Gen X Moms at Work
Mike Muetzel
Employers are now facing a unique phenomenon. Successful female Gen X Managers are walking away from the management status their predecessors fought so hard to establish, to get back to a more traditional family lifestyle.
Gen Xers yearn for a far simpler life including the family time many missed during their own childhood. And although the new female exodus away from VP titles and corporate status leaves many senior executives scratching their heads, it is easier to understand than you may think. 40% of all Gen Xers were touched by divorce, and most came home from school to dark empty households, as their Boomer parents often sacrificed family for careers. The concept of a family dinner, so common to Boomers, was something seen by Gen X children only on the Cosby Show. And in the end, the same dedicated parents were laid off or downsized during the 1980’s, establishing an inherent lack of trust in corporations for most Gen Xers.
Is it really so much of a surprise that many female managers have decided to put the corporate ladder in the closet to spend a few years with their children? According to Time Magazine (Claudia Wallis), the proportion of working moms with children under the age of 3 dropped again in 2002, and will continue to decline as the trend continues. At the same time support groups or clubs of former female executives leaving the workplace are growing dramatically across the country.
In addition, due to the reduced size of Generation X, (15%) smaller than that of their Boomer counterparts, many experts are predicting a mid-level manager shortfall of up to 10 million workers as early as 2010. With the advent of female managers leaving to stay at home, the numbers may be even larger than earlier forecasted. Even Gen Xers remaining in management roles today, both male and female, have a track record of changing jobs every 36 months. And the turnover costs of this trend will continue to hit corporate bottom lines across the country.
The potential solutions may include changing the existing paradigms to maximize the potential of the talented Gen X moms. With a little management creativity, Gen X moms may be able to have their cake, bake it at home, and eat it with their family as well. Gen Xers as a group still carry significant debt and companies developing flexible programs to provide incremental income will set the tone for the future.
New concepts often referred to as “Worklife” programs have proven to be successful solutions. According to Deborah Holmes, director of Ernst & Young's Office of Retention, two-thirds of their employees who used their flexible work arrangements said they would have left or not joined the company in the first place, if these policies had not existed. SHRM, Mosaic.
1. Job Sharing plans so often dismissed by today’s senior management and traditional human resource departments may be the norm of tomorrow’s successful organizations.
2. On site Child Care facilities, gaining popularity in progressive organizations may also be more common when combined with 9 am to 1 pm shortened workdays to accommodate Gen X moms, and their afternoon and evening family activities.
3. Telecommute opportunities for Gen X moms will need to become the norm as opposed to the exception, for companies searching for ways to stay ahead of the curve in human capital management.
4. More companies will be willing to ask their Gen X moms to suggest programs or creative flexible structures to accommodate their unique needs, rather than lose a valuable employee and incur the high cost of replacement. This process will provide female Gen Xers “equity” or “ownership” in the flexibility of the programs and increase their participation. Ask and you will receive…
5. Finally, many new organizations such as Mothers & More (7,500 members, www.mothersandmore.org ) may be a prime resource for potential talented female employees. These include women who are sequencing in or out of the workforce, searching for flexible opportunities with progressive organizations.
Adaptability and flexible programs to address the growing needs of these valuable resources will be the benchmark of tomorrow’s successful companies. It may be time to modify the traditional structure and seize this unique opportunity.
Michael Muetzel
Copyright © Michael Muetzel 2004
President, Mx Marketing, Management Solutions
Author, They’re Not Aloof…Just Generation X,
Unlock the Mysteries to Today’s Human Capital Management