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Workforce demands shift business models

Regina Pazvakavambwa
By Regina Pazvakavambwa, ITWeb portals journalist.
Johannesburg, 12 Dec 2014
Advancements in technology are laying the foundation of an advanced, connected workplace with interactive services, says Cisco.
Advancements in technology are laying the foundation of an advanced, connected workplace with interactive services, says Cisco.

Workforce demands by Generation X and Generation Y workers to increase flexible work styles have been met with employers shifting their policies to accommodate these changing attitudes.

This is according to the 2014 Cisco Connected World Technology Report, which seeks to demonstrate the fundamental ways in which technology is shaping the future of work, and how the devices, apps and solutions preferred by these generations are enabling new ways of working.

Cisco surveyed 1 388 Generation Y professionals (ages 18 to 30), 1 524 Generation X professionals (ages 31 to 50) and 827 HR professionals in an online poll.

The report revealed 40% of generation X and Y professionals and 60% of HR professionals consider themselves supertaskers ? a term given to individuals able to successfully accomplish two or more tasks at once.

The majority of the supertaskers reported to be most productive on a smartphone (Gen Y 43% and Gen X37%). Also, the report stated, the majority of professionals use two to three work and personal devices in their daily lives.

"The results of the Cisco report provide valuable insights into the 'care-abouts' of our evolving workforce. Businesses should grab this opportunity to re-examine how they need to evolve in order to attract top talent and shape their business models," says Kian Ellens, sales business development manager at Cisco SA.

He believes, with each generation, the world is become more Internet-focused, therefore CIOs must now plan and scale their networks to address the security and mobility demands the next-generation workforce will put on their infrastructure.

Also, they must use this information to assess and evolve their corporate policies for a win-win transformation that will position technology as an enabler of collaboration and business success, says Ellens.

According to Rowan Trollope, senior vice president of Cisco Collaboration, in a blog, as connectivity and collaboration become more pervasive, it's time for organisational leaders to consider how to thrive in a changing workplace based on new expectations, behaviours, and preferences from employees and customers alike.

He points out as mobility, cloud and social media come together in today's Internet of everything landscape, it's even more critical for organisations to empower employees to connect with peers, customers and management worldwide, he adds.

Advancements in technology are laying the foundation for an even more advanced, connected workplace with interactive services, says Trollope. More workers are being trained to collaborate and, in the years to come, there will be more of a free flow of ideas and an increased ability to share with others in real-time, he adds.

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