There's little doubt that the approaching generation of Australian workers are unlike any that have come before them. They're switched on, connected and demand more out of their working lives than a paycheck at the end of the week and the chance to wear a t-shirt to the office on Fridays.
According to Goldman Sachs, these recent or impending entrants into the employment market bring with them a different set of behaviours and priorities than their forebears, thanks largely to their coming of age in a time of technological change and globalisation. As such, knowing how to not only best use the skills of these "digital natives" but also how to keep them professionally satisfied is important for any small business owner.
Is your business ready for the new generation?A modern office for a modern workforce
Knowing what millennials want out of their career can be one of the biggest HR challenges your organisation will face. As Deloitte has found, a quarter of all employees born after 1982 would leave their current job this year if the option presented itself, so how can your company change that mindset?
According to Forbes, 88 per cent of millennials prefer a collaborative culture in the workplace over a competitive one. However, the techniques for keeping lines of communication open between colleagues should meet the expectations of a modern worker.
You need to keep one eye on the future at all times.
Take your office phone systems for example. Nowadays, simply providing a phone line isn't enough, you need a full unified communications solution incorporating voice and video calling, email, text and conferencing options. Presenting millennial employees with a range of features allows them the freedom to choose the best method based on the situation at hand, and from whichever device they are using.
An eye on the future
While addressing shortfalls in your company's operations now is crucial for attracting the best people, the rate at which digital technology is evolving means you need to keep one eye on the future at all times. A recent study by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) found that nearly 50 per cent of teenagers in Australia are now online in one form or another for an average of 10 hours per day.
Those digitally-savvy school and social lives will transfer to the professional realm, and your organisation should be prepared to accommodate. VOIP phones, remote and cloud-based technologies are no longer a novelty - they're a part of the modern world. Speak to Fonality today about what your business could offer new, young employees.
