The Future of Work Across Generations: A Conversation Worth Having

By Miylie Roan

On October 8, Lawline’s Minority Employee Resource group (MERG) hosted a lunch conversation on the future of work across generations. I have been curious about this topic for a long time, so I loved seeing how much this group had to say.

I opened with one reminder: your generation is not a label, just like your TypeCoach type is not a label. Both are lenses that help us understand where someone is coming from.

A quick snapshot

Boomers value loyalty, paying your dues, and face to face conversations. Gen X values independence and efficiency, and would like you to please let them do their work. Millennials look for collaboration, purpose, and regular feedback. Gen Z sees flexibility and remote work as standard, and puts mental health front and center. Then there are Zelennials, born between 1993 and 1998, who sit right in the middle and borrow a little from both sides.

How we stack up

Our team is 71% millennial, 19% Gen X, and 10% Gen Z. Nationally, millennials are about 40% of the workforce, Gen X is around 31%, and Gen Z is about 20%.

What stood out

Several of us realized we are latchkey kids at heart. That early independence still shows up in how we work today.

COVID came up as a dividing line. Most of us talk about work as before and after, because that is when remote work became a possibility for everyone.

Loyalty was a big one. Many of us have watched people we love get laid off after years of dedication, and that changed how we think about staying put. It also shaped how we define career success. For some it is security and savings. For others it is purpose and flexibility.

We also talked about how much has changed on the professional side. A first job might have meant a pantsuit and zero emojis. Now authenticity, personality, and the occasional meme help build real team culture.

What we hope for Gen Alpha

The wish list was clear. Flexibility, balanced with accountability and grit. More security and loyalty running in both directions. A focus on impact over hours. Clear communication when everyone works flexibly. Everyone also agreed that adapting has to go both ways, with every generation meeting the others partway.

The coffee debate

We ended with a viral question: would you bring an iced coffee into a job interview? Opinions ranged from “I would not hold it against them” to “absolutely not.” The one thing we agreed on is that if you bring one, bring one for the interviewer too. ☕