How Career Coaching is Evolving to Serve 5 Generations By Marie Zimenoff For the first time in history, the workforce is experiencing five generations together in the workplace. As individuals work longer in their careers and fresh graduates launch their careers, career coaches are shifting their practices to meet the changing needs of these generations.
Generations Defined The Center for Generational Kinetics (link to genhq.com/faq-info-aboutgenerations/) puts forth the following definition of generations: 1) the Silent Generation born prior to 1945; 2) Baby Boomers born in 1945–1960; 3) Generation X born in 1961–1980; 4) Generation Y (Millennials) born in 1981–1995; 5) Generation Z born after 1995. Each of these generations has experienced distinct world events during their formative years, leading them to form different aspirations, attitudes toward technology, communication preferences, and, most important for career practitioners, use of technology and attitudes toward career.
Coaching Consumption Career coaches are experiencing changes in how these generations engage and work with a coach throughout the engagement. While Baby Boomers tend to find coaches through more traditional methods – word of mouth, online and paper directories, and referrals from those they trust – Generations X and Y are using technology to find a coach.
Millennials use social media to crowdsource recommendations from social connections and research online before reaching out to a potential coach. Coaches trying to attract the younger audiences are moving online, using video, Facebook (where Generation X and some older Millennials are daily), and Instagram or Snapchat (where Millennials and Generation Z are daily).
