Can you guess which generation works the hardest? It is the GenXers who stretch themselves at work not millennials

• Employees over 50 or GenXers feel less stress and can concentrate on work better than those under 40, says a recent study.
• They are also much more likely to stretch themselves, work harder and handle crises better.
• But sadly they face an age-bias when it comes to hiring and promotions, say HR experts.

They’re neither millennials nor Boomers. In fact, the generation that’s now over 50 is so ignored that their name is barely heard. They’re called GenXers, born between 1965-1980 right before millennials started populating the earth.

The generation that started work right at the start of the millennium did not have the kickstart that millennials did, but also gained extensively from the high-capex environment between 2004-2010. Most of them have seen better salary bumps than GenZers or millennials.

Strained but not distressed

Unlike their younger peers, GenXers feel less stress and can concentrate on work better than those under 40, as per 2023 Asia Mental Health Index by Aon and TELUS Health.

“Employees under 40 years of age are nearly 50% more likely than employees older than 50 to feel mentally and/or physically exhausted at the end of their workday,” the report said indicating that the younger workers are tired as compared to the others.

As per the AON report, the mental health of those over 50 can be described as ‘strained’ while that of those under 40 in Asia can be described as ‘distressed’. It also establishes a direct correlation between mental health and productivity.

GenZs, on the other hand, feel the most stress. “The study shows that employees under 40 are particularly feeling the strain of poor mental health, whilst those between 20 to 29 years old are significantly worse off, with a Mental Health Index score of 57.8, representing the most strain and the highest mental health risk of any age group by a significant margin,” the AON report.

GenX versus GenZ

GenXers also have a work ethic that’s polar opposite to GenZs, and not merely because of the generational-effect.

“Those who are now in their 50s started work in the late 1990s, the liberalization period. Their work ethos are different in the sense they can stretch a little bit more, work late hours and have more capacity to do work,” Varda Pendse, strategic HR consultant and coach told Business Insider.

Neeraj Balani, MD of International SOS, a risk management company too agrees that there are noticeable differences in work ethic between GenXers, millennials, and GenZs.

“A GenX employee may prioritize flexible work hours to spend time with their family and may not feel the need for constant feedback from their superiors whereas a GenZ employee might prefer working remotely and can comfortably use multiple apps and platforms for project management and communication and may prefer concise, direct feedback through text or email,” adds Balani.

The crisis managers

When technology is critical to a process, GenZ who are digital natives are more comfortable and bring a tad more digital savviness into the team.

“Generation X brings adaptability and a focus on work-life balance. Generation Z, as digital natives, excels in leveraging technology for efficiency and is passionate about diversity and inclusivity, shaping a more digitally savvy and equitable workplace,” says Balani.

So their preference is higher in tech, services, consulting and hospitality. But when it comes to banking and other financial sectors, those over 50s are given equal weightage when it comes to hiring.

GenXers are much calmer during a crisis. Pendse believes that they are much more likely to pursue and persevere more while the younger generation also tends to burnout faster and struggle more.

“If you see, GenXers also bring in a certain amount of passive aggressiveness into their working style which younger people do not,” she adds enumerating the differences between the two generations of workers.

GenXers are also in a state and stage in life that allows them to have a calmer outlook on everything including work. One of them being better financial stability. “Employees without emergency savings are 60% more likely to have difficulty concentrating at work vs employees with emergency savings,” the AON report says.

GenXers and an age-bias

Yet, there is a visible age-bias when it comes to those over 50, especially when it comes to fresh hiring by companies. “There is diffidence in hiring an older person. A younger employee is also much more likely to be promoted than an older person,” Pendse says.

However, experts believe that might be the wrong approach. “I believe recognizing and valuing older employees is not only a matter of fairness but also a strategic move for organizations. Their experience and institutional knowledge can be instrumental in problem-solving, mentoring younger employees, and contributing to the overall success of the company,” Balani tells Business Insider India.

The right mix of an ideal workplace, experts say, is a good measure of each of these opposite generations — weighed in with millennials. Millennials who have seen nondigital and a digital era have been quick adapters, and also have the advantage of mentoring GenZs while receiving mentoring support from GenXers.

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