The Millennials Are Coming: Now Taking Bets on the Size of the Dent
May 25, 2016
By Susan J. Campbell
TMCnet Contributing Editor
The millennial debate – it’s all around us. This large segment of the population has a different way of doing things and a different opinion on the way things should be done. Thousands of dollars are spent each year trying to figure out how to market to this segment and companies are told they must be ready to embrace a new way of business because of them – but how much impact is true and how much is derived from mass assumption?
Think of it this way – millennials are the segment that companies are spending the most money on, trying to earn their disposable dollars. Yet this segment also has the least amount of extra money to spend. Likewise, companies are warned that they need to be prepared to embrace these young professionals, and yet they have the least to contribute to the bottom line. Are we truly upside-down in our thinking?
A recent blog post by call accounting solutions provider, ISI (News - Alert) Telemanagement Solutions explores the topic and the anticipated impact the younger population will have on the corporate environment in the future. The post examined research conducted by business communications specialists, Fuze, which included 5000 adult office workers and 2500 teens living in Europe. Their findings were published in the report, The App Generation: how employees of the future are shaping the world of work.
Not surprising, this App Generation prefers the smartphone to the landline. Adult office workers see the desk phone as one of the top five essential work items. For teens, it barely made it into the top 10. However, for those who haven’t spent years relying on such a device to stay connected, collaborate and get their work done, it makes sense that the smartphone would take priority. Still, the findings point to the opportunity to consider phone systems outside of the traditional landline.
The good news for those who are responsible for call accounting within the organization, the younger population is also accustomed to applications that enable video calls, call monitoring and even call recording. Plus, these individuals expect that the technologies they use will integrate across channels, providing additional opportunities for unified communications and other apps that expand beyond traditional methods.
Individuals in the younger segment of the population are also excited to work as part of a team. While most preferred to interact face-to-face, text-based methods of communications were a close second. A single platform for messaging and group chats may be in order for the office of the future, with conference rooms taking up much of the real estate. Group collaboration may push out independent work, putting personalities together that can produce great outcomes.
For now, millennials may only be able to contribute so much to the economy, but they will come into their own. If they keep some of the same habits and ideals that they have today, corporate environments could look quite different in the future.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi