IGI Global defines the Digital Generation [link] as “The generation of people that have grown up with easy access to digital information and communications technologies”.
The students of today will be the workforce of tomorrow. These kids and young adults have no conscious memory of life without the Internet, social media, and a world of apps for just about everything.
Consumers and Adopters
In today’s workforce, you can almost evenly divide workers into two categories, “Consumers” and “Adopters”.
- Consumers typically use whatever technology tools they are given but are generally uneasy with change or newer gadgets.
- Adopters embrace the technology tools, but also want the latest new gadgets and are bored by stagnation.
You can most assuredly place the rising digital workers into the adoption category, and when it comes time for them to join the workforce, they will seek out forward-thinking organizations that embrace technology.
The shift in technology
Most of us don’t work the way we used to and that will continue to evolve. The way we meet and collaborate, for example is shifting away from the conference room. Industry trends suggest that huddle spaces are on the rise.
A recent study [link] by dimensional research [link] shows that 93% of open office environments require more huddle spaces and 78% of respondents have been frustrated with technology for hosting meetings.
Solutions such as Cisco Webex or Microsoft Skype for Business are examples of collaboration tools to enable the “work from anywhere” concept and help drive business efficiencies along with a satisfied workforce.
At Katalyst, our mission is to drive success through technology and our vision is to empower people and organizations. If you need help to start preparing the way for the next generation of workers, we would love to partner with you. Whether it’s learning how to best leverage the technology investments you’ve made or uncovering what new innovations fit your organization, we’ve got you covered.