“Geriatric Millennials” may just be the perfect employees and this is why

There is a new star employee in town who can just get us through this weird new normal of a hybrid work setup. They are called Geriatric Millennials and they may just be your new team leaders.

Geriatric Millennials: Know the term

First of all, what the heck is a Geriatric Millennial? If a weird Benjamin Button image is coming to mind, you are not alone.

A Millennial is a person part of the generation that was born between the years of 1981 and 1996 (ages 23 to 38 in 2019.) However, journalists, cultural pontificators, avocado toast enthusiasts, and outspoken members of Gen Z have been quick to point out that there are some major differences between Millennials born in the early ’80s compared to those born in the mid-90s.

As comedian Iliza Shlesinger who brilliantly came up with the term “Elder Millennial” (and named her notable Netflix special the same), this subset is a different breed than their younger counterparts, even if they share the same generation title.

The now 38-year-old said in her 2018 special, “Okay, so I am a millennial, but I am an elder! Elder millennial! Wizened. Sage. Yes, gather ’round the Snapchat, children. I’ll tell you the tale… of the landline. Hello, goodbye. When I was a young girl… I once sent a text message from a Sidekick. I remember when Skechers were invented. They were ugly then. And they’re ugly now. In high school… we danced to a band called Sugar Ray.”

As seen in Schlesinger’s diatribe, most of the differences have to do with really important things like fashion, phones, if you use the word video still to describe a movie, and hair parting preferences. But in a recent viral article for Medium, author Erica Dhawan brought careers into it.

Dhawan, the person responsible for coining the term, put a lofty responsibility on the frail shoulders of this generation subset. She dared to declare, “Why the Hybrid Workforce of the Future Depends on the ‘Geriatric Millennial.'”

She believes that in the workplace, especially as many companies transition into hybrid work models, the Geriatric Millennials will pave the way. She wrote, “For organizations that are divided across generational divides between baby boomers and Gen Z, it’s beneficial to call on your geriatric millennials to help you translate the experiences of both digital adapters (baby boomers) and digital natives (Gen Z). It not only makes for a better internal culture but a happier clientele.”

In the article, she specifically identifies what makes Geriatric Millennials perfect workplace leaders because of the following talents:

They are able to guide two different generations to make one strong, collaborative team

Geriatric Millennials are essentially hybrids of two different time periods. They grew up in the late 80s/early 90s which means they remember dial-up internet, landlines, CDs and not having cell phones. But they are also very used to the technology of today (well, maybe not TikTok.)

This means they can help tech-savvy Gen Z learn to be professional and they can help the rustier Baby Boomers with their technology hurdles. They are the perfect go-between.

This also goes for office communication and etiquette. They can help Gen Z who may be great with all modes of technology but has no idea about professional wardrobes or respect. Conversely, they may be able to help Baby Boomers and even Gen X realize that not all communication needs to be so formal and can just be a quick Slack message instead of an email.

They are good at keeping up with the trends, especially with technology

Because GMs were exposed to both old school technology and the technology of today they have to become quick at adapting. This makes them ideal for being able to get along with the digitally native Gen Zers but also have patience for Baby Boomers as they get inundated with new technology.

Basically, Geriatric Millennials are able to not only get along with the generations that surround them but also guide them to a better place. They can straddle both worlds because in a way they have always had to as their entire young adulthood was full of transition.

Not everyone is thrilled to be a Geriatric Millennial

As you can imagine though, some of the reactions to the label on social media were not so enthusiastic as we are such an ageist society. Even though it is a compliment to this group’s skill set, the reactions were negative (perhaps they were cranky because they were late for the early bird special at Denny’s) though quite funny as well. Here are some of the best ones: