"The European world of work” by IPSOS for Steelcase International
Four different attitudes and four ways of working
Strasbourg, September 2008 - Steelcase International, the EMEA division of Steelcase Inc., the global leader in the office furniture industry, disclosed today the third part of the results of a survey related to "The European world of work”. Conducted by IPSOS Public Affairs, the study focuses on generations at work. It was conducted by an outstanding number of interviews of more than 2400 European white collars, from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands and United Kingdom.
For the first time, four different generations are working together in one work environment. Each of them has its own needs, characteristics and way of working. Traditionals are born between 1928 and 1945, Boomers from 1946 to 1964, Generation X are born between 1965 and 1978, and the youngest generation is Gen Y and is born from 1979 to 2000. The learning from this survey redefined the way we look at our workforce; here are the results.
How do they get along?
In general people have the most relations within their generation. The relations at work are friendly within and across generations, with a tendency, for all the generations, to judge people from their own generation more positively.
Across generations, there is a bit more friendliness for people younger than themselves (68%) than older than themselves (64%).
Competition is tougher within the same generation and relations with older colleagues are perceived as half less competitive (13%) than within the same age (26%). When we have a look at the competition, we can see a clear difference between the Traditionals and the other 3 generations: Traditionals are far less sensitive to competition: only 9% of them feel it whereas an average of 20% within the other generations thinks their relationships with colleagues are competitive.
Concerning the admiration, there are twice as many respondents for older colleagues (32%) than younger (16%). Younger people are not very well perceived in term of experience and admiration. When we have a look at the differences between countries, across generations, we can see that relations at work are judged as less friendly in Spain and Italy, and friendlier in the UK. The Spaniards consider their relations also as being more managerial, unlike Italy. The spirit of competition stands out more strongly in the UK and the relations seem more protective and pleasant in Germany.
How do they perceive each other?
Traditionals are the ones the least positive about the youngest: Concerning people of 29 and youngest: 21% of them think they are cooperative (av 37%), only 16% think they are efficient (av 25%), 22% think they are annoying (av 14%), 30% think they are opportunist (av 26%) and 19% that they are manipulative (av 14%). Finally, Traditionals do not seem afraid of them as only 10% of them consider them as a threat for an average of 13%.
Concerning colleagues aged 30-40, the perception of Traditionals is even harder: friendly: 49% (av. 59%), cooperative 41% (av 48%), efficient: 36% (av 46%), wise: 14% (av 21%), manipulative: 17% (av 13%).
Gen Y generation is described as more ambitious and opportunistic than the other generations. None of the Traditionals said they learn something from their youngest colleagues, and only 3% and 5% of Boomers and Generations X said so. Generation X is perceived as particularly friendly, cooperative and efficient.
Boomers appear to be the company wise men, passing down their know-how. They have a positive image, even if they come over as being authoritative (for 31% of the people interviewed). In their role of wise men, they are recognized by all generations as being THE reference generation, having a role of teaching in relation to the other generations at work. Only the Gen Y learn more from Generation X (51% said they learn from Generation X and only 24% from Traditionals).
Perception of the Traditionals at work is fairly vague. They are viewed as less friendly, ambitious and cooperative than the other generations.
When we have a look at the difference between countries we can see that:
The youngest (29 and younger) are much more well perceived in UK who have the highest score in Europe for theses positive adjectives: 70% think they are friendly, 52% ambitious, 44% cooperative and 31% efficient. On the other hand, Brits are also the ones who think the most that they are opportunists (34% - av 26%) and annoying (29% - av 41%). Young workers are given much more autonomy quickly in UK than anywhere else in Europe. Italians are the least positive about young workers. They are only 39% to think they are friendly and 29% efficient. Germans are the ones who think the most the young workers are wise with 12% (av 10%). Germany perceived better people aged 30-60 than younger or older. Italy and France are the two countries which perceive the least well people older than 60.
Who foster professional relationships and why?
Gen Y and Generation X are the ones who say they foster relationships to learn from each other with respectively 69% and 67%. Logically the youngest declared they foster relationship to get help with 62% (av 49%) and to get validation feedback with 39% (av 30%). The youngest seems also the most enthusiast to foster relationships, only for sharing and communicating with 32% of them (av 29% - Traditionals are the most reluctant to do so with only 22% who answered so). Communication is much more present and natural among the younger workers.
In general Brits and Germans are the ones declaring the most that they foster professional relationship to learn from each other, get help or feedback. Brits with Spanish are the ones saying they foster relationship because they like sharing /working with colleagues, even if it is not directly part of their job, with respectively 39% and 34% (av 29%).
Who had an affair in the office?!
Generation X are the ones declaring this the most with 17% of them (Gen Y 13% - Boomers 16% and Traditionals 12%). When we look at the countries we can see that the French are the ones declaring having an affaire the most with 21% (av 16%) and the Brit the least with 11%.
What are the conversations at the coffee corner?
Across generations, the most common topics of conversation at work are “work” with 60%, “the “family” with 46%, “Spare time/hobbies” with 42%.
When we have a look at the generations, there are no clear differences. The only clear difference is that Traditionals seem to be the ones talking the most about the company with 45% (av 38%) and surprisingly about “sport” with 30% of them (av 21%). Gen Y talk more about spare time and hobbies with 50% (av 42%) and about colleagues with 38% (av 31%).
There are more differences between countries than between generations: “Family” seems more present in discussions in France with 56% compared to Netherlands (34%), the European average is 46%. French are the ones talking about Sport the least with 14% (av 21%); finally German are the ones talking at work the least about sex with 5% (av 10%), on the contrary, Italians are the ones talking the most about that with 15%. Spanish talk more than their European colleagues about “the company” with 45% (av 38%) and the Italians are the ones the least interested in that subject with 22%. Gossips about colleagues seem to be well balanced between all countries with an average of 31%.
How do they perceive hierarchy?
The generations at work have a different relationship with the hierarchy, a logical consequence of the observations made in the previous section on relations at work. Opinions are fairly mixed on perception of the hierarchy at work, 56% think that the hierarchy is strong and 44% that it is not strong:
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The Boomers are more distant from the hierarchy, only 52% declare it is strong.
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The Traditional and the Generation X find the hierarchy in the company stronger, for respectively 59% and 58% of them.
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The Gen Y are the ones who are most aware of the hierarchy, 63% are strongly aware, and 15% of those very strongly.
The fact of having a less strong hierarchy leads to greater satisfaction (86% of happy when not strong hierarchy, compared to 67% happy when the company is hierarchical) but not in the same proportions according to generations:
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The Gen Y seems to be very satisfied with their hierarchy, whether strong (75% satisfied) or less strong (75% satisfied).
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For the Boomers and the Generation X, the degree of hierarchy has an impact on their satisfaction. Over 80% are happy if the hierarchy is not strong, and this figure drops to 62% and 66% if the hierarchy is strong.
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The Traditional seem for their part to be particularly satisfied: 87% are, and 28% of those are very happy with the fact that the company is hierarchical.
When we have a look at the differences between countries, we see that UK is the country in which the hierarchy is judged as strongest (73%), and Netherlands the lowest (48%). Netherlands organisations are known for being more egalitarian and less hierarchical. In France, 6 working people out of 10 think that the hierarchy is strong and 1 out of 5 that it is very strong. In Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, 50% of working people consider that the hierarchy is strong.
What are their motivations at work?
The Traditionals and the Gen Y are the two most volatile generations, but for very distinct reasons: 30% of the Traditionals want to leave the company over the next 3 years, in fact they will retire. The Gen Y want to leave the company (17%) because it does not offer them enough career opportunities and because of the salaries, judged as too low.
The "Boomers" are the most anchored in the company, they stay for the comfort that their work brings them (46%), the salaries (45%) and colleagues (39%).
“Convenience” is more declared by Generation X with 53% (av 43,6%)
“Career opportunities” is much more mentioned, not surprisingly by the youngest (Gen Y) with 53% (av 31%). “Colleagues” are also more mentioned by the youngest with 43% of Gen Y (their second best reasons) and Generation X 43%, compared to 39% of Boomers and 27% of Traditionals.
Among all generation, the most important reasons for leaving the company, (except Traditionals - for which it is logically retirement) is the lack of career opportunities (26% for Boomers, 54% for Generation X and up to 59% for the Gen Y).
When we have a look at the countries, across generations,Brits are the most volatile with only 61% of people wishing to stay in their company for another 3 years, with 79% both, Germany and Spain are the ones who wish to stay the more (av 72%).
Where would they want to work?
Generational splits appear in relation to choice of work spaces:
The Traditionals are the ones the most attached to a personal space with 61% (av 38%) or shared space with 39% (av 34%), and don't want to work all day in an open space, with only 16% of them (av 30%). On the other hand they are surprisingly the ones declaring the most they would be happy to work from time to time in an open space without any assigned desk with 30% (av 14%). Traditionals are also the ones the least inclined to work from time to time in a coffee place with only 11% of them (av20%).
Boomers and Generation X are pretty close in their preferences. Boomers would also rather work in a personal or shared office or at home, but they are closer to the average with respectively 42% and 35%. They don't particularly like open spaces.
The Generation X prefer a personal office or working at home, but also a shared office or open space.
The Gen Y for their part particularly like the open space or shared office, but do not want an individual office with only 27% of them (av 38%). When we look at the different space we can see the importance of “in-between spaces”: the coffee place is mentioned by 20% in average and a garden/terrace by 17%.
When we have a look at the differences between countries, there are clear differences:
A full partitioned office is mainly mentioned by German and French with respectively 54% and 43%. On the other end, Spanish and Dutch are the least interested in such spaces with only 32% each. A shared office is more appreciated in Netherland with 43%, versus only 26% in France. Spanish are far ahead of the others countries for their desire to work from home all day with 46% of them (av 33%), or work on a satellite office closer to home with 39% (av 19%). They seem to give the least importance to the concept of “the office”, and are the most inclined to work in “new spaces” like in-between spaces, lounge areas (27% of them for an average of 22%)
Is work everything in the office?
Who has a nap in the office?!
12% of the people questioned have already taken a nap at the office, of whom 3% at least once a week. The Traditionals generation stands out: 28% of them take a nap at work, 7% of them regularly.
Brits are the ones in Europe having ever had the most a nap in the office with 61% of them versus the Dutch with 7%.
What are your favourite websites?
Traditionals seem more interested in “professional websites” with 41% (av 28%) or route description with 19% (av 11%): the web is maybe less rooted in their daily as the others generations and used it mainly as a tool/ a maybe because they have to and not want to. Like Gen Y they are the ones using the least online media with 16% (Gen Y 17% and average 21%)
Boomers, Generation X and Gen Y are using equally online shop or auctions websites. Boomers are the ones using the most “travel agencies” website with 28% (av 23%) Not surprisingly Gen Y are the ones using the most music or videos downloads with 18% (av 12%), community network with 17% (av 11%), dating/chating with 9% (av 6%), blogs 10% (av 6%)
When we have a look at the difference between countries,Spaniards are hardly visiting online auctions with only 11% for an average of 30%, but are the ones using the most travel agencies (31%, av 23%) and online media with 29% (av 21%).German are the ones using the most online auction with 41% (av30%), and grammar/wikis with 16% (av10%), but are almost not visiting job research websites with 3% for an average of 8%.French are the ones using the most online games with 24% (av 17%), cinema/theatre website 16%, versus 12% average; but they are the ones using the least professional websites (19% / av 28%) and online media with only 16% of them. Italians far in front of the others are using the most professional websites with 43% of them (av 28%), en job research website (13% - av 8%).
Dutch are the ones using the least travel agencies online or hobbies website with online 19% and 18% (av 23 each), but are the ones using the most routes descriptions website with 16% (av 11%). British are the ones using the most hobbies website with 30% (av 23%), community website 18% (av 11%).