There are countless studies, articles and blog posts out on the differences among different generations in the workplace and their perceptions and uses of new technology. Steve Ressler, founder of Young Government Leaders and GovLoop, a social networking site for federal employees, told Wired Workplace on Tuesday that while there is a generational divide between older federal workers and younger ones who simply grew up digital, the Generation Content, or Generation C, concept, which characterizes people of any age who actively uses social media and engages others on the Internet, is taking hold. For example, he said, the average age of users on GovLoop and Twitter is around age 40. "This is a generation of early adopters who are young at heart," he said.
Ressler also noted trouble with the federal hiring process, pointing to a need for federal agencies to become more active in creating talent pipelines at colleges. "Any large organization is a black hole unless you know someone there," Ressler said. "What does this mean -- there needs to be more and more programs, ways to get into government and social networking and media as a way to connect people."
Brittany Ballenstedt
Brittany Ballenstedt writes Nextgov's Wired Workplace blog, which delves into the issues facing employees who work in the federal information technology sector. Before joining Nextgov, Brittany covered federal pay and benefits issues as a staff correspondent for Government Executive and served as an associate editor for National Journal's Technology Daily. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Mansfield University and originally hails from Pennsylvania. She currently lives near Travis Air Force Base, Calif., where her husband is stationed.
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