Gen Z Gives Way to the Pandemic Generation: Understanding Generational Talent Development

Paper

Every generation begins with a bang. There is a defining moment that marks the end of one
period of time and the beginning of another. It’s marked by a “Where were you when....?”, and we real-
ize there was a Before and there was an After. We might recognize it at the time, or we might recognize it
later, but there is a moment where we can see- It All Changed. Most generational theorists like Howe and
Strauss and the Pew Research Group mark generations in 20 or 25 year increments because of significant
changes in economic, political and social factors. Generational norms follow a bell curve where the cultur-
al differences between generations are less clear at the tail ends of the curve and are very clear by the middle
of the generation. The pandemic marks the end of Generation Z and the beginning of a new generation.
Implications for teaching content, processes and products we ask of our students of different generations
will be examined with implications for the end of Generation Z and this new Pandemic Generation.