The instruction manual employers are throwing in the trash
How Polish companies are willingly getting rid of Generation X
While media attention and HR departments focus on onboarding Gen Z, the foundation of the Polish economy remains in the shadows. According to data from Statistics Poland (GUS), Generation X currently accounts for 36.5% of all working people in Poland. They manage teams and maintain business continuity. OECD points out that this group holds a concentration of key expert knowledge. Despite this, in many companies people aged 45 to 59 are “invisible.”
– Eurostat data is unequivocal: Poland is losing mature employees faster than the EU average. Not because they want to leave, but because they are being systematically pushed out of the labor market. This is a short-sighted and very costly strategy. The gaps left by Gen X cannot simply be filled by younger generations. It is not only about the shrinking number of people of working age, but about something far more important. The value experienced employees bring to organizations. That cannot be “trained” in just a few weeks – explains Magda Pietkiewicz, labor market expert and creator of the Enpulse platform, a modern tool for companies that want to strengthen employee engagement.
In many organizations, Generation X is discussed in hushed tones, yet stereotypes about them remain strong. Harmful assumptions have circulated within companies for years, repeated as obvious truths – until they begin influencing decisions about promotions, development, and investment in people. These “corporate truths” about Generation X deserve verification today.
The generation of transformation: analog roots, digital fluency
In common perception, Gen X is an analog generation: raised during the communist era and nostalgically remembering a world without mobile phones. Yet they were the ones introducing the first computers into offices and setting up the first email accounts. Gen X can learn digital solutions. They do it differently from younger generations who grew up with smartphones in hand. But that does not mean less effectively – OECD data indicates that the competency gap between them and younger generations is steadily shrinking.
Digital competencies are linked to another unfair belief – an alleged resistance to change. In reality, fear of change affects all of us, regardless of birth date. Numerous studies confirm this – psychological literature clearly indicates that the key factor determining adaptability is not age, but individual traits and mindset. This means that representatives of Generation X can adapt to their environment just as effectively as their younger colleagues. It is worth emphasizing that people aged 45–59 often have greater experience in dealing with change. This is the generation that lived through systemic transformation, globalization, and several economic crises. Adapting to changing conditions is therefore a natural competence for them.
– The flexibility of Gen X was also confirmed during the pandemic, debunking the myth that they struggle with remote work. Quarantine made working from home a daily reality for millions of employees. In demanding conditions, people aged 45 to 59 often adapted best. While younger workers struggled in rented apartments and older ones with technological barriers, Gen X more often had stable housing conditions and greater professional autonomy. This helped them quickly organize the new reality and transition to remote work. Today, the hybrid model is a practical tool for Gen X to manage daily life. It allows them to “organize” professional and caregiving responsibilities without giving up engagement at work – explains the expert.
The evolution of ambition: developing expertise instead of climbing the corporate ladder
According to Eurostat statistics, Gen X participates in training less frequently than other generations. However, this is not due to a lack of willingness to grow, but to prejudice. Companies assume that employees at this age have “already done their part,” and therefore stop investing in them. As a result, such individuals are deprived of development opportunities and fall behind their younger colleagues. This reinforces managers’ belief that Gen X does not want to or cannot learn. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Another issue is that most training programs do not address the needs of mature employees.
– We often misinterpret the attitude of Gen X as a lack of ambition. It has not disappeared – it has simply changed direction. For many people at this stage of their careers, climbing successive corporate levels is becoming less attractive. Instead, the need to deepen competencies and build expertise is growing. This is not a resignation from aspirations, but a natural evolution of needs resulting from professional maturity. Companies that fail to recognize this shift risk losing their most experienced specialists – people who are no longer looking for a nameplate on the door, but for space to do truly meaningful, valuable work – emphasizes Magda Pietkiewicz.
Natural mediators
Assessments of work style can also be unfair – the independence of Gen X is often mistaken for a lack of team spirit. In fact, they have spent years working in various teams and structures, learning to combine perspectives and reconcile different interests. Deloitte’s research on intergenerational collaboration shows that diversity of experience supports team effectiveness, and Generation X often naturally plays the role of a bridge between younger and older work styles. In practice, this means efficient teamwork in project groups, facilitating communication between departments, and building cooperation based on pragmatism rather than declarations. For many Gen X employees, collaboration is not a trendy slogan, but a daily competence developed over years.
– It is worth debunking the stereotype of a communication barrier. Life experience means that Generation X often understands younger generations best. Gen X remembers a world without the internet, like Baby Boomers, but works with Gen Z on Slack and Teams. They can talk to anyone – provided the other side is willing to listen. They possess a unique ability to build bridges, stemming directly from demographics. Their children are mostly members of Generation Z, which helps them better understand their motivations. In organizations, they serve as natural “translators” – decoding board expectations into language acceptable to younger talents. Without this mediation, multigenerational companies risk communication paralysis – warns the expert.
Tired of loyalty, yet motivated by everyday responsibility
It is often said that Generation X is professionally burned out – but burnout cannot be reduced to age. Research shows that it affects all generations, and in many analyses younger employees declare its symptoms more frequently than Gen X. This does not mean, however, that Gen X is not overloaded. This generation functions in the “middle” role: between professional pressure and caregiving responsibilities toward children and aging parents. Additionally, there is often a phenomenon known as loyalty fatigue. What from the outside looks like burnout may in fact be frustration resulting from lack of recognition and a sense of invisibility.
Contrary to appearances, members of this generation are not yet thinking about retirement. Gen X is not counting down the days at work, because many know that the benefits awaiting them after professional activity ends will simply be too low to live on comfortably. OECD predicts that future pensions may replace only around 30–40% of previous income, placing Poland among countries with lower replacement rates. Added to this is the daily reality of the “sandwich generation” – still financially supporting adult children while simultaneously helping aging parents. For many, work is not a lifestyle choice, but a necessity.
The corporate instruction manual
– The departure of Gen X from an organization can be compared to tearing out key pages from a mobile phone instruction manual – everything still works, but the knowledge of how to fix a malfunction not covered by procedures disappears – adds Magda Pietkiewicz. – For employers, this is the last call to ensure they are not unconsciously pushing their most experienced people to the margins. It is also high time to understand the expectations and needs of Gen X in the labor market. This is precisely the purpose of the GeeX study we initiated – to help companies wisely leverage the experience of this generation and build organizations resilient to future challenges – concludes the expert.
