New breed of employee is changing the workplace

Let’s face it nobody can deny that the workplace has seen a magnitude of changes over the last couple of years. This can mainly be attributed to developments in technology but also a new breed of employee that is changing the workplace as we know it.

The new generation of employees entering the workforce is highly mobile, are demanding non-traditional, flexible work hours, and say they are more productive working from home, according to a recent report compiled by Aruba Networks. The lifestyles of these #GenMobile, their pattern of behavior, and their relationship with technology all have an impact on the way that they work.

The survey said 53% of these workers in South Africa believe they work more efficiently before 9 or after 6 pm, 42% think WiFi is better than other connections (4G, 3G, or wired), while 72% declare that their mobile devices help them to manage their lives. More interestingly, over 64% would prefer to work from home two to three days a week rather than receive a 10% higher salary, and 45% would rather have their employer pay for the smartphone of their choice than a 5% higher salary.

This research shows that in order to attract and keep the best employees, businesses need to start looking for solutions to ensure levels of productivity and trust in this emerging working world.

“We’ve seen flexible working, BYOD, and always-on connectivity growing for some time, but this report shows that it’s now become a way of life for those in the modern workforce,” said Ben Gibson, Chief Marketing Officer for Aruba Networks

The challenge will be for companies to create a balanced working environment that attracts #GenMobile, without excluding other generations. The key to this will be to find the right blend of technologies and keep working processes simple.

Organizations have an opportunity to leverage this level of knowledge by encouraging #GenMobile to share it with elder co-workers. These technological skills can also be harnessed to improve workplace efficiency and significantly increase productivity.

In the past, the human resource department determined work culture. We are seeing the out-of-office experience starting to influence in-office experience and it’s putting pressure on companies to change in order to keep talented employees. As companies look towards attracting talent for the future they need to understand that #GenMobile won’t have patience with organizations who do not accommodate their mobile lives. Ultimately, many will have to totally redefine traditional work environments.

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Credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net by patrisuy