| Effective physician recruiting requires the professional | | | | authority. Gen X'ers and Gen Y'ers don't just want to |
| to understand different age groups, characteristics, and | | | | be on the receiving end of a message, but also want |
| values, as a means to successfully placing doctors in | | | | to interact with and help craft the message. Millenials, |
| the best role. The time period in which an individual | | | | more than any other cohort, receive communications |
| comes of age greatly impacts how an individual | | | | from diverse sources, and they appreciate |
| perceives work and how he or she will typically | | | | communication that makes them feel special. These |
| perform as an employee. A group of people reaching | | | | communication preferences can be used by the |
| adulthood at a particular time, called a group of cohorts, | | | | savvy communicator as a tool to reaching the |
| tend to have similar characteristics. By understanding a | | | | individual. |
| cohort's characteristics, a recruiter can more | | | | Each of these groups has assets that can be used to |
| effectively place an individual, and an employer can | | | | great advantage when recruiting; each group also has |
| manage the professional to the greatest benefit for | | | | challenges that can be overcome by savvy |
| both the company and the employee. | | | | approaches and perceptive managers. Learning to |
| Cohorts are bound together by the events and ideas | | | | identify the characteristics that an individual possesses, |
| that play out at the time they come of age. Major | | | | as part of their cohort group, can provide a recruiter |
| events such as wars, political happenings, technological | | | | with tremendous opportunities to coach a candidate |
| advances and philosophical and social changes affect | | | | and place him or her in the best position. The following |
| the group's perception of the world and lead to | | | | table offers a perspective on the strengths and |
| characteristic behaviors. Because the group of | | | | weaknesses of each cohort, as well as information on |
| individuals forms their values and beliefs as they | | | | how to work with them to the best advantage. |
| mature, the significant events of the day have a huge | | | | Cohort Group - Baby Boomer |
| impact on the group's value sets, which tend to remain | | | | Assets |
| with the group for a lifetime. Interestingly, these value | | | | - Career oriented |
| sets are not generally impacted by other major | | | | - Driven |
| factors, such as race, class, and gender. | | | | - Want to please |
| Cohorts and generations are two different concepts, | | | | - Experienced |
| though the names of these groups are often | | | | Challenges |
| interchangeable. While cohorts refer to the time that a | | | | - Not naturally "budget-minded" |
| group comes of age, a generation refers to the time in | | | | - Overly sensitive to feedback |
| which a group was born, usually a 20-22 year period. It | | | | - Judgmental |
| is important to note that no general statement can | | | | - Self-Centered |
| apply to all members of a group, but rather describe | | | | Motivators |
| characteristics that are commonly found within the | | | | - Personal appeal |
| group. The cohort groups of the last 100 years include | | | | - Public recognition |
| the following: | | | | - Name recognition |
| - Depression | | | | - Reward hours and effort |
| - World War II | | | | - Coach with sensitivity |
| - Post-War | | | | - Value experience |
| - Baby Boomers | | | | Cohort Group - Gen X'er |
| - Generation X | | | | Assets |
| - N Gen or Generation Y | | | | - Goal oriented |
| - Millenials | | | | - Adaptable |
| To illustrate a cohort group, many of us might | | | | - Technologically savvy |
| remember members of the Depression Era, a cohort | | | | - Independent |
| group born between 1912-1921, who came of age | | | | - Unintimidated by authority |
| during the Great Depression. If you remember a cohort | | | | - Creative |
| from this group, it is likely that you remember the | | | | - Pragmatic |
| person was thrifty to an extreme, perhaps stockpiling | | | | Challenges |
| food, making do without luxuries, and focusing on | | | | - Cynical |
| financial security. Their experiences during times of | | | | - Focused on work/life balance |
| great economic stress changed them permanently. | | | | - Can be overly casual |
| The Baby Boomers are the oldest cohort of workers | | | | - Less company loyalty |
| currently recruited and employed on a large scale. | | | | Motivators |
| They came of age between 1963 to 1983, | | | | - Self-development |
| experiencing significant events such as the Kennedy | | | | - Opportunities for advancement |
| assassinations, the Moon landings, the Vietnam War, | | | | - A fun, relaxed atmosphere |
| the Civil Rights and Women's Lib movements. These | | | | - Hands-off supervision |
| circumstances led to a highly-educated group of | | | | - Good technology |
| people who are idealistic workaholics, who tend to put | | | | - A family environment |
| career before family, who can be very individualistic | | | | Cohort Group - N Gen |
| and self-focused, and who feel both a responsibility | | | | Assets |
| and a sense of accomplishment in changing the world. | | | | - Team oriented |
| This group is the largest cohort population in the United | | | | - Optimistic |
| States, and they have driven lifestyle trends ever since | | | | - Tenacious |
| their conception. The majority of Boomers will reach | | | | - Technologically savvy |
| retirement age within the next ten years. | | | | Challenges |
| The Generation X group matured between 1984 and | | | | - Less sense of absolute right and wrong |
| 1994, and comprises 22% of the population. This | | | | - Impatient |
| cohort was marked as the largest generation of | | | | - Overly focused on individualism |
| children of divorce, who often grew up as latch-key | | | | Motivators |
| kids. Defining events included recessions, the energy | | | | - Self-designated work teams |
| crisis, nuclear and environmental disasters such as | | | | - Flexible work hours |
| Three Mile Island, the Gulf War, and the leading edge | | | | - Virtual work teams |
| of the Information Age. This group has little hope of | | | | - Reverse mentoring programs |
| attaining the lifestyle of their parents, and view idealism | | | | - Show opportunities for advancement |
| with suspicion. The defining events in their lives have | | | | - Straightforward feedback |
| produced a cohort that is pragmatic, self-reliant, | | | | Cohort Group - Millennial |
| informal, casual, and technologically savvy. They tend | | | | Assets |
| to build a sense of family among friends and look for | | | | - Service oriented |
| balance in their lives. Though this group has often been | | | | - Multitasking |
| called a generation of "slackers", the U.S. Census | | | | - Technologically savvy |
| Bureau reports that, in fact, they work almost 4 hours | | | | - Positive attitude |
| per week more than the average. | | | | - Collaborative |
| N-Gen or Generation Y cohorts are those who came | | | | Challenges |
| of age between 1995-2005. The events that shaped | | | | - Distaste for menial work |
| this group include the Internet, terrorism acts such as | | | | - Have few skills to deal with difficult people |
| the Oklahoma City bombing and the September 11 | | | | - Impatient |
| attacks, diversity initiatives, social changes such as the | | | | - Inexperienced |
| fall of Communism, the release of freedom fighters | | | | - Overconfident |
| such as Nelson Mandela, and the AIDS epidemic. This | | | | Motivators |
| group has characteristics that are polar opposite to | | | | - Exceptional teamwork |
| Generation X; they tend to be positive, idealistic team | | | | - Continual stimulation and challenge |
| players who place great value on diversity and civic | | | | - A structured environment |
| duty. | | | | - Honesty |
| The Millenials came of age after 2005, in a world of | | | | - Ability to provide input |
| increasing respect for diversity, leaving no one behind, | | | | Knowing the best ways to motivate, communicate, |
| pervasive technology, continual terrorism attacks, and | | | | and work with each of these groups can impact the |
| a high sense of achievement and their own worth. For | | | | satisfactory placement, work behavior, and job |
| Millenials, multi-tasking is a way of life and staying | | | | satisfaction for each individual. The motivating factors |
| connected 24x7 through the Internet, text messaging, | | | | for a cohort can mean the difference between an |
| instant messaging, cell phones, and email are of high | | | | engaged, hard-working workforce and one that |
| value. Because technology can alter reality in many | | | | performs poorly. A recruiter should identify each |
| ways, this group no longer depends on a sense of | | | | candidate's cohort group and then determine how to |
| absolute reality. | | | | communicate opportunities to the individual. By focusing |
| Knowing how to communicate to each cohort group is | | | | on a candidate's motivating factors, a recruiter has the |
| a skill worth developing. For example, Baby Boomers | | | | greatest likelihood of placement in a mutually satisfying |
| appreciate organized, detailed information, and a tactful | | | | position. |
| communication style that recognizes the individual's | | | | |