According to HBR, America's Great Resignation is being driven by both older millennials as well as younger Gen Xers.
Geriatric millennials are located in the middle of this cohort, and they have a reputation for being a generational bridge.
They have an advantage in the workforce because of their unique skills and freedom to quit.
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You've likely heard of the Great Resignation by now.
The trend was created by Anthony Klotz, a psychologist. It involves millions of Americans leaving the workforce as the economy reopens more. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 3.6 million people left in April, May and June, as well as July.
However, a select group is leading the charge.
A Harvard Business Review analysis of 9 million records from over 4,000 companies found that mid-career employees are the ones who are leaving. The highest resignation rates are among employees aged between 30 and 45, with the average increase of more than 20% in the last year.
This means that it is mainly older millennials as well as younger Gen Xers making the Great Resignation so great. This finding is supported by other research.
A Bankrate survey in July found that over half of Americans, including a large number of millennials, planned to search for new jobs in the next year. Personal Capital and The Harris Poll both found that nearly three quarters of Americans wanted to change jobs in August. This sentiment was shared by 47% of Gen Xers and more than a quarter of millennials (78%) Two-thirds (78%) of millennials agree that now is a good time to move up in your career.
Tanza Loudenback, an ex-Insider reporter, recently spoke to several millennials about quitting their jobs in the wake of the pandemic. Loudenback then left Insider to become a freelancer full-time.
According to the HBR, there are many reasons why resignations occur. Employers may not be as inclined to hire less skilled workers, which may lead to more demand for mid-level employees. This cohort may have waited for economic recovery to switch jobs. The pandemic may have caused some people to reevaluate their career and personal goals.
The geriatric millennial
The "geriatric" millennial is right in the middle this job-resigning cohort. Erica Dhawan, author and leader of the organization, popularized the term to describe people turning 36 to 41 years old this year.
She stated that geriatric digital millennials are unique in that they bridge the digital divide between older generations and younger ones in the workplace. This allows them to play a hybrid role by teaching older employees traditional communication skills and using digital body language.
She said that a geriatric millennial would be able to send a Slack note to a Gen Z colleague instead of calling them randomly, which could be alarming. They would be able to help older coworkers navigate such technology and they would be able to pay attention to their video history.
She said that by crossing the generational divide, they can "satisfy the needs of different people, have different levels of understanding of digital world, but they also have patience for it, which maybe future generations won’t have because they don’t know any other world without it."
Geriatric millennials hold a lot of power in the workplace today. Employers who want to foster a sense of community and cooperation will find them to be a valuable asset. They have the power, despite many people quitting.
