The Mobile Collaboration Generation are entering the workforce and are bringing with them a new perception of what office life should be like.
More generally known as Millennials, this generation of adults, roughly defined as ages 18 to 34, are early-career professionals known for being ambitious and idealistic, with a global outlook on life.
According to a Governance Study published by The Brookings Institution, Millennials make up the generation that will represent nearly 75% of the work force by 2030.
Seen as the first generation of ‘digital natives’, Millennials also tend to be the most tech-savvy generation group.
Millennials are always on the lookout for flexibility in the work-place that follows advances in technology that ensures growth.
Tech savviness may be seen as a millennial trait, however it’s not exclusively millennials who want to be more productive, work more flexibly and communicate on their terms.
Whether born in 1985 or 1955, today’s workforce needs to be equipped to be productive regardless of where they happen to be working.
And enabling this productivity requires understanding how to support an increasingly mobile workforce for success on their terms.
Plantronics, an audio pioneer and a global leader in the communications industry, recently looked at the work styles of the Millennial generation as part of a new in-depth global study of 4,000+ knowledge workers.
The study revealed some distinct patterns about the way millennials work and communicate:
- Around the world, millennials are increasingly using communication methods for work like video calls, instant messaging, and texting.
- Millennials tend to shun desk phones in favour of relying on smartphones or their PC for calls.
- They report performing work-related tasks while commuting or traveling more than peers from other generations.
- While nearly 40% of Millennials identify as office-based, more than 60% report working more flexibly.
In the span of a professional career, the average tenure for Gen X employees is five years and seven years for Baby Boomers, while the average tenure of Millennial employees is merely two years.
Research revealed that one of the primary reasons Millennials don’t stick around for more than two years, is because they needed more flexibility in the workplace.
With this in mind, companies need to be cognisant of and adhere to the habits of the mobile collaboration generation, to be seen as a catalyst of progress and growth in this digital age.
This means companies should consider adapting to the changing workforce which will require mobile devices and collaborative apps to work together.
This becomes focal for companies with people who are geographically dispersed and need to work together on endeavours, ranging from small personal projects, to high-profile enterprise teamwork.
These trends seen in Millennials can also be seen as an indication of future patterns that are likely to continue as members of Gen Z, which are now between five and 17 years old, enter the workforce.
According to Plantronics, true mobile collaboration enables them to work productively and effectively wherever they are, and in effect motivates them to drive real business results.
For this reason, companies need to equip themselves for collaboration success more than ever, by learning about flexible work styles and how to design a successful mobile collaboration strategy.
To learn how to start building a mobile collaboration strategy, visit plantronics.com/mobility.
