Workforce Management Featured Article
Improved Management Tactics Make it Easier to Accept Millennials
The next generation workforce has a new trend – the arrival of the millennials. Like each generation before it, millennials bring a breath of fresh air into the office. But they also bring a lot of other habits that may not be welcomed by their Baby Boomer or Generation X counterparts. In industries where social media has not been embraced, the arrival of the millennial in the office may be viewed as a negative addition.
A new study completed by CompTIA (News - Alert) found that 41 percent of millennials in the workplace are skirting corporate social media policies. For these companies, they view social media as a roadblock to productivity; IT policymakers view it as a way to risk corporate data. Without adherence to current policies in place, young additions to the staff may be putting the company at risk of malware infestation, data sharing and even phishing scams.
This new approach to functioning in the office introduces new challenges for workforce management as well. Even if a company is already shifting to adopt social media as a key productivity tool, there are policies in place for a reason. Workers of all ages have to be able to distinguish between acceptable and improper use of available technologies and online access, regardless of the channel. When this is ignored, IT has to clean up the mess and irrevocable damage may already be done.
Therefore, companies need to take a focused and strategic approach to how these technologies will blend into the greater good of the company. For instance, instead of focusing on the potential time lost related to Facebook (News - Alert) use, are there benefits to be gained for the organization? Can time be built into the workforce management platform that focuses on social media interactions only? Then, policies can be built that affect everyone for the greater good of the brand.
Such an approach is necessary in an environment where younger employees are being courted with promises of better working conditions than their parents experienced, flexibility to choose their own hours and the freedom to talk back to a boss if they don’t like an assignment or the way they are treated. While this may not be the norm in every environment, it is becoming more common.
At the same time, companies seeking the skills and fresh approach of the younger generation are redesigning their corporate environments to accommodate a new way of doing business. Suits and ties are gone, replaced with comfortable jeans and t-shirts. Mobile devices abound and the idea of showing up in clothes for the gym is not even given a second thought. The balance between work and life is a priority and corporations are welcoming the approach.
But does this approach blend well with the leaders in the company who have made the sacrifices to get the brand to where it is today? Some may be leading the charge to change, while others may view it as a slap in the face to traditional values. Regardless, workforce management can help streamline the process, creating an even playing field for all employees. After all, new generations have had to work with each other before. The key is to develop the right approach to blending ideas and agents to get the desired result.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi