I’ll never forget the first time I learned about Xennials. I finally found my place! Xennials are just like me.
Xennials don’t quite fit in with their older sibling, Generation Xers, and they didn’t make the digital-native group of Millennials.
Xennials are a microgeneration born between 1977 and 1985. Also called the Oregon Trail Generation, they had an Analog childhood and a digital adulthood. These cuspers between Generation X and Generation Y are distinct. They have a foot in both worlds.
Anna Garvey describes Xennials as having “both a healthy portion of Gen X grunge cynicism, and a dash of the unbridled optimism of Millennials.”
This quote from Maegan Carberry speaks to me, “It can’t be healthy to come of age in a shark tank, crowdfunding your rent money and swiping right for relationship material. What’s (a) Xennial to do but explain to our elders, the hipster curmudgeons who fund our startups, that we’re mentoring the young ’uns to the best of our ability? Can we even claim that kind of credibility anymore?”
What Shapes Xennials?
Tech required calling out this microgeneration. They came of age at a seismic tech shift, giving them a unique outlook on the world and a unique way of working.
In school, Xennials had to use card catalogs and do research in hard-copy books because websites weren’t “credible sources.” Xennials look down on teens who can’t read cursive, even though they don’t write handwritten letters themselves.
Xennials had computers in their homes by middle school, remember dial-up, and found themselves in chat rooms and anonymous forums. (As a teenager, I was talking with a random stranger in an online writers’ forum for months before my BFF encouraged me to call it quits. In hindsight, I’m grateful I listened.)
Like most Xennials, I’m grateful social media wasn’t a thing during my most awkward years (from 12 to 23). I did plenty of dumb stuff and made poor choices in my personal appearance. In my early twenties, I was on MySpace for about five minutes. The first time I joined Facebook, I needed an invitation.
Xennials are early adopters of technology but can also take a break from it. They’re more likely to put down their device at the dinner table and take tech-free breaks and vacations. They don’t have to sleep with their smartphone to keep their Snapchat streak alive.
Xennials benefited from economic advantages, with some even taking a year off before continuing their education after high school. They had more opportunity to consider what they really want to do, and they seek employment that they are passionate about.
The Value of Xennials at Work
Like the Cuspers between generations, Xennials are conduits, communicating with preceding and following generations with ease. They appreciate the advantages of both.
Xennials used landlines and had to actually speak to their friends’ parents. Xennials know how to speak to any generation on the phone or face-to-face. This generation didn’t get cell phones until their late teens or early 20s. (I got mine after my first car accident at 17. It was a Nokia. I got a cool reptile print case and a holographic eyeball for the screen.)
Communicating with Xennials
Xennials can’t stand being described as Millennials. The most insulting review I received after a speaking engagement was, “Just another millennial calling herself an entrepreneur.” Having already been in business for a decade, I certainly wasn’t “just calling myself an entrepreneur.” And the Millennial part? Part of the problem is how employers and the media have maligned Millennials. Also, we’re just not the same.
Xennials are net immigrants with a foot in a digital world and one in an analog world. Millennials are true digital natives. Xennials understand payphones, card catalogs, manila folders, floppy disks, index cards, etc. Xennials embrace the gig economy and freelancing almost as much as Millennials and Gen Z.
Xennials will not be talked down to. They expect inclusive communication, media, and language. They don’t want you to make assumptions about gender roles, relationships, or children.
Managing Xennials
Listen first. Understand where Xennials are in their life stage (more important than age). This will greatly affect what matters most to them at work.
Xennials were less affected by the 2008 recession than Millennials. Xennials were in low-paying entry-level jobs, and many employers kept them when they trimmed the fat from the top. Others started a side hustle and may still be carrying it out today. Xennials diversify to beat economic upsets. They’ve seen entire industries change overnight!
Millennials are more apt to jump into new technology with both feet than Xennials. Xennials are more likely to poke around, read reviews, and weigh the pros and cons. Millennials just download and try it out.
Want to Communicate Better Across Generations?
Xennials are only one piece of the multigenerational workplace. The challenge isn’t memorizing a list of characteristics for every generation. It’s understanding the experiences that may shape how people work and communicate—without reducing anyone to a stereotype.
I explore this more deeply in Flex Your Communication: 47 Tips for Every Day Success at Work. The book includes practical chapters on working and communicating with Traditionals, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Xennials, Millennials, and Gen Z, along with strategies for flexing your communication style to work better with the person in front of you.
