Gen Y Expects Employers to Embrace Technological Change

As Generation Y grows and matures, the corporate world will experience a gradual change in the expectations that these young recruits will bring to the workplace. If a corporation is slow to adapt to the changing technological environment and fails to adequately equip its employees, they will experience a consequential shortage of able recruits.

A recent article in the Financial Standard reports some interesting results when researching several top financial institutions. The researchers discovered that the institutions that were slow to adopt wireless LAN technology in their offices (out of security concerns) were more likely to experience decreased staff mobility and productivity. Gen Y employees are more attracted to businesses that will supply them with adequate technology, boosting their performance and allowing them to customize their work experience to suit their individual needs. The integration of wireless technology in the office empowers employees with a perception of "personal control" that can be rewarding for both the employee and the employer.

Complementing these views, an article on Silicon.com also finds several key changes unique to the high-tech workplace with the integration of Gen Y employees:

1. Office communications must stay in pace with technology. Gone are the days of “Did you get that memo?” Expect to utilize intranet Instant Messaging (IM) with away messages instead. Corporate blogs will replace the monthly newsletter. Email has probably already replaced the employee message box.

2. Every day spent in a cubicle will be replaced with mobile work. As access to wireless technology becomes standard, employers must adapt the workspace to suit the flexibility expected by Gen Y employees.

3. Repetitive research and data input will also be replaced with automated processes, saving employees from boredom and preventing lack of motivation. While computers will still rely on humans to crosscheck for errors, Generation Y will not expect to waste precious time on monotonous tasks.