By Nick Heath, 6 November 2008 16:01
NEWS
Businesses must open their doors to iPhones, Facebook, instant messaging and open source software if they want to attract the next generation of workers, a report has found.
The next generation of workers - the so-called 'Millennials' - demand to be allowed to use consumer tech, social networking and open source software at work, a survey by Accenture has found.
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Some 60 per cent of the 400 14- to 27-year-olds questioned by Accenture found they were more inclined to rely on their own technology.
A similar number claimed it was important employers provided state-of-the-art tech, with more than one-fifth saying the tech provided by employers did not come up to scratch.
Those aged 18 to 22 favour technology not supported by their employer, with 39 per cent using their own mobile phones, 28 per cent using social networking sites, 27 per cent instant messaging and 19 per cent installing open source software.
They also regularly download non-standard technology from free public websites such as open source communities, "mashup" and "widget" providers, with three-quarters of 18 to 27-year-olds accessing online collaborative tools and online applications from free public websites when those technologies were not available at work or not meeting their expectations.
The days of a heavy reliance on email may also be coming to an end, with students spending less than two hours per week emailing, instead preferring text and instant messaging and communicating on social networking sites.
Gary Curtis, managing director of Accenture Technology Consulting, said in a statement: "The message from Millennials is clear: to lure them into the workplace, prospective employers must provide state-of-the-art technologies.
"And if their employers don't support their preferred technologies, Millennials will acquire and use them anyway."
Comments
There are 8 comments. Join the discussion
1. anonymous
Rather than lure these people in our work place we don't want them. Over the past 12 months we have has a significant turnover in young (16-24 year olds) who have been let go during their probationary period simply because they have no work ethic, simply seeing the office as a a place to carry on their personal life rather than to actually carry out the functions they are being emplyed to do.
Hopefully this recession will knock some sense into these people.
2. Ian Sargent
With the jobless totals increasing at the moment those "Millenials" might just find that if they're not in a position to dictate what tools they can use in the office.
Perhaps the people compiling the report should have spoken to the employers as well.
3. Captain Sensible.
Will they want it (ie. web 2) for work or play?
4. anonymous
Bah humbug. In reaction to the reader comments. What's wrong with IT employers these days! A little social interaction at work never killed anyone. Stress does though. What happened to caring for people. What happened to people joining the IT industry because it was exciting and fun. Is the reality so depressing that people are forced to work and live in such oppressive style out of absolute financial necessity in a regime that is not so far removed from something out of an Orwellian novel. Is this what the future holds for generation Y? No wonder they're turned off.
5. Tim Brading
I am responsible for my company's IT infrastructure. If it goes wrong, I am responsible.
As such, I will choose what software/hardware is used within my company.
I will not be dictated to by "Millennials" who do not have to deal with the IT consequences of their actions. If they wish to use some Open Source software, and can show that it is necessary, I will test it, make sure it does not affect any in-house systems, test that it does not cause security implications, then allow the user to use it.
The answer is not to blanket ban new technology for users, nor to simply allow them to do as they wish, but rather to embrace both the users and the technology - within reason.
6. Drew Stephenson
Sensible words Tim, however sensible words don't make good headlines (at least, that appears to be how our current press works) so in order to sell papers / generate click-throughs the extremes of each argument must be presented as fact with the more rational approaches documented in the closing paragraphs (if at all).
7. Alex Heinze
I remember the old days when Windows messenger was introduced... and I, as an IT manager, was asked by the management to remove Messenger from all machines this since too many people spend too much time on these irritating interactions...
I see the point that we need to get the business going but can tools such as Facebook allow us to learn something in the boardroom? How many of us have to turn off our mobile phones when at work?
Come on, I am sure there is some money to be made if Facebook et al are used in the commercial setting? Anyone tried Enterprise 2.0 yet?
See:
McAfee, A. P. (2006). Enterprise 2.0: The Dawn of Emergent Collaboration MIT Sloan Management Review, 47(3), 21 - 28.
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8. Martin Zwilling
This article is helpful in understanding the problem, but doesn't give many answers. Business people as a whole don't know how to deal with the new influx of millennials and their expectations. There are many issues and concerns on both sides.
Marty Zwilling, Founder & CEO, Startup Professionals, Inc.