to engage this audience
• Create ways that they can share their experiences with your
institution

21. Generation Z / Digital Natives (1996-2011)
• It will be more difficult to recruit students from farther away than
ever before
• Traditional mediums of advertising will be less effective in the
future
• Shifting social media efforts towards Instagram, Snapchat,
YouTube, and digital ads with a more focused use of Facebook
for parents is prudent
• While the preference for mail and email are declining, they still
have a place in your marketing mix
• Websites and all electronic communications must be
smartphone enabled

23. • 1: Organizational success and sustainability
• 2: Advancement and retention
• 3: Personal achievement/Work-life balance
• 4: Diversity and inclusion
Why intergenerational
approach matters

24. • Identity/Institutional Fit
• Coping
• Service
• Speed
• Simplicity
Best Approach to Attracting,
Recruiting & Retaining Students
• Learn by doing
• Supported Goals
• Global & Local
Impact
• Relevancy

25. • Active attention
• Transparency
• Relevancy for others
• Relevancy for oneself
• Passion
• Accountable leadership
• Autonomy through
flexibility
• Self-care as a reflection
of organizational culture
Best Approach to Attracting,
Recruiting & Retaining Younger
Employers

26. MENTORING COACHING SPONSORING
A c o a c h p r o v i d e s
guidance for your
development, often
focused on soft skills
(e.g., active listening)
rather than technical
skills (e.g., financial
acumen). You and your
coach are responsible
f o r d r i v i n g t h e
relationship.
A mentor informally
or formally helps you
navigate your career,
providing guidance
for career choices
and decisions. You
d r i v e t h e
relationship. Your
mentor is reactive
and responsive.
A sponsor is a senior
l e a d e r o r o t h e r
person who uses
strong influence to
help you obtain
visibility. The sponsor
d r i v e s t h e
r e l a t i o n s h i p b y
advocating for you
behind closed doors.

27. • Assume all students will find the same things appealing.
• Get gimmicky with partners, members or
accomplishments.
• Push social media content and walk away.
• Take on too much without a strategy; overcommit.
• Lose sight of the reason you need younger employees

28. • Keep your story engaging and relevant.
• Develop meaningful relationships on multiple levels.
• Maintain your visionary status; reach back.
• Stay current & engaged on social media platforms.
• Allow your strategy time & room to grow.
• Walk the talk; deliver.

29. THANK YOU