Bridging the Volunteer Generation Gap City of Walnut Creek April 21, 2016 @JFFixler JFFixlerGroup
Flickr: scooterroo2002 Today s Generation Gap I don t know how to give feedback when he is so much older than I am. What do you mean I can t work from home on Fridays? Seriously? You expect me to turn my phone off during my shift? I can t believe the way he dresses! I keep getting emails from my employees at 1:30 in the morning. I am worried about their health! They just need to be patient and pay their dues. They ll have their chance at a leadership role in due time. Flickr: sniggitysnags
Four Generations Working/Volunteering Together
Traditionalists (Greatest & Silent Generation) 1901 1945 75 Million Baby Boomers 1946 1964 80 Million Generation X 1965 1980 45 Million Millennials (Generation Y) 1981 2000 83 Million
Traditionalists Engaging the Traditionalists Generation Offer opportunities for them to mentor Show them that you value their expertise and contributions Practical, patient, loyal, hardworking Have difficulty with change Respectful of authority Rule followers Rewards later Prefer structure Have strong work values and ethic Silent stoicism (not much feedback given or expected) Source: Managing Intergenerational Conflict in the Workplace, Susan Heywood
Baby Boomers Engaging the Baby Boomer Generation Help them explore their next set of options and demonstrate how your organization can continue to use their talents Walk the talk on work-life balance by redesigning positions to accommodate multiple life demands Encourage them to enrich their present position and grow in place The Me generation Teamwork and cooperation Don t always accept change Career oriented More hours equals better performance Love the good life Expect job performance feedback Seeking encore careers Source: Managing Intergenerational Conflict in the Workplace, Susan Heywood
Generation X Engaging Generation X Talk to them about their reputation, not just job tasks; they want your candid perspective and feedback Acknowledge their ability to work independently and encourage them to leverage their entrepreneurial abilities Help them get the most out of every position by discussing what the job can do for them and what they can learn from it Confident/self-reliant Adaptable to change Skeptical Risk-taking Want recognition Balance work and life The most well educated generation at their time Goal oriented Free Agents vs. Company Loyalist Thrive on independence Want to be challenged Db-developpement.com Source: Managing Intergenerational Conflict in the Workplace, Susan Heywood
Millennials Engaging Millennials Demonstrate the stability and longterm value of your organization; show how your organization is flexible and filled with learning opportunities for them Make groups and teams part of their position Value independence Optimistic and hopeful Reluctant to commit Look for new challenges Challenge the status quo We re all in this together Want the opportunity to make an impact Fear boredom Meaningful work Value diversity Value change Globally connected Source: Managing Intergenerational Conflict in the Workplace, Susan Heywood
Generational Patterns in Volunteering Generation Percentage that Volunteered Number that Volunteered Hours of Volunteer Service Value of Volunteer Service Millennials 21.7% 15.7 Million 1.6 Billion $36.5 Billion Generation X 29.4% 20.9 Million 2.3 Billion $53.9 Billion Boomers 27.2% 19.9 Million 2.8 Billion $63.9 Billion Older Adults 20.0% 10.7 Million 2.0 Billion $45.7 Billion
Generational Patterns in Giving Traditionalists : 25% of total giving in the U.S. Tend to support a few charities and remain loyal to them Generally respond best to direct mail and in-person fundraising Boomers Comprise 34% of donors and give 43% of all money contributed by individuals; represents the largest donor group for in the near future Enjoy serving in volunteer leadership roles Direct mail and online giving are preferred ways of supporting organizations; tend to like multi-year payment structures. From Blackbaud s Next Generation of American Giving Report
Generational Patterns in Giving Generation X Likes to give if it s made easy for them. Many also support organizations through workplace giving. Want to understand results, impact, and return on their investment Millennials Act impulsively both in determining to whom and how much to give and in ways to volunteer; 42% chose to donate to whatever inspired them at the moment (according to the 2012 Millennial Impact Report) Generally focused on a cause or issue rather than a specific charity Technology is preferred communication method; give via mobile devices or online giving sites and promote their involvement through social media From Blackbaud s Next Generation of American Giving Report
Boomer Research Findings Boomers 2005-07 expectations and hopes around retirement Optimistic about retirement Most planned to work in retirement (79%) Volunteering and service interwoven with retirement Knew what would make volunteering attractive
What would make volunteering attractive to Boomers? Skills! Boomer men valued using their skills Boomer women valued gaining new skills Boomers were twice as likely as younger volunteers to pass on an opportunity if not a good fit VolunteerMatch Great Expectations Research
Disconnect What Boomers wanted What organizations offered Thomasmartellone.wordpress.com
Tips for Engaging Boomers Recruiting Recognition Retention Emphasize organization s values, people focus, and impact on the community Communicate how their skills will be utilized Provide positions with opportunities for impact and results Status Professional development Public Personalized Increasing levels of responsibility Participation in creating initiatives and program development Show they are making significant contributions Provide challenging work Publicly recognize their accomplishments Invite them to do training and/or presentations to the board or community Develop career ladders When Generations Collide, Lancaster & Stillman
Gen X Provide career building opportunities Demonstrate impact Personalize opportunities and make them flexible Be open and transparent Use of technology is mandatory Like to work in groups Db-developpement.com When Generations Collide, Lancaster & Stillman
Tips for Engaging Gen X Recruiting Recognition Retention Talk about the creative environment Offer diverse work experiences Emphasize future plans and how they can contribute to them Freedom is the ultimate reward Do not micromanage Give candid, timely feedback Encourage informal, open communication Use technology to communicate Provide learning opportunities Db-developpement.com When Generations Collide, Lancaster & Stillman
Key Ingredients in Millennial Engagement Leadership Inviting Tangible Transparency Social Connectivity Solution-Inspired Environment Source: Cause for Change : The Why and How of Nonprofit Millennial Engagement by Saratvosky and Feldmann
Tips for Engaging Millennials Recruiting Recognition Retention Provide opportunities to learn new things Provide diverse work experiences Mentor them and/or provide networking opportunities Provide work that has meaning for them Measure and share impact of their efforts Provide good support and structure Communicate clear objectives Emphasize their ability to make a difference Use technology to deliver information Provide interesting, meaningful work Have realistic retention goals Adapted from When Generations Collide, Lancaster & Stillman
Key Insights for Millennials Engage with causes to help people, not institutions. Are influenced by the decisions and behaviors of their peers. Treat their time, money, and assets as having equal value. Need to experience the cause s work without having to be on site. A Generation for Causes: A Four-Year Summary of the Millennial Impact Project Achieve, Sponsored by the Case Foundation
Generational Motivations
Career Goals Traditionalists Baby Boomers Gen Xers Millennials Build a legacy Build a stellar career Build a portable career Build parallel careers Source: When Generations Collide, Lancaster & Stillman
What will you do differently now?
Resources from JFFixler Group Webinars Free Ready-to-use Tools & Templates JFFixler.com/Tools Free Innovative Volunteer Strategies E-newsletter JFFixler.com/Newsletter Publications JFFixler.com/Publications Free InnoVate Blog JFFixler.com/Blog Free Articles JFFixler.com/JFFixler-Group- Articles Webinars JFFixler.com/free-jffixlergroup-webinars Successful Volunteer Engagement May 24, 2016 The Abundant Not-for-Profit May 25, 2016 The Lifecycle of a Volunteer June 16, July 21, and August 4 With Verified Volunteers High Impact Volunteer Engagement August 24, 2016 Strategic Planning for Volunteer Engagement September 21, 2016
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