New technology in the workplace is key to attracting next generation
By Michelle Rodger
The pace of innovation, invention and implementation of new technology has been growing exponentially for decades.
Intel co-founder Gordon Moore stated
in 1965 that the number of transistors on a chip would double
approximately every two years. His prediction has not only been accurate
for almost half a century but it has since been discovered that other
capabilities of digital electronic devices are also linked to “Moore’s
Law”: processing speed, memory capacity and even the number and size of
pixels in digital cameras.
But while we accept the pace of adoption of new technology, many of us haven’t changed our company approach to reflect it, and this means we’re at risk of disconnecting with an entire generation of top talent. While Generation X and the Baby Boomers marvel at new technology (or ignore it), Generation Y is growing up expecting it, and their expectations of what it means for their future career are in danger of not being met.
There’s a fascinating report from Cisco, which surveyed 1,400 college students (aged 18 to 23) and 1,400 employees younger than 30. The results shouldn’t be surprising, but I suspect they will be.
In summary, the expectations and priorities of the next generation of the world’s workforce are not exclusively tied to money. Instead, the importance of devices and the information they carry rival the money. And the expectation of the next-generation workforce is increasingly emphasising work flexibility, mobility and non-traditional work styles.
Rab Campbell, deputy chair of technology trade body ScotlandIS, says the results of this research are really important for Scotland. Unsurprisingly, they show just how interwoven technology is in the lives of people younger than 30. But what is most interesting, says Campbell, are the high expectations about accessing the same types of technology in the workplace.
“If organisations don’t respond, while maintaining appropriate security and good governance, they are likely to lose out on recruiting the very best available talent of this generation,” he warns.
Cisco predicts the next generation of the world’s workforce expects to access corporate networks and applications on non-company devices, such as car navigation screens, seatback screens on airplanes, and televisions.
The impact on how we run our businesses, recruit young people and communicate with them is significant enough, let alone considering the massive implications for network and data security issues.
It’s a wake-up call for anyone who employs Generation Y or has aspirations to attract a new generation of talent, says Donald McLaughlin, director of Cisco Scotland and Ireland. He says what Generation Y wants from work and the perspective they can bring about customers are very different to those now in the fortysomethings boardroom.
“For me this is about attracting and retaining the top talent and the right customers in the long term. It’s a bit like football or rugby. It’s all very well having a great team right now, but if you are not investing in future talent then you are going to run out of star players over time.”
It will no longer be sufficient to employ someone and just give them a desk with a computer and a mobile phone. We need to find new ways of working that will not only appeal to Generation Y but will engage and enthuse them. Everyone wants – and needs – a productive workforce but we’re going to have to think and act increasingly smarter and quicker in order to recruit and retain that workforce.
Moore’s Law works for technology, but we need to define a new business “law” for Generation Y.
With thanks to Michelle Rodger at The Scotsman