A generational divide is brewing in the workplace, says Josh Allison.

Millennials and the people who manage them—in many cases, Gen Xers—often have value systems that starkly contrast, leading to conflict and disengagement.

“[Millennials] have a fundamentally different view of the world. Rather than just wanting a large paycheck or a prestigious career, they want purpose in the workplace. They want to know their work matters and that their work contributes to a large and important cause,” Allison tells the CUNA News Podcast.

“Gen Xers are having conversations about development and they're speaking a different language. They're talking about how you can climb that corporate ladder, how you can put in more time to get to the next step. And the millennials, inside their head, are saying, ‘That's not what I'm after.’ ”

If credit unions fail to manage their millennial talent they will struggle to thrive, according to Allison.

“The reason winning the heart matters is because if we don't build internal advocates at our credit unions, we will struggle to build external advocates," Allison says. "It starts with the employee taking up the cause of the organization, and that occurs when the relationship is sound between the manager and the employee.”

Prior to his work as a consultant, Allison worked at a credit union as a marketing and business development professional. In 2014, Credit Union Magazine named him a Credit Union Rock Star for his award-winning work in the field.