Millennials are considered born between 1980 and 2000, currently in, and will be entering the workforce within the coming years. With them comes the change of expectations within the workplace. Gone are the days where you walked into a stacked office full of cubicles, desktop computers, and full office atmospheres. With millennials entering, the days of collaboration and constant communication are here to stay. And as they develop more into their careers, more workplace impacts will be made.
As with all new generations, certain priorities in the workplace become prevalent. Millennials have made it clear that technology plays a vital role in their behavior and success. High speed wireless is essential for those who text, use social media sites, video conference and more. With the advancement of that technology also comes the advancement of technology within the office – 3D printing, drones and robots.
Many millennials use wearable technology such as smart watches to keep up with their lifestyles. The increase in active devices poses a simple question of security and safety particularly with these devices now coming into the workplace daily. Will these devices eventually know too much about people?
Many people pose common questions about the millennial workforce taking over:
- Are office perks such as coffee/bars and more casual settings too much? Do these take away from the traditional concept of “working”? How do they affect productivity?
- As technology continues to advance, is the bandwidth of Wi-Fi keeping up; are data centers prepared for the influx of traffic?
- Should companies implement areas within the workplace where technology isn’t allowed encouraging employees to interact face-to-face?
- What type of policies for workplace technology should be set in place? When is texting appropriate in the workplace?
Technology will only continue to become more advanced. Setting standards and rules now can save organizations the struggle and hassle of doing it after a data breach from lack of security, or employees taking advantage. Answer these questions today!