Here’s why Gen X is the most overlooked generation in the workplace
Many employers say they don’t play favorites, but one generation seems to be getting lost in the shuffle. While bosses think a lot about incoming Gen Z employees and retiring boomers, Gen X is being overlooked, and it’s hurting their morale.
Despite making up one-third of the U.S. workforce—more than three times the number of boomers in the office—Gen X is 18% less likely than other generations to say they feel a strong sense of belonging at their organization, according to a new report from Achievers, a workplace software company. This generation, aged 44 to 59 years old, is also 30% less likely than others to say they’re meaningfully recognized at work.
Hannah Yardley, chief people and culture officer at Achievers, tells Fortune that Gen X isn’t being neglected because of their birth order. Instead, these workers largely occupy middle management positions. Overwhelmed and stretched thin with a litany of responsibilities, nearly half of middle managers want to quit their jobs, according to a 2023 survey from the Workforce Institute at UKG, an employee software company. Management can often forget that these managers also need feedback, attention, and appreciation.
“Gen Xers tend to be in more leadership roles, and so they’re expected to operate more independently,” says Yardley. “When you think about all the things that are happening in our workplaces, between COVID and our outside world, that’s a huge burden to be placed on managers. We’re seeing this high level of burnout because of the dualness of their roles as an employee and leader.”
Gen X is around 30% less likely than other generations to say they’re able to share candid feedback, and know they will be heard and respected. They’re also 27% less likely to say their company does a good job supporting their well-being in contrast to older and younger coworkers. Their emotional health is also suffering—Gen X is about 31% less likely to say their mental well-being is supported relative to other generations.
This lack of support is trickling down into how they show up to work. Gen X is 24% less likely to be enthusiastic about their job, 23% less likely to say they’re more productive at work, and 20% less likely to say they’re very engaged on the job compared to other generations, according to the report.
And with many Gen Xers carrying the burden of supporting both children and aging parents, they’re less likely than other generations—like Gen Z—to speak up when they’re unhappy.
They were not “born into a generation that was typically used to sharing their voice in a public way,” says Yardley.
Emma Burleigh
emma.burleigh@fortune.com
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