The last few years have seen no shortage of attempts to characterize the workforce along generational lines.  It’s not entirely clear how valuable these generalizations are, but that doesn’t appear to be slowing their prevalence.  Business social networking site LinkedIn recently teamed up with GlobalWebIndex to produce a report in which they examine the so-called “BETA generation“, who are defined as 21 to 40 year-olds who are among the first of the digital native generation to assume positions of seniority.

The researchers spoke to around 34,000 of them in total, from 40 sectors, and across 10 countries.  The BETA mnemonic stands for:

• Blurred work-life boundaries.  Obviously, the pandemic has significantly shifted the dial on this, with so many of us working from home.  While it’s not certain that this shift will become permanent, there was already a sense that the increase in digital device usage had blurred the boundaries, while the rise in purpose at work had also prompted people to look for jobs that matched their personal values more. All of this was prompting work and life to become one.

  The research highlights some challenges in this, however, as not all employees necessarily want this or are prepared for it.  For instance, some in this age group could still be living with parents and may lack dedicated space to work in at home.

• An evolving mindset, with a clear desire to learn and progress in their working lives.  The report suggests this generation place an emphasis on their personal development, with 80% engaged in online learning in some way.  They expect this investment to be rewarded with promotions and progression in their careers.  They also report higher than average job satisfaction.
• Tech natives but are time poor, with connected technology used to cope despite the lack of time.  This cohort are said to have more emails, meetings, and apps, with intensive smartphone usage.  This can lead to higher levels of stress and anxiety.
• And who have raised levels of Activism to support their search for purpose across their entire life.  This extends to how this group expect their employer to behave, with the overwhelming majority expecting their employer to be a good corporate citizen.

“Many of the BETAs come from the Millennial cohort but less attention has been given to their impact in business, despite the fact they form the biggest group of purchasers and decision-makers,” the researchers explain. “If there’s ever been a good time to get to know how people actually think and feel, it’s now.”