It's no secret that technology is rapidly changing. As such, businesses have to keep up in order to retain good talent and to remain competitive amongst peers and similar organizations. In today's recruiting world, a Millennial (or Generation Y) would think twice about working for a company who expected limited use of the Internet and used old versions of applications with no collaboration capabilities. As a generation that upgrades their smartphones every couple of years, they would expect the same of an organization's network and applications.
On the other hand, a Baby Boomer might not see why certain technologies are needed; video calling might be considered disruptive and impersonal. A Baby Boomer might also prefer to meet in person or speak on the phone, whereas a Millennial would return a phone call with the organization's Instant Message tool, such as Cisco's Jabber or Microsoft's Skype. It's getting these generations to meet halfway utilizing modern technologies and thereby, creating efficiencies.
And it's not just the recruiting piece that I'm speaking of - clients also span the disparate generations. Bridging the gap between the various generations is a complex issue of which organizations have to understand and be open-minded. Here's a look at what businesses are dealing with today.
Communication is the key here, so having the right collaboration tools, whether it is a phone, tablet, BYOD device, or video conferencing, is an important consideration when attracting new talent or clients. Luckily, cloud computing is enabling many modes of communication and various collaboration tools, making it easier for businesses to migrate and use.
"The intricacies of workplace communication—what we say, how we say it and what our choices say about us—have become increasingly complex as each group (generation) brings a different set of experiences and expectations to the table," explained Dana Brownlee, President of Professionalism Matters in a recent Forbes article.
So how does your company bridge the gap?
To speak to a Systems Engineering representative about modern collaboration tools, email info@syseng.com or call 888.624.6737.
