The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week

When it comes to working in the tech industry, Gen X may be over it.

According to a new study by the experience management firm Qualtrics, only 37% of U.S. Gen X workers aspire to work for a big-name tech company. This pales in comparison to their younger cohorts, with 60% of Millennials and 60% of Gen Zers saying they’d like to work for a recognizable company in the tech industry.

Gen X tech workers may also be feeling less than inspired. In an article summarizing the study’s results, Fast Company writes: “When asked if their company’s ‘mission and values are more motivating than they were prepandemic,’ 56% of Millennials said yes as did 47% of Gen Z. But just 38% of Gen X workers agreed with the statement.”

And what can we make of these results? One industry expert thinks Gen X may be showing all the signs of your classic midlife crisis. “As the industry and economy continue to shift, tech company leaders must renegotiate their relationship with employees,” Benjamin Granger, Qualtrics’s chief workplace psychologist, told Fast Company. “Call it a ‘midlife crisis’ for tech companies or just one more change brought on by the pandemic years, but there’s clearly a shift in sentiment, especially among the older, more tenured employees.”

To learn more about the study’s results and what’s changing Gen X workers’ perception of tech, be sure to check out the top spot on our list below of must-read articles for talent professionals. And further down our list, you can also learn why reskilling is increasingly important in the age of AI; why employers shouldn’t turn a blind eye to climate change and extreme weather events; and why many workers are prioritizing themselves over company loyalty.