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Can we say “senior” for older workers?
How do you recruit talent aged 55 and over?
Carole Bourassa, a sexagenarian in tech who turns to artificial intelligence
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Who hasn’t heard or used that expression? We’re well aware that it’s not the most inclusive formulation in the world, but we’re also thinking, “That’s okay, everybody’s using it”, aren’t we? Let’s take a look at where this expression comes from and what it implies.
A short tour of the generations
At present, there are up to four main generations of workers on the labour market, a phenomenon unprecedented in recent labour history. Each of these generations has been shaped by very different social, economic and technological contexts, influencing their expectations, their ways of communicating and their relationship to work.
- Baby-boomers (born between 1945 and 1963) tend to place a high value on professional status. This is a highly committed generation that has often demonstrated loyalty to organizations and a strong work ethic.
- Generation X (1964 to 1978) is usually more attached to working conditions and job stability than to the company itself. They have shown great adaptability in the face of the many changes they have experienced over the course of their careers.
- Millennials or Generation Y (1979 to 1994) seem to be seeking a balance between professional and personal life. This generation prefers collaborative environments, where participation and the quest for meaning at work are valued.
- Generation Z (1995 to 2010), for their part, tend to want to be actively involved in their projects, receive frequent feedback, have access to rapid learning opportunities and see concrete possibilities for advancement.
Between these generations, misunderstandings are commonplace. And in this climate, certain expressions become symbols of rupture… like the famous “Ok boomer”.
“Ok boomer”: beyond the joke
The expression “Ok boomer” gained popularity around 2019, propelled by social networks, particularly TikTok. It quickly went viral, appearing in a multitude of memes, videos and online comments. But beyond its humorous side, what does it really mean?
It’s a bit like the ironic (and sometimes exasperated) way some young people cut short an exchange perceived as condescending or disconnected, coming from people of older generations. A simple, short and slightly sarcastic “ok” to say: “You don’t understand and you don’t want to understand, so I’m not going to waste my time explaining it to you”.
Due to the sometimes opposing visions of values, the place of work or simply the vision of the world, between the generations, the expression “Ok boomer” finds itself used to mean that the other has become old-fashioned!
This kind of dynamic of generational tension, where the previous generation is judged as out-of-touch and ignorant, is not new: some may remember a car ad in the 90s where a young person shouted “Move over uncle” to a driver who was too slow. Same tone, same message: get out of the way, you’re out of date.
In other words, the generation gap is not new: it simply takes on new forms depending on the era. Could these seemingly opposite generations be more similar than we think?
How about dropping the labels?
It’s normal to want to find benchmarks to understand why people act differently from us. Generations are precisely one of those markers: they give us a framework for interpreting certain behaviors or priorities at work.
For example, we might say that a person is looking for more stability or autonomy because he or she grew up in an era marked by economic crises or rapid changes in the world of work. But these benchmarks remain generalizations.
Saying that someone acts “like a boomer” or “like a Gen Z” may sound harmless, but in reality it doesn’t help us understand each other any better. On the contrary, it freezes the other person in a ready-made box. And when we stick a label on someone, we often stop really listening to what the other person has to say. We already think we know what they’re going to say or how they’re going to react. As a result, the dialogue stops before it even begins. We no longer try to understand the other person for who they are, but for what we think they represent.
And that’s a slippery slope when it comes to building inclusion! We’ll never achieve it if everyone stays in their own bubble, rather than building bridges between generations.
No one likes to be told they’re “typical” of their generation, especially when it’s to invalidate their ideas or ways of doing things.
Age is a fact, not a personality. And it’s something we have no control over. We can’t choose our generation, but we can choose the way we relate to others.
It might be time to abandon the ready-made phrases and focus on something simple, but powerful: curiosity. Ask the other person how they see things. What they value in their work. What motivates him or her. That’s where the real connection begins.
Prejudice in both directions
We like to point the finger at “the young” or “the old”, but the truth is that age stereotypes run in all directions. Ageism isn’t just aimed at older people: it can also affect younger people, who are seen as too sensitive, lazy or whiny.
Yet neither Boomers nor Gen Zers form a homogeneous block. Each has his or her own strengths, challenges and values. Regardless of age, no one likes to be labelled with a label that erases their reality. Let’s start by listening before we start planning… that allow us to reach out to a variety of candidates without contravening the new restrictions in the United States!
A card game to build bridges between generations
Want to generate constructive discussion in your teams? The “Mettons que…” card game is for you!
Each card features a character rooted in a different identity, placed in a common professional situation that requires reflection.
Game details are here!
Photo from Antoni Shkraba Studio from Pexels
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