Gen X is the UK’s hardest working demographic group, claims report ⁰

Maybe it’s the mortgages, children and other responsibilities but a new study suggests that the UK’s hardest working demographic is Generation X. The survey of 2,500 employees from project management software firm Workfront found that over half (52.3 percent) of UK respondents said Generation X (roughly those aged between 34-54) as the hardest workers and almost 60 per cent (59.5 percent) claimed GenXers also had the strongest work ethic. Born between the early 1960’s and early 1980’s, Gen X was also claimed to be the most skilled (54.5 percent) followed by Baby Boomers, those approximately aged around 54–70-years-old, (27.1 percent). Millennials, those born between the 1980s to early 2000s, were identified as the most ‘tech-savvy’ (66.3 percent) but according to the survey it seems other skills are perceived as more valuable as only 18 percent of people surveyed said Millennials were the most skilled overall.

In addition to being perceived as the most skilled, Gen X was also highlighted as the best troubleshooters (41.6 percent) and most helpful generation (55.4 percent), meaning that they are less likely to turn colleagues away when they need support.

Millennials were found to be the least co-operative (43.3 percent) and the biggest complainers (40.9 percent). But that’s not all. They were also named as the least likely to take responsibility by 57 percent of those surveyed. Luckily for Millennials it wasn’t all bad, as they were also categorised as the most creative by 46 percent of people, followed by Gen X (41.6 percent).

Joe Staples, Chief Marketing Officer at Workfront, said: “It’s clear from our survey that each generation can bring something different to the table. By understanding the differences between generations, enterprise teams should look to invest in tools and processes that both bridge the gaps while taking advantage of individual strengths at the same time.”

All generations were agreed that the biggest cause of conflict at work was lack of communication. This was blamed by almost half (46.3 percent) of people to be the main reason for arguments in the office, far outweighing more stereotypical causes such as personality differences (16 percent) or incompetence (20 percent).

Staples continued: “It is clear from our survey that traditional forms of communication leave a lot to be desired. With excessive emails identified as one of the main things to get in the way of work (40 percent) employers may want to consider investing in a single software tool like Workfront. Making the switch can immediately help break down communication barriers by allowing staff at all levels to collaborate and gain full visibility of the work being done. This results in increased morale and productivity.”