Defining the Gen X Generation
Let’s start from the beginning … who exactly falls into “Generation X”? Most are the children of Baby Boomers, and they were born between 1965 and 1979, who entered the workforce in the late 1980s to the early 1990s.
As you may remember, these were dynamic times! Our culture experienced an amazing age of innovation and creativity, including massive social and structural changes. That’s why Generation Xers have a much different childhood experience than their older or younger siblings.
The term “Generation X” actually was coined in the 1960s, as part of a study conducted by a British women’s magazine. A subsequent TIME Magazine cover story titled, “Proceeding with Caution,” painted a very dark picture of how Generation X differed from other generations, describing Gen Xers cynicism and pessimistic attitudes.
Terms like “Slacker” and “Grunge generation” began to crop up along with Generation X, and it was clear that this generation was wrongly stereotyped as a group that neither expected much nor that much could be expected from.
Have these labels stigmatized the generation as a whole? How do Generation X Employees compare to the younger Millennials in your organization?
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