- The Corporate Learning Function
- Globalization: Global Workplace and a Borderless Workforce
- Talent Management: A Surplus of Workers and a Shortage of Required Competencies
- Workforce Segmentation: Various Employee Groups
- Careers: Hybrid Careers and Fluid Jobs
- Learning Technologies: Continue to Evolve
- Summary
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Workforce Segmentation: Various Employee Groups
Workforce segmentation refers to the process of identifying distinct groups of employees and designing human resources practices for each group based on their unique needs and characteristics. Segmentation can be done in many ways depending on an organization’s business and human resources strategies.
Generational-Based Workforce Segmentation
Demographic trends in the United States are changing and will continue to do so during the next four decades. There are now five generations of employees with their own unique work-related values and attitudes toward learning and career development:
- Traditionalists (born between 1922 and 1945)
- Baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964)
- Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980)
- Generation Y or Millennial (born between 1981 and 2000)
- Generation Z (born after 2000)
Table 1.4 highlights each generation’s work values.16 Attitudes toward learning are discussed in detail in Chapter 6, “Customized Learning and Learner Control.”
Table 1.4 Work-Related Values and Attitudes
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Traditionalists Born between 1922 and 1945 Ages: 68–86 |
Experienced the Great Depression, World War II, and several societal and economic changes during their lives
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Baby boomers Born between 1946 and 1964 Ages: 49–67 |
Grew up during a period of relative prosperity, safety, and optimism
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Generation X Born between 1965 and 1980 Ages: 33–48 |
Grew up surrounded by financial, economic, and social insecurity
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Generation Y or Millennials Born between 1981 and 2000 Ages: 13–32 |
Grew up in an era of technological advances and changes
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Generation Z Born after 2000 |
Are growing up in a world that is highly connected, interactive, uncertain, and open
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It is estimated that the 55 years of age and older age group will total 97.8 million in 2020, which means that the group will comprise approximately 28.7% of the resident population; in 2010, this number was 24.7%.17 This age group, referred to as baby boomers, is not retiring at traditional retirement age. Hence, they continue to work or seek work. In general, they work for a considerable length of time after reaching retirement age. For the baby boomer generation in particular, retirement age is viewed as fluid. In instances such as this, the role of the learning function is to minimize any adverse reactions to these workers by managing positive and negative biases toward them in the workplace.18
Conversely, when baby boomers do retire (and for those who have retired), the loss of knowledge and experience they take with them is cause for concern for many organizations.19 The role of the learning function here is to facilitate the transfer of knowledge from older workers to other workers in the organization.20
Diversity-Based Workforce Segmentation
The U.S. workforce is becoming more diverse and will continue this pattern in the coming years. According to recent data, approximately 16% of the labor force is Hispanic, 12% is African American, and 5% is Asian.21 It is estimated that the proportion of people of color participating in the workforce will continue to increase as the United States becomes more racially and ethnically diverse.22 In addition, immigration is now a core source of labor supply and strongly contributes to the racial and ethnic makeup of the U.S. workforce.23 It is estimated that 16% of the labor force is foreign-born (16 years old and over)24 and current trends suggest that immigration will only increase, making the U.S. workforce culturally and linguistically diverse. Finally, women make up 47% of the labor force and their labor force participation has grown dramatically over the past few decades and will continue to do so.25
Talent-Based Workforce Segmentation26
Here, the focus is on categorizing employees into A, B, and C players based on the assumption that employees who add more value to the organization should be treated differently.27 The most talented employees who have the most significant impact on the organization’s business are categorized as A players (also known as high potentials). B players are talented employees who perform consistently and satisfactorily. C players are poor performers who are considered a liability; they are most likely to be separated from the organization. Using this approach, employees can also be categorized in terms of strategic/nonstrategic and core/noncore.28
An important challenge for the learning function is to manage, motivate, train, and develop each group differently.