Chapter 8

Bridge the Generational Gap with Crazy Good Behavior

Does age matter? Yes, it really does in an interview. It pays to be aware of your interviewer's generational age. Smart interviewees use their knowledge about each generation to speak the same language and make a favorable impression. This is the first chapter in the Communicate phase of the ACT Out interview strategy, and it explains how members of different generations can communicate effectively with one another.

Defining “Generation”

What is a generation anyway? There are several definitions. The first is the offspring in the same stage of descent from a common ancestor; for example, a father and son represent two different generations. Another definition is the average interval between the parents' birth and birth of their offspring. Still another holds that a generation is a group of individuals born and living at the same time who experience the same events.

“A generation is a group of people who share a common location in history and, as a consequence, have a collective persona that not all members share, but they can all relate to,” according to historian William Strauss, co-author of The Fourth Turning, a landmark book on generational change.

According to this definition, people who were kids when poodle skirts and Elvis Presley became popular belong to one generation. People who were kids when the movie Grease debuted and who wore platform shoes and listened to disco music are part of another generation. People who wear sagged pants and listen to rap music belong to still another generation.

Today's multi-generational workplace is composed of four distinct generations vying for jobs.

• The Silent Generation (also called Traditionalists or Veterans), born 1925–1945.
• Baby Boomers (or Boomers or Baby Busters), born 1946–1964.
• Gen X (sometimes called Slackers, which they hate and resent), born 1965–1983.
• Gen Y (also referred to as the Nexters, Millennials, or the ME generation), born 1984–2002.

Each generation has its own unique set of values and way of interviewing. If you know each generation's values and are familiar with some of the world events that occurred during their lifetimes, you can tailor your responses to bridge the generation gap. This term was coined in the 1960s to refer to the differences in values, attitudes, and tastes between one generation and another, particularly parents and their children. The gap occurs when members of different generations do not understand each other because of these differences.

From grumpy old men to the young and restless, it pays to know a little bit about each group so you can adapt your behavior and speak to their values. The following descriptions contain broad statements on observed behaviors that have been measured and analyzed. Be aware that not all statements pertain to all individuals in a generation.

The Sound of “Silents” (Born 1925–1945)

The term Silent Generation—also called “Silents”—first appeared in Time magazine's cover story on November 5, 1951, to describe the generation that was coming of age. In their book, Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584–2069, authors William Strauss and Neil Howe used this term to describe the generation born 1925–1945. This generation is sandwiched between the war heroes of the G.I. Generation, also called “The Great Generation” (born 1901–1924), and the youthful, free-spirited Baby Boomers (born 1946–1964).

The term “Silent” is not completely accurate. It is true that many Silents are quiet, hardworking people who focused on advancing their careers and conforming to social norms, while coping with American social upheavals, such as the Civil Rights and Women's Lib movements. However, other Silents became outspoken activists, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Gloria Steinem, Malcolm X, Betty Friedan, and Ralph Nader.

Some people hold the theory that people in this generation were dubbed “silent” because they kept their political views to themselves after Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communism inquisitions. Other famous Silents include Aretha Franklin, Dustin Hoffman, and Colin Powell.

Historical Events

The oldest Silents are the children of the Great Depression. They lived through the stock market crash of 1929 and experienced its difficult aftermath firsthand. They saw the re-working of the United States under the New Deal of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, which resulted in unemployment rates dropping from 25 percent to 2 percent.

They witnessed how Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor led to the United States' involvement and fighting in World War II. They lived during the post-war economic boom that led to explosive growth and migration to the suburbs. They watched as color television was introduced and became a fixture in the nation's living rooms. In the process, they created the American dream of having a family, owning a home, and getting a great job.

Workplace Profile

Today, Silents are in their sixties, seventies, and eighties, and about 95 percent are retired from the workforce. You'll find them swinging golf clubs on the links, or playing checkers in retirement communities. Employed Silents are eyeballing retirement and counting down their time in the workplace. Unfortunately, some Silents have returned to employment because of current economic conditions. (You have seen them cheerfully greeting customers at the entrance of a major retail chain.)

Silents are experienced workers, who have seen and heard most everything in the workplace, let alone in a job interview. As a generation, they are family-oriented, experienced, reliable (sometimes to a fault), hard working, dedicated, and hold conservative values. They live by a command and control code, and they believe in law and order. They are decreasing in number and they want respect for all that they have done for their country over the years.

“Silent” interviewers place a great deal of importance on hard work, loyalty, and consistency. Your clothes, your demeanor, and your state of mind (mostly your attitude) will be sized up immediately. Old-school values come into play. Right or wrong, this generation believes in working your way up the ladder, putting in your time on a consistent basis, and being loyal to your employer and fellow workers. Silents are good team players who don't like to ruffle any feathers or initiate conflict in the workplace.

Civility also seems to be on the minds of Silents as they turn their organizations over to new leaders and emerging workers. They do not believe in rudeness, dropping F-bombs in conversations, or showing a lack of manners. Do not even think about answering your cell phone or texting when you are conversing with them. That is the fastest way to reduce your chances of getting hired.

To make a favorable impression, exhibit the following crazy good behaviors when interviewing with someone from the Silent generation:

• Use a strong, but not a crushing, handshake.
• Make strong eye contact and smile slightly upon being introduced.
• Talk politely and be respectful.
• Enunciate clearly.
• Use appropriate words, and avoid slang and jargon.
• Emphasize areas where you have displayed loyalty.
• Show examples of your commitment to previous jobs.
• Be honest about your job experience and qualifications.
• Listen to each question completely before jumping in with your answer.

Rate the Behavior

Using the Psychotron, how would you rate the following interviewer's behavior?

A Piercing Noise

At a medical school workshop on interviewing, a senior faculty member asked me if his school could, by law, limit an applicant's number of body piercings.

“By law,” I said, “No, you can't.”

This did not go over very well with this faculty member who then went off on a shrill rant about the younger generation. “They have no respect for traditions and the way we have done things for years. They think they can dress however they want. They pierce their bodies, and even their tongues. Patients are so turned off by that. And don't get me started on their work ethic, if you can even call it that. What is the world coming to?” On and on it went until he finally wound down.

I pitied the next medical school applicant who arrived dressed even slightly inappropriately and, God forbid, with any visible piercings.

Did the faculty member exhibit crazy good behavior by sticking to his conservative values, or was it crazy bad because he showed that he was rigid and intolerant of the younger generation? How would you handle this situation if you were the applicant, and you had a body piercing?

Big, Bad Baby Boomers (Born 1946–1964)

The term baby boom identifies the enormous increase in births in the United States following World War II, and its resultant Baby Boomers. In Canada, they are called Boomies. Britain refers to them as the Bulge. The first baby boomers reached the retirement age of 65 in 2011.

Many of your interviewers will be Baby Boomers. They were reared on television, and are the products of I Love Lucy, Captain Kangaroo, Lassie, and my personal favorite, Leave It to Beaver. (Everyone remembers June constantly asking Ward Cleaver not to be so rough on the Beaver.) They took family trips with Mom and Dad before the invention of the minivan, and rode in the back of a wood-paneled station wagon facing the cars behind them.

If the Silent generation created the American Dream, then the Baby Boomer generation is living it. They grew up in the post-war boom and rebelled against their parents and authority (only to find themselves in positions of power today). As a generation, they see themselves as hardworking, educated, competitive, loyal, ambitious, and idealistic. Silent parents wanted their Baby Boomer offspring to succeed them and surpass what they had achieved. For the most part, the Boomers have done so.

Oprah Winfrey, Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush are famous Baby Boomers.

Historical Events

Baby Boomers saw the Russians launch Sputnik and experienced the space race, as well as the cold war. In school, they practiced duck and cover drills, in preparation for a Soviet missile attack, and they watched their neighbors build bomb shelters in their back yards. The assassination of John F. Kennedy ended Camelot, followed by the killings of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bobby Kennedy.

The Beatles arrived and forever changed music for their generation (and for subsequent ones, too). Woodstock would follow. The Boomers burned bras, resisted the draft, witnessed violent protests, and watched as the Vietnam War tore at the country. The Kent State massacre only added to the divide within the country. Watergate cemented their disillusionment and poor opinion of politics and government.

Workplace Profile

Baby Boomers believe that hard work will pay off, often over talent and brains. They work hard and party harder. Many Baby Boomers are in or are moving into leadership positions within their organizations, both at the senior- and mid-management levels. Given the current economy, many of them, however, are staying in their jobs longer because their retirement plans took a major hit. As their hair has grayed over the years, they have created a gray ceiling by staying in the workforce longer than usual. They would like to retire, but they are worried that they might run out of money. So they remain employed even though they are sick and tired of being re-organized, re-engineered, and re-configured. This has created somewhat of a logjam for the younger generations in the hiring process.

The important thing to know is that Boomers believe you get ahead in life through hard work and education. They believe you have to pay your dues. They place a huge amount of importance on earning their respect; it will not be given to you freely.

To make a favorable impression, exhibit the following crazy good behaviors when interviewing with someone from the Baby Boomer generation:

• Show your willingness to work hard and do whatever it takes to get a job done.
• Indicate that you are willing to pay your dues and learn the ropes of the job.
• Emphasize how you have improved upon or increased your education, and you are a life-long learner.
• Avoid any hint of entitlement. This generation can't stand that fragrance.
• Be willing to share how you create balance in your life. It is appropriate to talk about your hobbies and interests outside of work.
• Share your ambition and dreams. Detail your goals and how you are going to accomplish them.
• Demonstrate your knowledge of what they have accomplished, and how you might be able to build on that with their guidance.
• Show respect, which is equally important to this generation as it is to the Silent generation.
• Understand that Boomers think that they are the epitome of cool, so go along with it. They recognize they are aging, but don't want other people to notice it, as shown in the following past and present list of trends.

Baby Boomers, Then and Now:

• Then: Muscle cars
• Now: Muscle cramps
• Then: Red hot mama
• Now: Red hot flashes
• Then: You're So Vain
• Now: Varicose veins
• Then: Full of piss and vinegar
• Now: Full of piss and Viagra
• Then: Pot of gold (weed)
• Now: Pot of gold (bed pan)
• Then: The Rolling Stones
• Now: Kidney Stones
• Then: Bo Derek
• Now: BoTox

Rate the Behavior

Using the Psychotron, how would you rate this job hunter's behavior?

Old and New

Mark had taken an early retirement and was all set to live the good life, especially after working his tail off and paying his dues.

As the economy continued its downward spiral, he realized that he would have to return to the workforce. But who was going to hire someone approaching 60, and who had been out of work for seven years?

Using traditional job-hunting methods, Mark updated his resume and wondered how he would handle the seven-year employment lapse. He decided to gloss over those years. He printed 100 resumes and started sending them out to various companies in his previous industry. Nothing came back. Zero. Zip. Zilch.

As he neared the end of his stack of resumes, he finally realized that he would have to change his strategy to get an interview, at least a screening interview. So, he went online and rebuilt his resume, adding a new set of skills from the past seven years.

When Mark started receiving responses, his biggest surprise was learning the screening interviews would be conducted by phone. There would be no face-to-face contact, and he would have to sell himself over the phone. It was, in his words, horrible at first.

Luckily, he picked up some tricks. He stood up and moved around when he wanted to inject some energy into his voice. He used a wireless headset, which allowed him to gesture, even though he knew the person on the other end couldn't see him. He tacked notes up on the wall about the skills and competencies that he wanted to emphasize. Finally, he talked about what he had learned during the past seven years, especially about planning and adjusting when his plans didn't pan out, being flexible, and still having the energy to work.

Did Mark exhibit crazy good behavior for abandoning his old ways to find a job, or was it crazy bad behavior because he wandered into the uncharted territory of the online world?

Real-life result: Mark aced his phone interview and advanced to a face-to-face interview, which he nailed. He was offered the position, partially because of his old style of working in a new world.

The Internet Generation X (Born 1965–1983)

The term Gen X was coined by British writer Jane Deverson in 1964 to describe a particular group of young people who did not accept traditional social mores. The term was later popularized in Douglas Coupland's groundbreaking novel, Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture. Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, Dr. Dré, Robert Downey, Jr., and Mary Lou Retton are famous Gen Xers.

Gen X grew up during a time of massive change within the family dynamics. Both parents typically worked as they tried to achieve the American Dream. As their parents were busy with their careers, Gen Xers were sent to after-school activities and were labeled latch key kids.

They grew up with divorced parents, Minivans, and soccer moms. Personal computers were in their homes and bedrooms. MTV ruled. During all of this, they experienced times of great uncertainty.

Historical Events

This generation saw the first Star Wars movie released, they experienced the Iranian Crisis, and they saw Ronald Reagan elected President of the United States. They awoke in the wee hours to watch Prince Charles marry Diana. They watched transfixed and saddened as the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded upon liftoff, killing all seven astronauts aboard.

The fall of the Berlin Wall occurred during their formative years. The Los Angeles Race Riots grabbed their attention on TV, and they spent a summer afternoon watching a white Bronco on the freeways of LA and wondered how it would end.

Workplace Profile

Gen X initially appeared bored, aimless, and disrespectful, thus, earning the tag of slackers. As stated earlier, they don't care for this term and with good reason: They have demonstrated a strong and successful entrepreneurial spirit. They are moving into positions of leadership and will be pushing the Baby Boomers out on a daily basis. In fact, slacker successes are as plentiful as websites. Business journals dubbed them the “Entrepreneurial Generation,” and featured rags-to-riches profiles on Jerry Yang, the multibillionaire co-founder of Yahoo!, and Sky Dayton, the multimillionaire behind Earthlink. Not all Gen Xers are getting rich, but most of them have stopped playing video games, gotten off the sofa, and are searching for their place in the world.

Some important things to know about Gen X are that they believe in creating balance in their lives, they are family-focused, and they are street- and tech-savvy. They are also passionate (especially once they have found their passion), creative, and social in nature.

To make a favorable impression, you should exhibit the following crazy good behaviors when interviewing with a Gen Xer:

• Demonstrate that you understand the expectations of the workplace and the various jobs you have had.
• Share examples of your creativity.
• Show how you accomplish tasks in a timely fashion.
• Provide specific instances when you employed independent thinking.
• Praise the work of former colleagues and co-workers.
• Indicate how work/life balance makes you better professionally and personally.
• Highlight your efficiency in your work.

Rate the Behavior

Using the Psychotron, how would you rate the job candidate's behavior in the following real-life interview?

The Inquisition

Patricia arrived early for her interview and was ushered into a small conference room. Before the interviewer opened his mouth, Patricia politely inquired if she could ask some questions to learn more about the position. The interviewer thought that this might prove interesting, so he said yes. However, he was speechless when she asked the following presumptuous questions:

• How much vacation time do I get in the first year, and when does it increase?
• Will I get my own personal laptop?
• Will the company pay for my home cable and Internet service?
• Do you have onsite daycare?
• When can I expect my first bonus?

Did Patricia exhibit crazy good behavior by obtaining important job-related information upfront, or was it crazy bad behavior because she put the proverbial cart before the horse?

Real-life result: Needless to say, Patricia did not get the job, although the interviewer did have some fun as he explored with her in greater detail why she wanted to know about this information before even talking about the position and her qualifications.

High-Tech Generation Y (Born 1984–2002)

Generation Y combines the can-do attitude of Silents, the teamwork of Boomers, and the high-tech know-how of Generation X. Gen Y exceeds the Baby Boomer generation in size, and it comprises a quarter of the U.S. population.

Interestingly, Gen Y has a lot in common with Boomers and has been called the echo-boom. They share their Baby Boomer parents' overwhelming desire to succeed. Gen Y grew up in a very structured, busy, and over planned world because their parents worked long hours and signed them up for classes, sports, and other after-school activities.

Gen Y displays tremendous curiosity and is forever asking why, as in these questions:

• Y should I do household chores?
• Y should I find a job when my parents will support me?
• Y should I find an apartment when I can live at home?
• Y should I purchase my own car?

They cut their teeth on The Learning Channel and Peter Piper Pizza. This generation's members know more about digital technology than their parents or teachers. Today's university graduates, for example, have never experienced a world without cell phones, DVD players, pixel-rich screen displays, and instantaneous, soundless wireless access. There have always been computers, the Internet, and they have no clue how to use a typewriter. Chances are good that they've changed IP providers more than they've changed schools. With iPods, iPhones and Droids, YouTube, Skype, Facebook, and Twitter, everything is quick and flashy. If it is on the Internet, it must be true

Famous Gen Ys include Christina Aguilera, Venus Williams, Princes William and Harry, Michael Phelps, and Lindsay Lohan.

Historical Events

If Gen X grew up thinking that the world was changing around them, Gen Y was born already knowing it. Constant change, at lightning speeds, is the norm. They have grown up knowing that history is no longer just the purview of textbooks, but it can happen in a moment's notice. Natural disaster, violent events, war, and major technological advances have played a huge role for this generation.

There was the malfunction at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, which caused a near meltdown, and the Exxon Valdez, which spilled more than ten million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound. There was the Waco Siege by the FBI and ATF on the David Koresh's Branch Davidian compound. They witnessed the Oklahoma City and Olympic (Atlanta) bombings. They saw the Columbine High School shootings leave 13 students and one teacher dead and the campus shootings at Northern Illinois and Virginia Tech. Of course, this generation experienced September 11, when U.S. planes were hijacked in attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing more than 3,000 people, and leading to the country's ongoing war against terrorism. They watched natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

On a high note, they saw the first African-American U.S. President elected and shared in the excitement of releases of the bestselling Harry Potter series and Twilight, which sparked vampire-mania.

Workplace Profile

Gen Y is living in a time when everything is pretty much instantaneous due to rapidly advancing technology. There are three important things to know about this generation:

To make a favorable impression, you should exhibit the following crazy good behaviors when interviewing with someone from Generation Y:

• Don't assume that because of their relatively young age that they are not in roles of leadership.
• Recognize that your personal goals are important to them.
• Use technology to make your point or to showcase your talents.
• Gen Y is visual, so bring samples or info-graphics to illustrate your accomplishments.
• Let your Gen Y interviewer know you can multi-task and shift from one project to another quickly and easily.
• Gen Y encourages people to seek a well-paying, enjoyable job.
• Optimism is highly valued.
• Loyalty is important, but it is not highly valued because many of this generation change jobs frequently.
• Share your career plan during the interview.
• Do not be informal with Gen Yers, just because they are young.

Rate the Behavior

Using the Psychotron, how would you rate the mother's job-hunting advice to her teen-age daughter in the following real-life anecdote?

Mother Knows Best

A colleague shared her experience with her teenage daughter's job hunt. Her mission statement probably would read: “I want a fun job that makes me happy.” Teenagers are guided by the unrealistic assumption that everyone who's hiring will welcome them with open arms.

“Being a veteran parent, on child number three, I finally got the hang of advising first time job seekers in the modern culture. I told my daughter she would not be driving a c-a-r unless she had a j-o-b.

I encouraged her to apply for every ‘fun’ job she could find. Next, I advised her to create a resume if for no other reason than have a cheat sheet at hand when talking to potential employers.

So, we set out to begrudgingly build her resume, which would, of course, be light in content. We talked about design and how she could say something about herself without really having a job history. We perused other resumes and generated some ideas for hers.

Finally, off she went with her ‘stupid’ resume in hand. Imagine her disillusionment when she discovered that hiring managers were not cheering as she filled out job applications.

Imagine my smug expression when she returned from her on-the-spot interviews at the pizza joint, the grocery store, and the mall with glowing remarks from prospective employers on how she was able to relate her life experiences listed on her resume to the job requirements.

She didn't get every job she applied for, nor did she even get a ‘fun’ job. But she did get a job.

Now she is starting a job that she really wants at a medical center, working with special needs kids after school and during summer camps. She wouldn't have gotten that job without previous work experience.”

Mom's insistence that her daughter create a resume was a crazy good job-hunting strategy after all.