Management of Employees from Different Generations - Challenge for Bulgarian Managers and HR Professionals

People from at least three generations, sometimes even four, work in the modern organizations. They have different expectations, ambitions and approach to work and this puts managers and HR professionals in a difficult situation. The article is divided into two main parts. The first part attempts to characterize the different generations of employees on the basis of literature review and survey results arrived at by US and European researchers. In the second part of the article are presented results from a study conducted by the author on basic characteristics, values, preferences and work habits of Bulgarian officers from three generations - Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. Survey findings cannot be generalized as inherent to all Bulgarian representatives of the three generations, because the study does not claim to be representative. The purpose of the research carried out by the author is to outline the profile and professional preferences of different generations of surveyed employees and to identify the challenges Bulgarian managers and HR professionals face in managing and communicating with people of different generations in the workplace.