Salt Lake City, UT – June 16, 2026 – Today, O.C. Tanner, the global leader in employee recognition solutions, released its first annual State of Generations at Work Report. The report findings reveal how organizations can move beyond generational stereotypes to create stronger collaboration, greater innovation, and healthier workplace cultures.
Based on data gathered from over 5,700 employees across 17 countries, the report explores how organizations can navigate the realities of a multigenerational workforce and turn generational differences into a competitive advantage. The findings show organizations that create stronger connections across generations build more inclusive, resilient, and high-performing cultures with better business outcomes.
“Organizations should view generational differences as a tremendous opportunity, not a challenge,” said Mindi Cox, Chief People and Marketing Officer of O.C. Tanner. “When leaders understand more about the experiences and expectations that shape their employees' perceptions and attitudes, they can create greater alignment for their people and encourage more meaningful collaboration.”
The report introduces the concept of “generational contracts,” highlighting how each generation has developed distinct expectations around work based on the economic, cultural, and workplace conditions they entered into. These contracts continue to shape how employees communicate, collaborate, and engage at work today, while influencing how they approach wellbeing, recognition, and emerging technologies like AI. Key findings from the report include:
- Generational synergy strengthens workplace culture and performance: Employees who experience strong generational synergy are 9x more likely to report great work happening, 6x more likely to recommend their organization as a great place to work, and 4x more likely to experience inclusion.
- Every generation brings unique strengths to the workplace: Baby Boomers value security and stability, Gen X prioritizes autonomy and flexibility, Millennials seek purpose and alignment, and Gen Z craves community and growth. When organizations support the wellbeing priorities of every generation, employees are 13x more likely to experience generational synergy.
- AI is reducing reliance on human expertise: Nearly half (44%) of employees say organizational encouragement to use AI has made them seek out human subject matter experts less. Employees who experience generational synergy, however, are 3x more likely to seek expertise from other generations.
- Cross-generational collaboration delivers measurable business results: Organizations with strong generational synergy see improved odds of innovation (8x), customer satisfaction (10x), organizational growth (10x), adaptability to change (11x), and high levels of trust (12x).
"Only 26 percent of employees experience real generational synergy at work, and that should get every leader's attention," said Dr. Alexander Lovell, Vice President of the O.C. Tanner Institute. "It means three out of four employees work somewhere that hasn't figured out how generations learn from one another. Organizations have spent years 'managing' generational difference. The future favors those who build with it."
The report also explores how generational synergy can improve employee wellbeing and help organizations navigate technological change, offering practical strategies to strengthen collaboration, accelerate knowledge sharing, and build inclusive recognition practices that create a greater sense of belonging across generations.
To learn how businesses can power high-performing teams through integrated recognition and to download the full report, please visit: https://www.octanner.com/state-of-generations-report/2026
About O.C. Tanner
O.C. Tanner is the global leader in software and services that improve workplace culture through meaningful employee recognition experiences. Our Culture Cloud employee recognition platform helps millions of people thrive at work. Our team of more than 1,600 programmers, researchers, designers, client professionals, and craftspeople hail from 58 countries and speak 62 languages. Together, we create the technology, tools, and awards that help our clients shape high performance environments, drive innovation, and fuel positive business results. Learn more at octanner.com.
Research Methodology
The O.C. Tanner Institute Research used multiple research methods to support the 2026 State of Generations Report, including focus group interviews and cross-sectional surveys. The qualitative findings are derived from 9 U.S.-based focus groups with employees, leaders, and HR professionals conducted in the winter of 2025. Employees represented a range of employers and industries (including both public and private firms).
The quantitative findings were derived from an online survey distributed in early 2026. The total sample size of 5,702 is comprised of employees working at organizations with 500+ employees in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
The O.C. Tanner Institute collected and analyzed all survey data. This sample is sufficient to generate meaningful conclusions about the cultures of organizations in the included countries. However, because the study does not include population data, results are subject to statistical errors customarily associated with sample-based information. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from the O.C. Tanner Institute.
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