Many recruiters and employers are still trying to wrap their arms around Generation Y (or Millennials if you prefer) and their  unique look at the workplace.  Now, according to Workforce, recruiters may want to start bracing for the next generation in the workplace.

The article "Another Generation Rises: Looking Beyond the Millennials" states that there are a number of monikers used to refer to these individuals born in 1995 or after: Pluralists, Re-Generation, Generation Z, and Homelanders.  The youngest of this generation are just turning 18, and some are already making their way into the workforce.

Of course, with any new generation, experts have predicted some characteristics they think will come to define this generation:

• Environmentally conscious
• Fiscally conservative and willing to delay gratification
• More likely to rent than own
• Indifferent to technology - they grew up with it, so they aren't as obsessed with it as Millennials
• More likely to stay close to home due to the domestic and international turmoil they have witnessed (hence the name "Homelanders")

There is some debate among experts whether these individuals really constitute a new generation or if they are just "late wave" Millennials.  One thing is clear, though: the life experiences of people correlate strongly with how they work, so it is helpful to consider the events and environmental factors that have shaped their lives.

Debbie Fledderjohann is the President of Top Echelon Contracting, Inc.