A third of 40-54 year olds (Generation X) feel disconnected from their company, with a further 27% feeling like their opinions aren’t valued. A quarter state that resources are not readily made available to them – in particular new technology – where they claim age is the biggest barrier to this.
The findings come from a large-scale survey conducted by recruiter Robert Walters of 7,500 professionals – which highlights a trend amongst 40-54 year olds of feeling ignored, isolated, or neglected in the workplace.
32% of 40-54 year old professionals do not trust their leaders to ‘do what is right’ for them – the highest amongst any other age group – whilst over a quarter (27%) claim that their manager does not take the time to understand their personal circumstances, such as family, financial or health-related matters.
A third do not believe there is an equal chance of success in the workplace – with age being a perceived barrier, and as a result 21% feel that peoples differences pertaining to age are not celebrated in the workplace.
Chris Poole, Director of Robert Walters UK comments:
“With today’s workforce working for longer, the average workplace is now made up of four different generations – a phenomenon that has never before occurred in the workplace. While this diversity brings a range of perspectives, skills, and backgrounds, it also challenges business leaders on how to be inclusive of a multitude of different age groups in the workplace – with no historical best practice to follow.
“The fact remains that older workers will continue to represent a growing number and proportion of the labour market. Added to that workers in mid-life have typically amassed significant skills, experience and knowledge that can be invaluable to their employer, and so it is crucial that companies take the time to understand this age groups professional and personal needs if they are to remain competitive”
Dissatisfaction amongst Generation X
According to the poll, over a third of Gen X (40-54yrs) state that their current employer does not do enough to meet their career expectations – compared to 28% of Baby Boomers (55-74yrs), 27% of Millennials (25-39yrs), and just 21% of Gen Z (18-24yrs).
Continuing the trend of dissatisfaction, 35% of GenX professionals are not happy that their pay is an accurate reflection of the work that they do – with double the number of 40-54 year olds (compared to the previous year) citing feelings of ‘embarrassment’ when brining the topic of salary up with their employer.
Whatsmore, 67% of 40-54 year olds have not been offered a promotion during the past year, with 41% not being aware of what they need to do to receive a promotion – the highest out of all other age groups (GenZ – 35%, Millennials – 38%, Baby Boomers – 38%).
When asked about training opportunities, it seems that GenX are the least tailored for – with 35% stating that there have been no relevant training courses made available to them in the past year, compared to just 22% of GenZ and 30% of Millennials who said the same.
| Top 5 Challenges to Career Progression (Gen Z, 40-54 years) | |
| Lack of opportunities made available to me | 58% |
| Lack of training or development offered to me | 35% |
| Balancing work and family commitments | 33% |
| Lack of diversity in management or senior positions | 26% |
| Lack of confidence | 21% |
Download a copy of Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace here.
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Source: http://hrnews.co.uk/meet-the-workplaces-middle-child-generation-x-40-54-years/
