It may be hard to believe, but members of Generation X, loosely defined as those who were born between the early 1960s and the late 1970s, are in their 40s now.

Yes, the generation that brought you grunge music, flannel and the term “slacker,” have now been in the workforce nearly 20 years.

As with every generation, there are specific traits that Gen Xers carry with them. Developing their talents and abilities might require a different approach than you use for Millennials or Gen Z, which is just beginning to enter the workforce.

Here are some tips for training members of Generation X to act as agents in your contact center.

Realize that they take their career advancement seriously.

Keep in mind that Generation X experienced one of the biggest recessions in recent history, and by extension one of the toughest job markets. Because of these factors, Gen Xers can be somewhat frustrated by their lack of progression (real or imagined) in their professional lives.

These are things you may have to be prepared for when it comes to prospective employees from Generation X.

They appreciate one-on-one time with supervisors.

Rather than being regarded as one of a mass of people, members of Generation X tend to prefer one-on-one management or coaching. Person-to-person feedback is essential, and it might help to remember as many details about an employee’s strengths and weaknesses as possible.

Of course, this approach should work well with any employee, but it could prove especially beneficial with this specific demographic.

Allow them to advance by taking on more responsibilities.

Even if your employees aren’t in a position to advance at a certain time, or to increase their salaries, giving them more responsibilities can be a key way to encourage them.

Let them lead teams in certain situations, or allow them to take the lead on reports or initiatives within the contact center, and you can help your Gen X employees feel invested in your company.

Be willing to improvise

When problems arise at your contact center, you’ll do better with your Gen X employees if you’re willing to entertain multiple solutions.

It’s often true that there’s more than one way to fix any given problem, and a sense of flexibility when it comes to finding answers can create a less rigid work environment, which can help a Gen Xer to thrive.

Stay true to your mission

Remember how we mentioned that Gen Xers value that sense of fairness? Sometimes, that can arise from situations they’ve experienced in the past, when they saw hypocrisy or inconsistency in a company.

Think about the practices and solutions you’re coming up with at your contact center. Do they match your mission statement? Are they in line with the policies you trained your employees in at the beginning?

The more you keep your actions in line with your company’s words, the happier a Gen X employee will tend to be. It creates a feeling of stability, which is also highly important to Gen Xers.

Offer feedback

You can create a sense of well-being in almost any employee by simply listening to them and addressing their concerns effectively.

But this can be an especially important tool when dealing with Gen Xers. Don’t forget, they can often feel as if they were ignored or left behind by the job market. This is a feeling you don’t want to foster at your contact center.

What are your employees trying to tell you about their work environment? Do they feel comfortable bringing things to your attention? What can you do to encourage them to do so?

Ultimately, listening to the feedback and opinions of your Gen X employees can be beneficial to you and them.

Want more tips on retaining contact center employees? Read our post “Top 4 Ways to Reduce Contact Center Turnover.”