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Generations FAQ: your questions on the generations answered

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This FAQ answers the questions people most often ask about the generations, from which years define Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha to how many generations are in the UK workplace and why younger people avoid phone calls. Answers draw on our 2024 UK survey of 4,067 people and our 2023 study of British HR managers, and cover Alastair Greener's book, podcast and speaking.

These are the questions people most often ask us about the generations, at work, at home and about Alastair himself. Every answer with a number in it comes from our two UK studies, and every one is short enough to quote.

The generations and their years

What are the generations?

Seven generations are commonly named today: the Silent Generation (born 1928 to 1945), Baby Boomers (1946 to 1964), Generation X (1965 to 1980), Millennials, also called Gen Y (1981 to 1996), Generation Z (1997 to 2012), Generation Alpha (2013 to 2024) and Generation Beta (2025 onwards). A generation is a group of people born in the same period who share formative experiences and, increasingly, the same first technology. Our guide to the generations covers each one in detail.

What years is each generation born?

Silent Generation 1928 to 1945, Baby Boomers 1946 to 1964, Generation X 1965 to 1980, Millennials 1981 to 1996, Generation Z 1997 to 2012, Generation Alpha 2013 to 2024 and Generation Beta 2025 onwards. These are the Pew Research Center cut-offs, which the age bands in our 2024 survey line up with. Other sources differ by a year or two at the edges, particularly for Generation Alpha, which some start in 2010. Treat the boundaries as conventions rather than facts.

What generation am I?

Find your birth year in the list above. Born in 1958, you are a Baby Boomer; in 1975, Generation X; in 1990, a Millennial; in 2000, Generation Z; in 2015, Generation Alpha. In 2026 the Silent Generation are aged 81 to 98, Baby Boomers 62 to 80, Gen X 46 to 61, Millennials 30 to 45, Gen Z 14 to 29, Gen Alpha 2 to 13 and Gen Beta 0 to 1. Born within a year or two of a boundary, you are a cusper.

What is a cusper?

A cusper is someone born within a year or two of the boundary between two generations, such as 1996 or 1997 (Millennial and Gen Z) or 1980 and 1981 (Gen X and Millennial). Cuspers often identify with both groups and make good translators between them. Several podcast guests describe themselves this way, including Gillian White, a self-described Gen X cusper, and Victoria Rennoldson, a cusp Millennial. People born around the Gen X and Millennial boundary sometimes call themselves Xennials.

How many generations are alive today?

Eight, if you count the Greatest Generation, born before 1928. Alastair's book opens on the point that for the first time in history eight generations are alive at the same time: the Greatest Generation, the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z, Generation Alpha and Generation Beta. Four of them work side by side in most organisations. The podcast has had guests aged from 15 to 90, which spans five of the eight.

What comes after Generation Alpha?

Generation Beta, born from 2025 onwards. The oldest are aged one in 2026, so nothing reliable can yet be said about how they will communicate, except that they are the first generation for whom AI assistants will be ordinary from birth. Podcast guest Kristine Long, a senior leader at IBM, is mother to one of the first Gen Beta babies and discussed what that means. See our Generation Beta guide.

Generations at work

How many generations are in the workplace?

Five in principle: the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z. In practice most organisations have four, because 95% of Silent Generation respondents to our 2024 survey were retired, as were 68% of Baby Boomers. Generation X (56% full time) and Millennials (65% full time) are the most fully employed, and Millennials are the most likely to manage other people (48%). Our guide to managing five generations in the workplace has the detail.

What are the biggest challenges of a multigenerational workforce?

Communication, according to both our studies. 66% of British HR managers in our Generations in the Workplace Study 2023 said communication between generations poses challenges for business efficiency, and 75% of workers in our 2024 survey said behaviour at work varies with age, naming communication style (51%) as the main difference, ahead of work ethic (43%). HR managers also see age differences in expectations of working hours (55%). Only 6% call age friction a major challenge.

Do Gen Z want to work in the office?

More than the headlines suggest. 55% of 22 to 27 year olds who work from home say they are more productive at work, the highest of any group, and 18 to 21 year olds split evenly (45% home, 45% work). Only 34% of 18 to 21 year old workers ever work from home, against 56% of 22 to 27 year olds. What Gen Z resist is a rule with no reason. See Why won't Gen Z work in the office?

How often does Gen Z want feedback?

45% of Gen Z workers want feedback on their performance at least weekly: 15% as often as possible, 8% daily and 22% weekly. Millennials come next, with 18% wanting it weekly. By contrast 17% of Baby Boomers want it once a year and 6% never. Across all workers, 41% get feedback less often than they would like and 19% get it more often. The practical answer is to ask each person and put it in the diary, rather than set a cadence by age.

Are Baby Boomers bad with technology?

No. 89% of Baby Boomers in our 2024 survey use a smartphone to communicate, 98% send emails (the same proportion as Gen X), 72% use WhatsApp and 96% send text messages. Where they lag is in the newest tools: 13% have used an AI platform such as ChatGPT, against 59% of Gen Z. Among people who use video calls for work, 40% of Baby Boomers do so a lot and like it, more than any younger group.

What is reverse mentoring?

Reverse mentoring pairs a junior colleague with a senior one so that learning flows both ways. The senior person gains first-hand insight into how younger colleagues and customers communicate and use technology; the junior person learns how the organisation really works. It is one of the nine practices in our multigenerational workplace guide. It works best with a fixed schedule and an agreed purpose, otherwise it drifts into an occasional coffee.

When will Generation Alpha enter the workforce?

From about 2029. Generation Alpha were born between 2013 and 2024, so the oldest turn 16 in 2029, 18 in 2031 and finish a three-year degree around 2034. Our 2024 survey already shows what they will bring: 72% communicate with friends through online games, 49% use emojis or stickers all the time, 72% leave voice notes and 62% never send an email. Emily Haslam-Jones discussed raising Gen Alpha on the podcast.

Communication

Why do younger people avoid phone calls?

Because a call demands an instant, unrehearsed answer and a message does not. 32% of Gen Z like talking on the phone and do it a lot, against 62% of the Silent Generation; 26% of Gen Z only phone if they have to and 5% hate it. In our survey's open comments, younger respondents described phone calls as stressful and messaging as giving them time to process a reply. See Don't phone, I won't answer.

Is it OK to send a voice note?

Usually, and increasingly. 64% of all respondents to our 2024 survey have left a voice note: 85% of Gen Z, 75% of Millennials and 72% of Gen Alpha, but only 56% of Gen X, 45% of Baby Boomers and 40% of the Silent Generation. If a call goes unanswered, 53% of Gen Z send a message rather than leave a voicemail. At work, only 6% of workers prefer voice notes, so ask colleagues first.

Which generations use WhatsApp?

All of them. 80% of respondents to our 2024 survey use WhatsApp: 91% of Millennials, 87% of Gen Z, 80% of Gen X, 72% of Baby Boomers, 61% of the Silent Generation and 60% of Gen Alpha aged 8 to 12. It is the most common way to contact friends and family for every generation except the Silent Generation, who phone (47%). Younger generations add other apps on top: 74% of Gen Z use Instagram to communicate, 66% Snapchat and 61% TikTok.

Do older people use emojis?

Less often, but most do. 50% of Baby Boomers use emojis or stickers sometimes and 13% all the time; 14% never do. Among the Silent Generation, 42% use them sometimes, 6% all the time and 26% never. Compare Gen Alpha (49% all the time) and Gen Z (43%). Emojis carry the tone that plain text loses, which is why younger generations lean on them; an older reader may find a message full of them hard to read.

Why does punctuation cause arguments between generations?

Because the same mark means different things to different readers. For anyone who learned to write on paper, a full stop simply ends a sentence. For anyone who learned to write in chat, where each message is its own sentence, a full stop is an added choice, and it reads as cold or annoyed. The ellipsis has the opposite history: older writers use it to soften, younger readers see foreboding. See Is it OK to use an ellipsis? and our generational communication guide.

Are generational differences real?

Are generational differences real?

Yes as tendencies, no as rules. 75% of UK workers in our 2024 survey say the way people think and behave at work varies with age, and that figure is nearly identical whatever the respondent's own age (73% to 77%). The measured differences are real: 85% of Gen Z leave voice notes against 45% of Baby Boomers. But every generation contains a full spread of people. We are framed by our generation, not defined by it.

Are generational stereotypes true?

Mostly not, when tested against data. Lazy Gen Z: 81% of 18 to 21 year old workers are ambitious to move up. Out-of-touch Baby Boomers: 98% send emails, the same as Gen X. Antisocial young people: 79% of Gen Z are interested to find out what others think, the highest of any generation. Where a stereotype has a kernel of truth, it is usually about channel rather than character. Gillian White's episode Don't box me in takes this on.

Is it ageist to talk about generations?

It can be, if generation is used as a label to explain away an individual. It is not, if generation is used as a lens to understand the defaults someone grew up with. The test is direction: generational insight should make you more curious about a person, not less. Generation bashing in either direction, "OK Boomer" or "snowflake", fails that test. Alastair's five principles, curiosity, listening, non-judgement, avoiding comparison and accepting difference, exist to stop the lens becoming a label.

About Alastair, the book, the podcast and the research

Who is Alastair Greener?

Alastair Greener FPSA is a UK generational communication expert, keynote speaker, consultant, author and podcast host, and President of the Professional Speaking Association UK and Ireland for 2026. Over more than 30 years in communication he has been a trained actor, a Cruise Director for Princess Cruises and Cunard leading teams of 90 to 100 people, and a business journalist with more than 500 business leader interviews. He is quoted in Psychology Today and People Management. Read his full story.

What is the book Generationally Speaking about?

Generationally Speaking: How to Bridge the Generation Gap and Communicate with Confidence (Right Book Press, 3 November 2025) explains how each generation communicates and how to work, lead and live alongside people who grew up with different tools. It draws on Alastair's own UK research, cultural touchpoints and his podcast conversations, and argues that a multigenerational world is an asset rather than an obstacle. It was a finalist in the Business Book Awards 2026. See the book page.

Where can I buy the book?

From Waterstones, Amazon and other booksellers in paperback and ebook, or as a signed copy direct from us through the book page. The paperback ISBN is 9781915483942. £1 from every physical copy goes to the Generationally Speaking Foundation, which supports children's charities; you can read more on the Foundation page. For bulk orders for a conference or a team, email info@generationallyspeaking.co.uk.

What is the Generationally Speaking podcast?

Alastair Greener Generationally Speaking is a fortnightly podcast of conversations about generational communication, with 44 episodes so far and guests aged from 15 to 90. Guests have included a 90-year-old inventor, a 15-year-old founder of a political party, HR consultants, neuroscientists, psychologists, negotiators and Gen Z workers just entering the workplace. Episodes run around half an hour and are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube. Browse all episodes and past guests.

How can I be a guest on the podcast?

Email info@generationallyspeaking.co.uk with a few lines about who you are, which generation you belong to and the perspective you would bring. We look for guests of every age with a lived or professional angle on how the generations communicate, whether at work, at home, in education or in public life. Previous guests range from students and young entrepreneurs to retirement coaches and a 90-year-old inventor, so you do not need to be famous, only interesting and honest.

What research has Generationally Speaking published?

Two original UK studies. The Generations in the Workplace Study 2023 surveyed British HR managers in July 2023, conducted by Present Yourself Ltd in association with research consultant Kate Thompson and the survey company Dynata; respondents were not told it was about generations. Communication Habits and Preferences 2024 surveyed 4,067 people aged 8 to over 78 between July and September 2024, with quotas by age band. Both are summarised on the research hub, with headline UK generations statistics.

Can I use the research in my own work?

Yes, with attribution and a link. Cite the study by name (Generations in the Workplace Study 2023 or Communication Habits and Preferences 2024), credit Generationally Speaking or Alastair Greener, and link to the research hub or the relevant results page. Please quote figures exactly as published rather than rounding them. If you need a chart, a quote or the underlying detail for an article or presentation, email info@generationallyspeaking.co.uk and we will help.

How do I book Alastair to speak?

Email info@generationallyspeaking.co.uk, call +44 (0) 203 633 1790 or use the contact page. Tell us the date, location, audience and format (keynote, workshop, panel, MC or consultancy) and we will come back with availability and a proposal. Keynote topics are on the speaking page, and workshops and consultancy on the consulting page. Every talk is built on UK data from our own research rather than borrowed American statistics.

What does a keynote cost?

It depends on the format, length, audience and location, so we quote each booking individually. A 45-minute conference keynote, a half-day workshop for a leadership team and a virtual session are priced differently, and travel is factored in. Send the details through the contact page and you will get a clear figure quickly, with no obligation. If you are comparing speakers, ask what research each one is drawing on; ours is on the research hub for anyone to check.

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