One says Thatcher, Vietnam and a career ladder attitude, the other a technological revolution, flexible working and a work-to-live approach. But how do these two measure up in the recruitment world and who will succeed the Baby Boomers?

‘Generation X’ spans those born between the mid 60’s Mod invasion to the early 80’s arrival of Adam and the Ants and are stereotyped as the ‘yes-sir’ nine to five workforce, that climbed the corporate ladder behind the Baby Boomers of post WWII.

Global Lead, one of the world’s largest consulting firms has suggested that by 2019 these ‘Xers’ will be running the show and shifting up the working dynamics of companies.

However, ‘Generation Y’, the offspring of the ‘Xers’ that grew up plugged in to the technological revolution and watching their parents climb the career ladder, follow a more flexible, unstructured path to the top.

As the more seasoned veterans in the industry, ‘Xers’ will no-doubt be taking the mantle from the Baby Boomers, but one thing we can also expect to see, is how company structure is going to change when they do.

Generation Y are a more flexible workforce that may not ‘graft’ as hard as their predecessors but never switch off, so are plugged into their work 24/7. This is something that the regimented hours of recruitment may consider catering for in the coming years, as remote working and Cloud software take over the workplace.

Also known as the ‘Millenials’ the Y Generation chase a better balance between work and living, dedicating a major part of their life to travel, which is a further factor that employers may want to consider – how best to facilitate and accommodate a workforce that intends to travel, whether that’s encouraging remote working or preparing for a more transient workforce.

As the new generations move in, the traditional hierarchical workplace is eroded and managers are no longer the omniscient voice in a company – they will need to buy-into collaborative decision making and listen to input from all levels.

If the dynamic between Generation X and Y is set to shake up the corporate structure, what will happen when the emergent Generation Z enter the stage in the next five years?