It’s a universal truth that leading a team is a difficult task for anyone, but certain age groups are more popular than others among their junior and senior colleagues.
Forty-nine percent of workers said that coworkers from Gen X — those generally born between 1965 and 1980 — make the best managers, according to FlexJobs’ 2024 Generations at Work Report. Less than one-quarter said the same for millennials and baby boomers. But what is it exactly that makes them better managers than their generational counterparts?
“Gen X employees are well into their careers and likely have worked with both boomers and millennials giving them a unique perspective in the workplace,” says Toni Frana, manager and career expert at FlexJobs. “Having this cross-generational experience can shape the management style of a Gen X manager.”
Read more: Boomers, millennials and Gen Z all disagree on the best work arrangements — can employers find middle ground?
For example, Frana says, Gen X employees may be aware of the challenges millennials — workers born between 1981 and 1996 — encounter as they navigate the early years of their careers because they’ve been through them too. In turn, that influences Gen X manager’s communication style with millennials, and gives them the opportunity to take on a mentorship role as they manage millennials who are looking to develop their careers, which is often appreciated by employees. The same can be said for their relationships with baby boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — seeing as they’ve worked under them for years.
Having the freedom to do their jobs wherever and whenever they want is also important to Gen X, according to the report. Eighty-one percent of Gen X said work-life balance was one of their top professional goals and 73% said it was giving employees “as much flexibility as possible” — both of which ranked more highly than making money. Keeping those values as a manager makes them popular among their subordinates, especially the younger generations.
“For years, we’ve known that the majority of workers are looking for work-life balance and remote work options across generations,” Frana says. “This data shows that employees will continue to prioritize looking for opportunities that allow for work flexibility and work-life balance, [including in their leadership.]”
Read more: Creating culture fit for Gen X, Gen Z, millennials and boomers
As for what makes the younger generations less equipped for a managerial role, millennials were found to be the most likely to participate in the quiet quitting trend, according to FlexJobs’ report, which makes it hard to climb the corporate ladder. In addition, 20% of millennials said they participated in trends such as rage applying to new jobs and “bare minimum Mondays.”
The youngest generation, Gen Z, has garnered a bit of a bad reputation among their older colleagues for being lazy and entitled, which 59% of baby boomers said wasn’t undeserved. For the most part, the rift is largely due to the large cultural divide that drives young employees to demand flexible work, more pay and better benefits. But young employees are the managers of the future, and Frana urges them to pay attention to the successes and especially the failures of those that came before them if they want to be just as popular.
“As younger generations make career moves into manager roles, this data point can serve as a reminder that successful managers should work to develop credibility and trust with their teams,” Frana says. “Doing so can ensure that each team member — no matter their generation — feels heard and understood at work.”
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