Analyzing Generation Y Workforce Motivation

Abstract : A heightened government retirement of the Baby Boomers is almost certain in the next several years, which will leave employment gaps that Generation X and Y must fill. Today, 60 percent of all federal employees (all of whom are Baby Boomers) are eligible to retire, and the Office of Personnel Management expects about 40 percent to do so in the next 5-8 years. Retention of the newly hired Generation Y workforce is critical to the preservation and existence of the civilian government workforce. The authors surveyed 18 government workers, comprising six each of Generation Y, Generation X, and the Baby Boomers' Generation, regarding five motivational factors according to importance and level of happiness. The survey was designed to provide insight on the overall average job satisfaction of each respondent (how happy each respondent is with their job compared to the average of all respondents); the overall average job satisfaction of each generation (how happy each generation is with their jobs compared to the average of all generations); normalized average importance for each generation (how each generation values the five motivational factors converted to a single scale); average level of happiness for each generation (how each generation is satisfied with their current jobs based on the five motivational factors); the overall average utility (how all generations combined express value and satisfaction for each of the five motivational factors); and average attribute utility for each generation (how each generation expresses value and satisfaction for each of the five motivational factors). The research questions that this study seeks to answer follow.