Millennials now represent the largest share of the global workforce, having overtaken generation X’ers and baby boomers over the last year. Alongside this growth in representation, comes a growth in the power of influence.
Millennials demand a totally connected environment. This, in turn, is driving a surge in unified communications (UC). UC is a range of technologies such as the phone, instant messaging, video conferencing and email, all brought together and utilised through one, consistent interface. Although UC is far from in its infancy, there has been an upswing in adoption in the past couple of years – due in part to lowering costs and better performance, but largely due to the demands of today’s workforce, and particularly the millennials.
The benefits of UC have been well documented. Organisations that have adopted UC are reaping the benefits of efficiently managing teams of staff that are spread around remote offices and different locations around the world. And those individuals are reaping the benefits of being able to work from anywhere, at any time.
In addition, UC enables businesses to run more smoothly and seamlessly, with staff able to maintain both dynamic and fluid work schedules. These technologies also give companies the ability to boost culture and productivity by building more connected and cohesive teams. This in turn leads to faster decision making, and boosts innovation through collaboration.
It is also worth noting that attracting and retaining top talent is key to any businesses success in today’s competitive marketplace. This is where embracing technology and innovation comes in to play. Millennials want to be in progressive environments, and nothing offers that more than UC.
Having the right kind of technologies in place not only impacts productivity and communication, it can also be a significant factor in recruiting and retaining top employees, especially for where millennials are concerned.
Millennials are the only generation that have used technology from the first times they can remember. Smartphones, the Web, the notebook – all of these were around from their early days. For older generations, these devices totally changed the face of how business is conducted. Millennials don’t buy in to the previous generations’ acceptance of a nine to five work day; they expect the flexibility that goes hand in hand with UC and mobility.
While the ability to work like this – with instant communication across a range of devices and platforms is a bit of an enigma to older employees, millennials are familiar with UC technologies, and are attracted to environments that come to the party in terms of innovations and technology being an integral part of the work experience.
Millennials see outdated technology as more than inefficient, and un-user friendly, they see it as uncool, and can be put off a company who doesn’t stay with the times. Organisations who want to attract and keep these individuals, must keep them engaged, and must match their UC investments to the fast-paced, data-driven, digital lifestyles that these individuals enjoy.
