The traditionalist generation in the workplace

Traditionalists may serve in senior managerial roles or on the board of your business. Others may have returned in casual, consultancy, mentoring or part-time roles.

When managing different generations in your company, it’s important to be mindful of the generation gaps and adjust your style accordingly. These insights into the traditionalist generation will help you manage these employees in the workplace.

What is the traditionalist generation?

Born between 1925 and 1945, the traditionalists are between 77 and 94 years of age as of 2019 according to McCrindle Research. Australia’s current senior generation commonly referred to as the ‘greatest generation’. They are also known as The Veterans, The Silent Generation (because children of this era were expected to be seen and not heard), the Builders Generation, the Pre-Boomers, and the Lucky Generation (because of the years of relative comfort that followed World War).

A little background on the things that shaped them

This generation grew up during austere times, including the Great Depression and World War II. They were too young to fight in the war, just missed the Korean War, and too old for Vietnam. They were raised in an environment where the males were dominant and powerful in both family and work life and conformity and conservatism were highly valued.

The older members of this generation listened to the music of Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald. The 40s saw swooning, hysterical teenage girl fans of Frank Sinatra called bobby-soxers, who wore full skirts, ponytails and short white socks (hence their moniker). The late 40s and early 50s witnessed a teenage counter-culture of beatniks, bodgies and widgies.

Richie Cunningham from Happy Days personified the typical 1950s teenager, albeit an American one. The 50s also saw the rise of teddy boys, rock’n’roll-loving young men who dressed inspired by the fashion of the Edwardian era. The mid 1960s to early 1970s saw the rise of two conflicting British youth cultures – Mods and Rockers. Notable heartthrobs of the time were James Dean, Elvis Presley and James Bond. One of our former Prime Ministers John Howard, is also a Pre-Boomer.

By the mid-1980s the traditionalists were at the peak of their corporate power and there was intense merger activity distinguished by the prevalence of leveraged buyouts aggressiveness and hostility. 

Historically, some of the events traditionalists witnessed included the rise of the Civil Rights movement and the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., US President John F Kennedy, and US Senator Robert Kennedy, the Cold War, man’s first walk on the moon, the Vietnam War, Women’s and Environmental Movements, Watergate, and US President Nixon’s resignation.

At the height of the traditionalist’s corporate life some of the events they witnessed were the launch of 24-hour Cable News Network, the launch of IBM’s first PC, the first Motorola mobile phone, the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, the launch of the USSR Mir Space Station, the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown, the failed assassination attempt on US President Ronald Reagan, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the AIDS epidemic, and the Wall Street crash.

 Even if they aren’t as tech savvy as the younger generations, older workers bring unique skills and experience to many jobs that younger workers can’t duplicate.

Getting to know them 

Chat with a traditionalist and they’ll tell you about the ‘good old days’ when people worked for the same company for 30 or 40 years. They were promised ‘cradle-to-grave’ benefits and retired with a fancy plaque and gold watch engraved with their name and company logo. 

The tradition of giving gold watches originated back to the 1940s and The Pepsi Co. The concept of "you gave us your time, now we are giving you ours", made sense when people stayed with a company for three or four decades.

The traditional idea of retirement has changed dramatically too. Historically retirement was partly based on the hard labour carried out in factory jobs. At 65, it was physically time to stop. Today, we've moved away from hard labour to work that is conceivable to continue well into our older years.

Many traditionalists remain in the workforce, or return to the workforce, because their nest egg isn’t enough to sustain them, or they are looking for something mentally stimulating.

Insights into the traditionalist generation in the workplace

Numerous factors can affect work ethic characteristics of different generations in the workplace. Like the rest of the generational series, these are generalisations only. 

They are aimed at helping you better understand the attitudes, values and ethics of this group of employees. This way, you can make the most of their skills, experience, and insights.

• They possess a strong work ethic and consider having a job a privilege. Much of their life has been spent working long hours to build a career. Many sacrificed their personal life for their career.

• Traditionalists value old-time conventional morals.

• This generation have extreme respect for authority and following the rules, preferring command-and-control leadership and a top-down chain of command. They like to have one decision-maker leading the company.

• They favour conventional business models, and traditional communication.

• The traditionalist generation are sceptical of flash-in-the-pan ideas and success.

• They believe promotions, raises, and recognition should come from job tenure.

• Traditionalists are loyal to employers and expect the same in return.

• They possess good interpersonal skills.

• This generation desire flexible arrangements so they can manage their time and assignments.

• They’re uncomfortable with open or empowered environments. They’re more comfortable dealing with people face-to-face.

• They don’t like being pressured, and don’t handle change well, particularly change that happens quickly.

• They can be technically challenged and slow to change their work habits and adapt to new, more efficient ways of doing things.

• They take their jobs seriously, are proud of their work, and want respect and appreciation shown for their long work history.

• They’re committed to always doing the ‘right’ thing. Their decisions and actions are also always justified and logical.

How to get the best from the traditionalists in your business

Aging doesn’t make an employee a disposable asset. This generation may be slower on their feet but they still have agile brains and plenty of experience. Even if they aren’t as tech savvy as the younger generations, older workers bring unique skills and experience to many jobs that younger workers can’t duplicate. This wealth of knowledge, built up over a long period of time, is priceless.

Traditionalists should be respected, recognised and appreciated for this knowledge. In addition, there is incredible value in having them share their knowledge by becoming strategic mentors for younger generations.

They bring other benefits for your organisation too. Older employees often tend to be especially loyal, focused, and reliable, and their experience can make it easier for them to design strategies to solve problems.

Traditionalists should be treated as valued members of your organisation and supported with whatever they need. This may be with assistance or training in technology or new processes, flexibility in the way they carry out their job responsibilities, and a flexible work life balance.