There's a crisis brewing in Australia.
It has nothing to do with inflated property values or volatile currency rates. Millennials - the next heir to the majority of the workforce - are increasingly disengaged with their work. In fact, as a whole, less than one-quarter of all Australian employees are engaged with their work, School of Thinking reported. This can drastically affect productivity and result in lagging revenue for organisations.
Diving into the heart of the issue for those under 30, though, reveals that some companies simply may not be giving their employees the tools they need and are comfortable with, like unified communications.
The issue at hand
High employee engagement is linked to increased profitability.
A study by SACS consulting found that millennials were far and away the most disengaged with their work compared to other generations. It also found that businesses that foster high employee engagement are linked to improved profitability by an average of 22 per cent.
The younger part of the workforce grew up surrounded by electronics that have become central components of their lives. A recent Microsoft study found 93 per cent of millennials cite modern technology as one of the most important aspects of their day-to-day work environment.
Organisations that want to improve millennial engagement would be wise to adopt innovative tools like unified communications to bridge the gap.
Improving your company
With so many options for communication with co-workers and customers, the very act of interacting with people can become exhausting. Phone calls, video conferencing, messaging and email are often siloed applications - connecting them through one platform like unified communications is one way many businesses help their staff get over the hurdle.
A Fonality study found organisations that have made the switch and integrated all of their communications onto one system wound up increasing productivity by saving each employee two hours per day in lost time. Applications like drag-and-drop calls, seamless screensharing and voicemail to email or text aren't extravagant tools that are complicated to use; they're effective time-savers that are natural to the millennial workforce.
Those under 30 years of age will soon make up the majority of the workforce, and companies that act now by revamping their internal tools will ultimately have an easier time keeping them engaged with their work. Higher productivity can drive increased profitability and revenue, and sometimes it's as easy as the click of a button. Contact a Fonality representative today to learn more.