City halls and county offices across California are buzzing with a unique energy these days. It’s not just the hum of service delivery or the rush to meet community needs—it’s the sound of five generations working side by side. Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and now Gen Z all share the same mission: to serve the public good. But their approaches, expectations, and communication styles couldn’t be more different.

This diversity of age and experience is both a challenge and a competitive advantage. If local governments learn to harness it, they can build teams that are not only more innovative and resilient but also more representative of the communities they serve. As RGS Executive Director Sophia Selivanoff and Deputy Executive Director Rich Oppenheim emphasized in their presentation, “Strategies for Supporting a Multi-Generational Workforce,” with the Institute for Local Government, understanding and supporting a multi-generational workforce is essential to sustaining effective public service in California.

Beyond Age Stereotypes

Too often, the conversation about generational differences is reduced to caricatures: Boomers resist change, Millennials need praise, Gen Z won’t put down their phones.

Dr. Bob McCann of the UCLA Anderson School of Management noted in a recent Faster Smarter podcast interview, “we have four, five, maybe even six generations in the workplace at the same time… there’s a tremendous opportunity if we can maximize our intergenerational engagement.”

Sophia and Rich echoed this; these assumptions obscure the more profound truth—most workplace behaviors stem from life stages, not labels. The RGS presentation encouraged local leaders to overcome generational myths by recognizing the complex mix of period, life-cycle, and cohort effects that shape workplace attitudes. Generational framing, they noted, can be misleading; people across different generations often have more in common than we assume.

Institutional memory, procedural expertise, and community relationships—often held by long-tenured staff—are invaluable. Similarly, the digital fluency, adaptability, and hunger for purpose that younger workers bring are transformative. The key is not managing one generation over another, but cultivating cross-generational collaboration grounded in mutual respect and shared goals.

What the Next Generation Wants—and Why It Matters

According to Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, younger professionals prioritize purpose, flexibility, and well-being over hierarchy and titles. Only six percent of Gen Z respondents say reaching a leadership position is their top goal; far more are focused on growth, balance, and meaningful work.

As RGS workforce data shows, California’s local government workforce skews older than the broader labor market. Many younger professionals still see public sector roles as rigid or overly bureaucratic. Rich’s point was that closing this perception gap starts with making purpose more visible—clearly connecting each role to community well-being—and with evolving workplace culture to better match today’s expectations around autonomy, learning, and collaboration.

For local governments, this is a golden opportunity. Public service has always been purpose-driven—it’s about improving communities and building trust. Agencies that highlight that mission while embracing flexibility and professional development can attract and retain the next generation of leaders.

Turning Generational Gaps into Generational Bridges

Local government leaders can take tangible steps now to turn demographic differences into organizational strength. These strategies help bridge the gap:

• Create two-way mentoring programs. Pair veteran employees with newer staff for reciprocal learning—let institutional knowledge flow one way and digital savvy the other.
• Promote psychological safety. Build cultures where staff at all levels can share ideas and raise concerns without fear.
• Design inclusive communication practices. Meet people where they are—some prefer in-person dialogue, others digital collaboration. Multiple channels ensure everyone is heard.
• Invest in flexible career paths. Not everyone defines success the same way. Offer options for leadership, specialization, or innovation to meet employees where they are in life and career.
• Make training accessible to all. Avoid assumptions that older staff don’t need technology training or that younger staff already understand policy context. Everyone benefits from learning.

When agencies build systems that encourage genuine intergenerational exchange, they do more than retain employees—they cultivate resilience. A workforce that learns from itself adapts faster to change.

Why This Matters Now

California’s local governments face an unprecedented convergence of challenges: accelerating retirements, evolving community needs, and the rapid digitization of services. Losing institutional knowledge without structures to pass it on would be devastating. At the same time, younger generations are redefining what work looks like—and they’re watching how public employers respond.

As Sophia and Rich observed, multi-generational collaboration isn’t a side project—it’s a strategic imperative. Agencies that invest intentionally in generational inclusion will have an edge. They’ll retain hard-earned expertise while inviting innovation. They will bridge continuity with change. And most importantly, they’ll embody the diversity of experience that makes public institutions reflective of the communities they serve.

A Call to Lead Differently

The most successful local governments of the next decade will be those that see their age diversity not as a liability, but as a superpower. Leaders must model curiosity across generations, champion continuous learning, and create environments where everyone—regardless of their birth year—feels valued and heard.

It’s time for local government to move from stereotypes to synergy. By doing so, we not only future-proof our agencies but also reaffirm the core promise of public service: that when we bring all voices to the table, our communities thrive.

References
Selivanoff, S., & Oppenheim, R. (2023). Strategies for Supporting a Multi-Generational Workforce. Institute for Local Government.

McCann, B. (2024). From Stereotypes to Synergy: Communicating Across Generations. Faster Smarter Podcast. https://www.fastersmarter.io/176-from-stereotypes-to-synergy-communicating-across-generations/

Deloitte Global. (2025). The Deloitte 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey. https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/work/genz-millennial-survey.html