Working with Boomers, Gen-Xers, Millennials, and 'In-Betweeners'

In this article, IOFM talks with Melissa Schmear. Melissa is an Accounts Payable Manager at Batteries Plus, a large franchise-based retail chain. Her office is located in Hartland, Wisconsin.

A graduate of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Melissa has had a number of roles in financial operations, including P2P and Payroll.

Melissa is a member of the leadership team of the Midwestern IOFM Chapter and works alongside her professional peers in the industry to network, share best practices, and bring awareness and visibility to the Accounts Payable profession.

Q. A recent IOFM survey reported that there is a notable difference in career aspirations and expectations between Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials. Can you share some of your observations?
A. Yes, I have observed generational shifts and changes in the workplace. Many Boomers are retiring and are passing down their knowledge to a new wave of younger professionals. Their successors are looking for training, career growth, work/life balance and personal growth opportunities. They are also ushering a new era, implementing new technologies and artificial intelligence tools. 

Q. How would you characterize yourself? Are you a Boomer, a “Gen Xer, or a Millennial?
A. I am technically a Millennial, although I consider myself more of an “In-Betweener,” since I am at the older end of the Millennial generation. That places me in a unique position. I have similar values to Boomers and Gen-Xers in that I believe in hard work ethic, family, house, and other American-dream-type values. However, unlike the older generations, I grew up with technology. Cell phones and computers were just becoming mainstream as I was entering college. I was young enough to learn it quickly and embrace it, but yet I remember what it was like to not have the Internet in my pocket and having to print out MapQuest directions for a road trip!

Q. In your career, what have been the pros and cons of working with Boomers and Gen Xers?
A. I am fortunate to have had successful relationships in Accounting and AP with Boomers (and some Gen-Xers) throughout my years in Accounting and AP.

However, there was one main area where we different—our backgrounds. Boomers are rooted in the manual era of T-accounts (graphical representations of a general ledger that records business' transactions), manual entries, and spreadsheet financial statements. I have more of a technical orientation in accounting.

On the pro side, I am grateful to have worked with Boomers in particular. Learning their manual ways gave me a better functional understanding of the accounting process. There is no better way to understand a transaction than laying out your processes and procedures on a whiteboard!

On the con side, I’ve experienced managers who were afraid of technology and automation. They didn’t trust it. In a highly manual system, a lot of time was spent backtracking and validating unnecessarily.

Q. What does the younger generation of managers and staff members bring to the table?
A. The younger generations have a wealth of skills and insights to offer. They have grown up with information at their fingertips, so they are very resourceful. They know how to easily and quickly find information and answers. Since they have grown up in a world full of technology, they are skilled at using it and are quick to learn and adapt. This also translates into a willingness to change and learn – they are accustomed to a fast-changing environment, so they expect and embrace change. I have also noticed that the younger generations place more value in work-life balance, and don’t subscribe to the idea that overworking yourself is normal and expected. They work efficiently but also take time for themselves.

Q. As part of the new wave of Accounts Payable professionals, how do you approach training and development, especially with the younger generations?
A. My approach to training is to ensure that the person I am training knows and understands the “why” behind the task. Why is it important? Who is the audience? What department or area does it affect? Where is the data coming from?

Q. How do you promote and foster creativity and initiative?
A. My approach has always been this – train new people to do the task the way it is currently being done. Give them a timeframe, it could be a few weeks or a few months. After that timeframe, inspire trust by allowing them to provide feedback on the process and suggest changes or improvements. The initial training stage is critical, however. If they try to change the process too soon without a full understanding, there is a risk of inaccuracies or missing information.

Also, if there is a new project or task that I am assigning to someone, and it is not urgent or critical, I will give them some autonomy to do it their way. I will provide as much information as possible, then ask if they want suggestions from me, or if they would like to go on their own. Some people like to have explicit instructions, but some really love the freedom to learn new things and prove themselves.

Q. How can managers get younger people interested in accounting roles?
A. Start them young! Invite some Gen-Zees into the accounting world. Start an internship program (paid, of course!). Internships are a great place to start. Recruit from local high schools or colleges, even if they aren’t in an accounting program.

If your interns are willing to work and learn, give them a chance. Interns—both high school and college interns—can do almost anything – data entry, reporting, auditing, reconciliations. Let them have a taste of everything, so they get a well-rounded experience.

I have had wonderful experiences with interns. I had two college student interns come in around the same time, and they were extremely hard working, efficient, and accurate. They learned quickly and really got things done! When their time was up, one went back off to school, and the other loved our company so much she found an opportunity to intern in another department.

Not too long after that, a part time position opened up on my team and we snatched her right back. She has been with me for seven years and is now an excellent full-time employee!

Q. Do you have any advice for recruiters as well as applicants in this job market?
A. Network, network, network! Use LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, whatever you have. Find people with similar interests and career paths and see what they are up to. If you’re new to the job market, follow some companies you’d be interested in working for. If you’re established in your career, connect with recruiters. Don’t be afraid to take a chance. Even if you don’t have all the qualifications for a job, apply anyway. Hard skills are easy to teach. If you have the desire, willingness, and positive attitude to learn you can do anything!

And recruiters – remember – all generations have something to bring to the table. Don’t count them out because they are “too old” or “too young.”