seamlessly. As this relates to job security, millennials are most comfortable with “job hopping.” As a result of these generational perceptions, interaction between those holding to different work styles, values, trust and technological competence can be riddled with discord. For example, the referenced study reported that when it comes to “getting along” in the workplace with people of different generations, 55% of millennials, 51% of Gen-Xers and 49% of baby boomers stated that they would have difficulty getting along with those of the other generations. Interestingly enough, on average, 30% of all generations surveyed said that they were least likely to get along with someone from a different racial background, and 19% with members of the opposite sex. That might come as a surprise to most of us. Since the data confirms what we sort of felt intuitively, it forces the issue of how to best create an environment where resistances and suspicions can be ameliorated. Then there’s the notion of “loyalty.” Loyalty to one’s company is fast becoming a foreign concept. This may be a result of these younger folks witnessing their parents’ experience as companies became less and less loyal to their long-time workers. Loyalty, which once was a two-way street, may be considered a thing of the past. For example, in the worlds of high-tech, finance, marketing, big-time sales and similar fields, longevity has been replaced by “churn.” This is a calculated system that relies on high turnover in order to bring in the most highly ambi t ious , and frequently less expensive and younger personnel. It is no wonder that for so many millennials, the attitude is “I’ll get mine where I can, when I can, and if it isn’t going where I want it to, I’m ‘outa here’.” Gen-Xers are more caught in the net of having less choice, while baby boomers are close to being “on the way out” any way. Of course this is a “broad brush” construct. There are companies that care about their employees and do display significant loyalty. As a corollary, there are employees who have a similar attitude. However, if the data is to be trusted, this is less and less the case. If you work for a company that demonstrates its appreciation of the value you bring to the table consider yourself fortunate and don’t be so ready to jump ship. Women in the Workplace In that the research points to inherent “unaddressed” conflicts in the workplace (remember that 19% who felt they would have problems getting along with members of the opposite sex…) we might want to consider the dynamics surrounding gender issues, specifically those affecting women. Clearly women as a group are beginning to achieve some semblance of position and status (if not pay) equality. There is plenty of evidence to support the “FACT” that compensation still lags well behind men performing similar tasks. This holds true across the entire work spectrum, and applies at almost every functional level. There are some geographic exceptions, such as women working in oil field-related functions in Louisiana and Texas, where baseline wages are equal. This is the 110 • DEEP FOUNDATIONS • SEPT/OCT 2015 exception, not the rule. Research also indicates that it takes women longer to rise up the corporate ladder. To some extent, for those who take time off or delay entry into the workforce to accommodate the challenges associated with child rearing, this may be an understandable outcome. However, even given this phenomenon, it still just seems to take women more time. Some employment analysts suggest that perhaps in the long run this works in the interest of these women — while it may take longer to make one’s way up the rungs, the added time brings valuable experience that can render women to be higher performers once they penetrate the glass ceiling. Speaking of cracking that stratospheric boundary, according to the nonprofit women’s interest organization Catalyst (www.catalyst.org), women constitute approximately 50% of the American workforce. When it comes to the S&P’s Top 500 Companies, a 2014/2015 Catalyst research study reports that women make up 45% of the S&P’s workforce. However, of that number, only 4.6% are CEOs, 19.2% hold seats on the companies’ boards of directors, 25.1% are senior level officials and managers, with first and mid-level management personnel coming in at 36.8%. Closer to home, there has “…an overall picture begins to come into focus. Some economists are saying, ’welcome to the new normal,’ meaning that this is what we can expect for the foreseeable future.” long been concern raised about the limited number of women entering the field of civil engineering, much less civil construction. I recall partici- pating in an ASCE-sponsored workshop on this topic over 15 years ago. Things have changed somewhat since then, but not by much. To this end, DFI has launched a new initiative by forming the Women in Deep Foundations Technical Committee. The committee is chaired by Helen Robinson, P.E., who is executive editor of this publication and a senior engineer at Schnabel Engineering. She tells us that, “The goal of the committee is to foster greater success and interest of professional women in the industry by promoting networking events, endorsing outreach and building mentoring relationships.” The organization reports that, “DFI is also seeking corporate and individual sponsors to make tax-deductible contributions to the Women in Deep Foundations Fund to support the cause of retaining women in the deep foundations industry.” For more information on this most worthy activity visit www.dfitrust.org. Select “Donate,” then select “Women in Deep Foundation Fund,” from the “Donate To” drop-down box. So where does this leave us? Clearly generational and gender graphics are what they are, and the world of work in the early 21 century is markedly different than the preceding decades. We first have to acknowledge that there is an issue. Next, we must do our best to understand its depth and breath. Only then can we come up with action plans that seek to manage the changes that are occurring. As it relates to generational world views, I am reminded of a saying by Oscar Wilde, “The Old BELIEVE everything. The middle aged SUSPECT everything. The young KNOW everything,” This has never changed…. issues in the workplace warrant attention. Changing demo- st
