For all that is written and discussed about the different attitudes of those from different generations in the workplace, a report from talent analytics firm SHL suggests that loyalty to an employer is the area in which the strongest trends exist.

SHL’s talent report ‘Big Data Insight and Analysis of the Global Workforce’, given to Recruiter ahead of its general release later this month, reads: “Where the broader research data is more consistent is in showing a general trend towards declining employer loyalty from generation to generation: 65% of Boomers would consider staying with an organisation throughout their working lives in contrast to 40% of Gen-Xers and only 20% of Millennials.”

Despite a lack of conclusiveness as to the definite existence of certain generational differences, SHL finds six ‘motivations’ that should be considered in order to engage a multi-generational workforce. They are: power, competition, autonomy, progression, personal principles and personal growth.

Speaking to Recruiter, report co-author Eugene Burke, chief science and talent analytics officer at SHL, says it is hard to tell whether such generational differences are an inherent product of individuals being born in and living through a certain period of history, or merely a reflection of the amount of time they have spent in the labour market.

The same chapter of the report also looks into the gender gap in senior leadership, concluding that for both genders, and for the health of company leadership, “an organisational shift from a culture framed by fear of failure to one founded on recognition” would be of benefit.

The chapter concludes: “It’s not really about gender and generations… it’s about the best person for the job and having managers who know how to leverage differences effectively.”