Talking about my generation

The workforce may have been transformed by 
technology but the workplace has struggled to keep up, argues Emma Reynolds

It’s 10pm. Sienna is sitting at her computer, headphones on, listening to iTunes while IMing her friends. On her MySpace page she is uploading photos of her weekend in Bulgaria before she logs on to Facebook to change her status. She has just edited her blog and also found a minute to visit Travelrepublic to rate her holiday experience.

Then, suddenly, she remembers she hasn’t sent an urgent email to one of her clients about a report due out the next day. No problem, she thinks, she can log in remotely to her work email and send it from home. But, of course, she can’t. Her company’s technology was developed 20 years ago and it doesn’t allow remote access to the email server. Sienna, frustrated by the technical hitch, SMSs her friend: ‘I h@8 my work.’

As a Generation Yer (anyone born between 1978 and 1995), Sienna is a native of the technology phenomenon. To Gen Yers, 
growing up digital, computers aren’t technology; they are part of the furniture. VOIP, emails, Twitter, blogs, instant messaging, Facebook, MySpace, the iPhone – they aren’t technology either; they are Generation Y’s oxygen supply, their lifeblood.

Global force
At work, Generation Yers are bringing the house down. They have hip-hopped their way in with over-stimulated brains, short attention spans and inflated confidence. This is where it gets really exciting. Gen Y is a global force that must be reckoned with, in so much as it won’t tolerate the current problems associated with ‘getting work done’.

New hires (largely recruited from Gen Y) come to the office already prepared and experienced with the technical know-how. They self-organise, communicate, collaborate, project manage, give feedback and so on. As a group they are complex and full of contradictions. They are technologically savvy but also creative, environmentally conscious yet highly mobile. They expect instant rewards but also demand development for the long term. They think like entrepreneurs but value relationships over money. It’s confusing. But it’s the future.

In a step away from the traditions and attitudes of generations past, Gen Yers are resolutely loyal, not to their employers but to their profession and to themselves. They are defined by what they do, not who they work for. They value their values and work hardest not for reward, but for a cause, or an end result by which their abilities and potential can be measured. Baby boomers and Gen X put up with hierarchies, heavily controlled processes and little freedom in the workplace. Gen Y won’t. And they are voting with their feet.

Their arrival in the workplace closes the chapter on the War for Talent and opens a 
new one, on the War for Personal Productivity, at least from their perspective. They want to 
shift the focus to ‘me’; the battle is now 
individualised and personal.

Digital domain
Back to Sienna, who typifies the Gen Y mindset. Throughout her formative years she has had unfettered access to information, any time of the day, anywhere in the world. Her digital domain evolves almost daily. Whether 
it is a new application on her iPhone, the latest version of a Mac operating system or a new social platform to micro-blog, it just gets better every day. She feels empowered – she can do anything, anywhere, at any time.

When Sienna arrives at work she expects her employer to provide the same tools and technology as her Nintendo Wii or her personal computer provide. She wants to be able to ‘get things done’ but she can’t.

The systems are slow, the technology is clunky, she can’t access her emails or files outside of work hours. She thinks to herself, what are ‘work hours’ anyway? Sienna doesn’t separate work and life. There is a complete blurring. She is not looking for work/life balance, she is looking for work/life integration. There is a big difference, and it certainly doesn’t involve a 9am to 5pm routine.

Confined to an uninspiring building, corralled within small, stuffy meeting rooms, with nowhere to ‘chill out’, and managers who are locked behind closed doors, is it any wonder her texts read: ‘Weird. I h@8 this place.’

Young kids
Bosses might sigh at this and say, “Oh here we go again, the young kids want to change the way we do things.” Every generation has radical ideas, every generation rebels. But the point now is that the world has changed. Organisations have changed. Workforces have changed. People’s values, attitudes, motivations and beliefs have changed. The economy and world focus has drastically changed and the workplace has to keep pace. Perhaps it is time that organisations woke up to this.

It is not business as usual. Current structures, processes, policies and ways of getting work done are no longer effective and sustainable in this rapidly changing world. The multi-generational workforce is challenging organisations to rethink the way they operate. Everything from the concept of work, to their workplace surroundings, desk layouts, technology, management, leadership – everything is being challenged.

Hyper-connected
But the key message here is that this is not 
all about Gen Y. It’s as much about attitudes 
as it is about the demographics. Although the 
Gen Y approach typifies the new world of work and the new ways of getting things done in this hyper-connected world, it is not exclusive to those born between 1978 and 1995. Rather, it exemplifies how to survive.

A London surveying firm recently moved locations and instead of sticking to traditional structures, they created a Gen Y board and presented them with the challenge of creating a workspace that encapsulated the new world of work. The key recognition was that the expertise to instigate change already exists, inside the organisation. Employees know how they work best and what they need. Multi-generational collaboration was crucial in the success of this relocation.

The debate around the nature of the workplace has been stimulating and challenging. Do we need offices? Can we all work remotely? What role does the workplace now play? How can we leverage and embrace the Gen Y view of integration? How do we manage expectations across the generations? The can of worms is opened when the subject of technology is raised. It’s time to change the conversation.

Further information
Are you a Gen Yer? Has your workplace changed for you? Email us at editor@atompublishing.co.uk
www.e3unlimited.com
www.askgeny.com