Millenials want IT their way
November 10, 2008 by Sam NarisiPosted in: Employee computer use, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Security and law
What do young employees want when it comes to technology?
Well, if you believe consulting giant Accenture and their research, “Millennial generation students and employees” (those aged 14 to 27) expect to use their own technology and mobile devices for work.
The Accenture study found that Millenials are increasingly choosing their place of employment based on how accommodating companies are to their personal technology preferences.
In addition, more than half (60 %) of Millennials are either unaware of their companies’ information technology policies or are not inclined to follow them.
The survey, released Wednesday, gathered info from more than 400 U.S. students and employees across three age groups — 14-17 (“younger Millennials”), 18-22 (“mid-Millennials”) and 23-27 (“older Millennials”) — and found an increasing demand for high-tech devices to connect with colleagues, peers, friends, and family, rather than face-to-face contact.
According to Accenture, the findings point to a disconnect between the technology that organizations provide their workers and how young workers actually want to use technology and collaborate in the workplace. Among the findings:
- Millenials want to choose their technology.
- They don’t want to have to ask permission — especially of their company.
- Nearly a third (31%) don’t know their if their organization has a tech use policy.
- Younger employees insist on state-of-the-art technology — and more than half say it will be a determining factor in their job choice.
- E-mail is being shunned in favor of text messaging, online chat and social networking sites.
- Blogging isn’t as wildly popular with Millenials as many may think. Most spend just 30 minutes a week blogging.
To read more about the study, visit Accenture’s site here.
Tags: blogging, chat, e-mail, Millenials, technology
November 14th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
When I read studies done about what Millennials want (or as stated above, “demand”!) it makes me want to avoid them like the plague! One study will tell you that they plan to start a job, get some additional training, and be on their way in a heartbeat. Most tell you that they want to set all the terms of their employment, regardless of the actual needs of the company. All the studies seem to indicate that each and every one of them expects all of their individual needs and wants to be catered to precisely. And the focus of the company isn’t supposed to be on the quality of the product or growing the business - it is supposed to be on making sure that each of them is happy. I don’t know how any company is supposed to be able to have individual policies for each and every employee.
I know this really isn’t the case, but study after study makes the whole pack of them sound like spoiled, self-centered brats who can’t survive for more than an hour without chatting electronically with friends and whom you can’t trust to do what their instructed to do (the above article indicates they aren’t “inclined” to follow stated policies). Why on earth would anyone want to hire someone with the above “attributes”??