Mobile networking, device flexibility and the blending of personal and work lifestyles are key components of a work environment and culture that are increasingly important in determining which companies will secure the next wave of industry talent.
This was highlighted in the second chapter of the 2011 Cisco Connected World Technology Report, which shows the seriousness of the next-generation workforce's expectation to work remotely, with more flexibility in their choice of devices.
The research, which surveyed more than 2 800 college students and young professionals under the age of 30, in 14 countries, was commissioned to assess the challenges companies face as they strive to balance employee and business needs amid increasing network demands, mobility capabilities and security risks.
According to the study, the desire of young professionals and college students to use social media, mobile devices and the Internet more freely in the workplace is strong enough to influence their future job choice, sometimes more than salary.
Y-generation demands
A Mimecast survey earlier this year, entitled “Generation Gmail”, discovered that the proliferation of social networks and mobile devices has transformed the communications landscape within companies.
According to Mimecast, employees increasingly mix and match technologies, using devices and platforms interchangeably to find workarounds that maximise their flexibility and productivity.
The study probed South African businesses, asking them to reveal the number of remote workers within their organisations, and discovered that 21% have more than half of their employees working away from the office.
According to the Cisco study, one in three (33%) college students and young employees would prioritise social media freedom, device flexibility and work mobility over salary in accepting a job offer, indicating that the expectations and priorities of the next generation of the world's workforce are not solely tied to money.
Reshaad Sha, director of Cisco's Internet Business Solutions Group, says the findings in the report provide real-life insight into how college students and young professionals access information, and how business communications are changing as a result.
“In addition to the impact on business communications, the study provides proof that the next generation of employees and their technology expectations will influence job decisions, hiring and a new age of work-life balance,” says Sha.
“How businesses address these demands will inevitably affect their competitive advantage and HR success. It is not just a technology trend anymore - it's a business trend,” he adds.
Future career choices
The survey also discovered that about two in three (64%) college students plan to ask about social media usage policies during job interviews, while one in four (24%) said it would be a key factor in their decision to accept an offer.
Almost a third (31%) of the employees globally believe their comfort level with social media and devices was a factor in their hiring.
Employees who are prohibited from accessing corporate networks and applications remotely cited corporate policies (48%), including influence by corporate culture and resistance to enabling a more distributed communications culture, as the main reason.
Despite this, employees are expecting greater work flexibility. At least one in four (29%) employees globally said the availability of remote access would influence their future career choices.
Seven in 10 (70%) college students believe it is unnecessary to be in the office regularly, with the exception of important meetings.
“These findings among college students and young employees indicate the freedom to access social media and use devices is increasingly important to the next generation of the world's workforce - in some cases, more important than salary,” notes Sheila Jordan, VP communication and collaboration IT at Cisco.
The results demonstrate that companies need to acknowledge this fact in greater numbers, and respond accordingly - for many industries, the status quo of previous work environments is becoming a thing of the past,” she concludes.
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