Clash of the Generations

Appendix CCASE STUDY ‐ ELECTRONIC ARTS

• Website: www.ea.com
• Location: Based in Redwood City, California, with 31 global locations around the world
• Founded: 1982, public company
• Total employees: 8,400; 40 percent within the United States, 60 percent outside the United States
• Employee demographics: 50 percent Millennials, with the rest being a mix of Gen X and Baby Boomers
• What it does: Develops video games
• Interviewee: Gabrielle Toledano—Executive Vice President and Chief Talent Officer, overseeing HR, Real Estate and Facilities, and Corporate Social Responsibility

BACKGROUND

In some industries, employee age can play a crucial role in the business, such as when it's important to have an affinity with the customer's interests. Video game pioneer Electronic Arts understands this well, because its players (EA's term for its customers) range in age from up‐and‐coming Generation Zers to Boomers. The company's workforce reflects that demographic: half of the employee base is made up on Millennials, with most of the remaining employees comprising Gen X and Baby Boomer employees.

“We have to have a generationally diverse workforce, because our employees make the games that appeal to these different audiences,” says Toledano, who has been with the company for more than a decade. She adds, “We have a huge diversity of roles at EA” to reflect the diversity of EA's players. Because generational knowledge is so critical to the company's success, EA has spent a great deal of time (and money) ...