North Texas

Texas Firm Uses Data-Driven Approach to Explore the Generational Divide

At Austin's Center for Generational Kinetics, Jason Dorsey and his team of researchers are taking a data-driven approach to exploring the generational divide.

"What we are passionate about is bringing truth to the generational conversation. There is so much myth out there. We want to say what's real, what's grounded in data," Dorsey said.

Using their own method, called generational context, the center looks at human behavior through a generational lens to better understand behavioral differences between the generations — from Baby Boomers to Generation Z.

A bulk of the center's research is related to millennials.

Their findings guide the marketing and recruitment strategies for some of the nation's largest companies whose customer base and labor force are increasingly millennial.

"Boomers go, 'Oh, that's why millennials really frustrate me.' Or millennials say, 'That's why boomers are the way they are.' If we find that we can build a common ground and actually solve problems things like driving employee retention, gross sales, increase in innovation," Dorsey said.

The research starts with the central question of who is a millennial. Different researchers have different answers. CGK considers a millennial to be anyone born between 1977 and 1995.

That's approximately 83 million people in the U.S., according to the center.

The oldest millennials in the U.S. are in their 40s. Dorsey said that determination has less to do with when a person was born and is more about when they experienced defining moments in their lives.

"The most important event that defines a millennial generation is Sept. 11, 2001. You cannot be born after 1995 and process the significance of Sept. 11, 2001. You are simply too young. The way I explained it is if you don't remember 9/11, if it's always been history to you, then you are in Generation Z. You are not a millennial," Dorsey said.

The center's research has been able to push back against many of the myths and half-truths concerning millennials.

As a group they've been broadly painted as lazy and entitled by their peer generations. Dorsey said nearly a decade's worth of research proves otherwise.

"Truth is more millennials are working than any other generation in the United States. Millennials are not only the largest spending group, but they are the number-one driver of consumer trends," Dorsey said. "Millennials are the generation that most wants to make a difference from their very first day on the job. They're the most diverse generation in U.S. history. This diversity is bringing all kinds of new opportunities into the world, and creating challenges with other generations."

Dorsey said understanding those challenges is key for a company whose labor force is inter-generational. As millennial influence grows, companies will have to adjust how they advertise their products and recruit millennials to their workplace.

Dorsey said the best label to slap on the millennial generation is "disruptors."

"Millennials are really raising expectations, and that's what's driving the disruption," he said. "That's really important because it challenges the status-quo. It challenges the way we historically do everything."

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