About the Author
Sion Lewis is Vice President of EMEA at LogMeIn.
Generation Z marked a milestone last year after entering the job market for the first time. At the other extreme, baby boomers now have to work much longer until retirement.
This information reveals an essential observation: there are now up to four generations working together under the same roof. Each generation has been heavily influenced by the world they grew up in, having experienced different ways of working and collaborating, as well as the technologies they use.
As a result, there are considerable differences in the way each generation works together in the office. However, organizations must ensure that all employees are accommodated to maintain a happy and productive workforce.
Recent GoTo research has revealed the thoughts and challenges of more than 2,000 employees around the world and across generations. The study helps to better understand how trends and preferences for collaboration vary from one age group to another.
Younger employees are much more likely to use online chat and video conferencing tools, as well as a greater variety of these tools. This should come as no surprise, as the younger generations have grown up with Facetime and instant messaging.
However, the difference is still quite staggering. In fact, for chat and video tools, the gap between the two age groups encompassed by these solutions shows a real disparity between generations:
- Use of video conferencing tools: 86% of employees ages 25-34, compared to just 46% of employees 55 and older
- Chat tool use: 92% of employees ages 18-24 and 25-34, compared to just 51% of employees 55+
Collaboration technologies now encompass a multitude of different tasks and functions, from instant messaging to video calling, chat, and phone. Companies often react by implementing individual solutions for each of these needs.
For example, 60% of the youngest (18-44 years) must use three or more tools per day to collaborate with their colleagues.
The younger generations are overwhelmed by the multitude of applications.
While these solutions are meant to make life easier for everyone at work, the use of disparate collaboration tools has the opposite effect. When switching from one app to another, younger generations feel like they are wasting their time.
- Many think they waste a lot of time switching from one collaboration tool to another (60% of employees aged 18-24 and 63% of employees 25-34)
- While older generations use fewer collaboration tools, 40% of employees 55 and older still feel like they are wasting time switching from one technology to another.
Old vs. Young: Lone Wolf or Social Butterfly?
Given the increased use of collaboration tools by younger generations, it is not surprising that the survey revealed that they expect more communication than previous generations and are more likely to appreciate collaborative work. Employees age 55 and older are also more likely than employees ages 25 to 34 to prefer to work alone (41% vs. 33%). At the same time, younger employees are more likely to see a lack of communication between their colleagues, which means that organizations should facilitate or even encourage more communication between these team members.
Nobody is surprised, companies are busy. Advances in collaborative technologies have played a vital role in helping workers meet growing demands and improve the efficiency of operations. Yet generations of older and younger workers have a message for IT managers: The solutions board has gotten us to that point, but the time has come for a new workplace evolution. Those who have been in the job market for a long time do not embrace multiple solutions, and young workers report that constant juggling of solutions is detrimental to productivity.
Implementing age-appropriate solutions is a sure way to foster effective collaboration in the workplace. Having a comprehensive solution where workers can connect with their phone or chat via desktop or video will give teams a seamless experience.
Switching from one tool to another to communicate with your colleagues only serves to waste time. In contrast, unified collaboration solutions, which can be easily integrated into the workflow, allow workers to really benefit from technology. By bringing together all the desired capabilities in a single solution, each generation of workers can feel empowered to work the way they want, regardless of their age.
Sion Lewis is Vice President of EMEA at LogMeIn.