I’ll never forget texting an older colleague while standing right next to them and seeing my name pop up on their screen. It read “Charlotte!!!!?!!” because of my propensity for overusing punctuation. Yes, like much of my generation, I’m so terrified of being misconstrued in digital communications that I pepper every message with enough exclamation points and emojis to write a Tumblr romance novel. My younger colleague laughed, so I pointed out that my quirk balanced out the fact that they never capitalize anything in their texts, much less use punctuation.
Welcome to the modern multigenerational workplace, where your 62-year-old boss is baffled that anyone would use Slack when email works perfectly fine, your millennial co-worker is silently spiraling about whether “sounds good!” came across as too casual or not casual enough, your Gen X colleague is playing translator (again) and the new Gen Z hire just asked if anyone else thinks the fluorescent lighting is “giving anxiety.” Up to five generations are now attempting to collaborate, communicate and somehow not drive one another completely bonkers.
The multigenerational workforce isn’t just a buzzword HR throws around—it’s a reality for almost everyone with a job. “I can’t think of a situation that is not multigenerational,” says Lindsey Pollak, the author of The Remix: How to Lead and Succeed in the Multigenerational Workplace and a leading expert on generational diversity. “Almost every workplace these days is a multigenerational environment.”
And while that diversity of experience and perspective is genuinely valuable, it can also feel like everyone is speaking different languages. But, Pollak says, once you understand what makes each generation tick, you can stop taking things personally and start actually working together. Here’s your expert-backed guide to navigating the generational maze—with your sanity intact.
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Five generations, one office
Fun fact: We currently have more Americans over age 85 in the workplace than ever before. While traditionalists (also called the Silent Generation) make up less than 1% of today’s workforce, their influence echoes through workplace culture—especially since they trained many of the baby boomers who are still leading organizations today. Think: Warren Buffett, still making deals in his 90s, or members of Congress who remember when “computers” meant people who did math.
At the other end of the spectrum, Gen Alpha (currently 14 and younger) is waiting in the wings. “When the traditionalists retire out, the Alphas will be coming in, so we will remain a five-generation workplace, just in a different way,” Pollak explains. (And that’s not even counting the rising Gen Betas, who are already being born!)
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, baby boomers and Gen X currently hold the majority of leadership positions, while millennials have become the largest generation in the workforce. Gen Z is the fastest-growing segment, bringing fresh perspectives (and yes, sometimes baffling communication preferences) to the table.
This mix has its benefits and its challenges. The biggest obstacle for a multigenerational workforce? “I really see it as a difference in expectations,” Pollak says. She’s referring to expectations about communication styles, management approaches and technology choices, as well as what work schedules look like and whose perspectives get heard.
But Pollak’s quick to add that the multigenerational workforce can be a real advantage—if everyone has a voice. “The more ideas we have, the more we uncover the hidden brilliance in our workers,” she says. “If we don’t listen to everybody, we potentially miss out on incredibly important talent and ideas.”
How to work with each generation
The key to working well with colleagues of any age isn’t memorizing stereotypes—it’s understanding context. Every generation was shaped by different economic conditions, technologies and cultural moments. That doesn’t make anyone better or worse at their job. It just means they might have different assumptions about what “normal” looks like at work. Here’s what you need to know about each group.
Traditionalists
Who they are: People born before 1946
They may be rare in today’s offices, but the Silent Generation’s fingerprints are all over workplace culture. Roughly 50% of men from this era served in the military, which shaped a generation that values process, clear direction and loyalty, Pollak says.
Many worked for the same organization for decades and belonged to civic organizations like the Rotary Club for just as long. “They bring institutional memory that’s genuinely irreplaceable—they know why things are done certain ways because they were often there when those decisions were made,” she says.
What they can teach you
“They can be very helpful in teaching people the benefits of process, loyalty and formality when that is required,” Pollak says. They’re also masters of in-person communication and can help with organizing large-scale projects and teams.
Perhaps most valuably, they carry the stories of an organization’s mission and history. “They can tell history in business and talk about some of the ‘why’ behind how many organizations or products were created,” Pollak says. “Understanding origins helps us figure out what we want to keep and what we might want to adapt.”
What they need to learn
Technology, obviously—but you knew that. More specifically, they may need to adjust to less formal, more collaborative workplace cultures where hierarchy isn’t as rigid. They might also benefit from understanding that younger workers’ desire for feedback and flexibility isn’t a sign of laziness; it’s just a different approach to getting work done.
Traditionalist cheat sheet
Respect their experience by actually asking about it: “Tell me about when you started work—what was it like? What did you learn?” is a great conversation starter. Skip the text messages; email or phone calls will land better. And if you need to explain new technology, frame it in terms of the problem it solves rather than how cool it is.
Baby boomers
Who they are: People born between 1946 and 1964
Get this: Baby boomers are the only generation to be officially named by the U.S. Census Bureau. (So no, boomer isn’t a slur—it’s literally government terminology.) This generation has worked through multiple recessions, technological revolutions and massive cultural shifts. That longevity brings serious perspective.
“They’ve been through strong economies and weak economies. They’ve seen a lot of technologies get introduced and some go away,” Pollak says. “They really have an adaptability that can be incredibly valuable.”
What they can teach you
Communication skills, particularly verbal and in-person. “They really came up having to do work in person and by phone, so they have decades of experience in handling different kinds of situations verbally,” Pollak explains.
They also pioneered concepts like “management by walking around”—simply being present and available so people don’t have to schedule a 15-minute Zoom call for every little thing. This is something Pollack would love to see make a comeback. “A lot of younger employees have never heard of it and say, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s a game changer.’ It’s pretty easy to do, and it’s free,” she says.
What they need to learn
That “paying your dues” doesn’t have to mean suffering and that boundaries at work aren’t a sign of weak commitment. Their email communication style (think: “Ok.” as a complete response) can read as curt to younger colleagues. Adding just a little warmth—or at least an exclamation point—goes a long way.
Boomer cheat sheet
The best thing you can do with this group is to ask them more questions, respectfully, to get their extensive perspective. Pollak shares a story about a mostly millennial and Gen Z team with low morale. A boomer on the team suggested bringing back an old-school concept: the break room. “They took their little conference room and said, ‘Let’s call this the break room from 12 to 12:30 every day and just sit and eat lunch and connect.’ It was a very old-school idea that they brought back and helped boost morale.” Sometimes the retro approach really works.
Gen X
Who they are: People born between 1965 and 1980
Ah, the “forgotten generation.” (Yes, we know we exist, thanks for asking.) Sandwiched between two massive generations, Gen Xers developed a certain scrappy independence. “Because we came after the boomers, we were often a little bit contrarian, a little bit more entrepreneurial and independent,” Pollak says. “We came into the workplace when it was so dominated by boomers that we had to be a little different.”
What they can teach you
Translation services. No, really. “We knew the analog world because we started when the boomers were leading the workplace, and technology changed really rapidly, starting with email for our generation,” Pollak explains. “We also experienced the change from boomer-dominated to millennial-dominated, and because we’re a small generation sandwiched between big ones, we had to adapt. We’re kind of the translators and the bridge.”
Gen X is also statistically the most entrepreneurial generation, so these co-workers are a great resource for creative problem-solving and thinking outside the corporate structure.
What they need to learn
That their self-reliance can sometimes read as standoffishness. They might also need to accept that not everything requires an email—sometimes a quick Slack message or even (gasp) a meeting is more efficient.
Gen X cheat sheet
We will die on the email hill. “You can pull email out of my cold, dead hands,” Pollak jokes. “I don’t care what kind of Slack or IM comes along. We are usually the masters of email, and I’m willing to take the stereotype on that one.” If you need a Gen X colleague’s buy-in, put it in writing—preferably in an email with a clear subject line.
Millennials
Who they are: People born between 1981 and 1996
The test subjects of the digital age, millennials remember a time before the internet (barely) but came of age as the technology transformed everything. “They were in some ways the guinea pigs for a lot of this stuff and have a really interesting perspective on massive changes in technology,” Pollak says.
They’re also the first generation to have their stereotypes broadcast globally via the very technology they grew up with. (See also: the hundreds of headlines claiming millennials are entitled, lazy and responsible for the decline of products as varied as napkins and diamonds.) “Millennials were very criticized and stereotyped,” she says, “and I think they have a lot to teach us about how bad that feels and how demotivating that is.”
What they can teach you
Global thinking. “They’re often described as the first global generation because of the internet and Facebook,” Pollak explains. “They are the first generation that really felt connected globally in a way that previous generations didn’t.” They also developed an incredible savviness about navigating the line between personal and professional on social media, a skill that’s only becoming more valuable.
What they need to learn
That their identity doesn’t have to be tied to their job title. Millennials are famously prone to overwork and people-pleasing to their own detriment. Burnout is rampant in this group. Those who girlbossed too close to the sun would benefit from drawing clear boundaries to find a little work-life balance. Millennials might also benefit from learning that not every piece of feedback requires a “Thank you so much for this!!!” response.
Millennial cheat sheet
They value clarity and documentation—probably because they’ve been blamed for miscommunications so often. They genuinely appreciate positive feedback (not just constructive criticism). And yes, the exclamation points in their emails are genuine; they’re not mocking you!!
Gen Z
Who they are: People born between 1997 and 2012
These colleagues are the true digital natives. “Gen Z never knew the world before the internet,” Pollak says. “It’s just integrated into everything they do. It’s not good or bad, right or wrong—it’s just there.”
They were also in high school, college or their early careers when the pandemic hit, which normalized conversations about mental health at work and hybrid work arrangements. That may be why they set clearer boundaries than some colleagues and prioritize work-life balance.
What they can teach you
How to actually make hybrid work functional. “I think the answers of how we’re going to work in the future are going to come from Gen Z and younger because they’re native to it,” Pollak says. “How do you find the balance? How do you navigate all these different tools and all these nuances of communication? They have really interesting contributions to make to that conversation.”
What they need to learn
Some traditional workplace norms exist for a reason. Making eye contact, answering phone calls professionally and using capitalization in work communications aren’t arbitrary—they signal professionalism and help build trust.
Gen Z cheat sheet
If you’re managing Gen Z employees, know that some of their anxiety about job security—70% of Gen Zers say AI has made them question whether their job is secure, according to Glassdoor research—isn’t unfounded. It’s been a season of layoffs, and AI hype promises even more unemployment.
But these worries aren’t entirely new. Pollak points out that the Gen Z career outlook “reminds me a whole lot of the class of 2008,” who entered the workforce during the financial crisis. “To me, is that generational, or is that this moment in time? We don’t know the answer to that yet.” The best thing you can do is provide clarity, regular feedback and some patience. They’re figuring it out in genuinely challenging circumstances.
Also: Lay off the thumbs-up emoji. It comes off as passive-aggressive to Gen Z.
Making the most of a multigenerational workforce
Generational differences are real, but they’re also just one piece of what makes someone who they are on the job. To successfully work within a multigenerational workforce, Pollak recommends what she calls the three C’s.
Curiosity
Pollak recommends leading with curiosity rather than judgment. “Instead of saying something’s good or bad, right or wrong, say it’s different and you want to learn more,” she suggests. “Your communication style isn’t better or worse—it’s just different. Just like if I were working with someone in another country. Their language isn’t better or worse. We just have to figure out how to communicate.”
Clarity
Ask more questions and seek clarity. “We make a lot of assumptions. If I say ‘get in touch with so-and-so’ and I meant call them but you interpret that as email, nobody’s wrong in that scenario,” she says. “We just weren’t clear.”
Avoid confusion by taking an extra minute to clarify the details with everyone.
Connection
Be intentional about seeking out and connecting with people of many different ages. Some workplaces have more formal arrangements, where older employees mentor younger folks, but Pollak says it should go both ways. She calls it reverse mentoring and says everyone should be both a mentor and a mentee. Younger workers can learn leadership skills from experienced colleagues who, in turn, can learn about emerging technologies, cultural shifts and fresh approaches to work.
The multigenerational workforce isn’t a problem to be solved; it’s an opportunity to stop assuming everyone should work exactly like you do.
About the expert
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Why trust us
For over 100 years, Reader’s Digest has explored the nuances of relationships, working with such luminaries as Dr. Ruth Westheimer, John Gottman, PhD, and Leo Buscaglia (“Dr. Love”). We ran a decade-long relationships column and have published a compendium of features, Love and Marriage: The Reader’s Digest Guide to Intimate Relationships. We support this information with credentialed experts and primary sources such as government and professional organizations, peer-reviewed journals and our writers’ personal experiences where it enhances the topic. We verify all facts and data and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Lindsey Pollak, multigenerational workplace expert; phone interview Nov. 24, 2025
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: “Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey”
- Pew Research Center: “Age & Generations”
- U.S. Census Bureau: “By 2030, All Baby Boomers Will Be Age 65 or Older”
- Glassdoor: “Why Gen Z is redefining the workplace with ‘career minimalism'”
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