Millennials and technology

Now I'll admit, it's true that I often use the incredibly powerful computer I carry around in my pocket to look at doggo memes instead of browsing the infinite repository of all human knowledge it gives me access to. But given the prevalence of work-related anxiety and stress among the first digital-native generation, it's no wonder I sometimes need to watch an adorable Samoyed eat some vegetables.

We've all heard the usual lines about Millennials and technology.

Millennials are always on their phones! They rely too much on their gadgets! Back when I was younger, we played outside as kids, none of these video games! That's why they're all so lazy and entitled, and why I can't hire them for my business while I repeatedly insult them on LinkedIn!

But the reality is very different. The disruptive power of new technologies is well-documented, and Millennial usage is a huge part of what drives the expectations that keep tech industries innovative, forward-thinking, and staffed! In 2015, the median age of an employee at Facebook was 28. At Salesforce it was 29, Google 30, Amazon, Apple, Tesla and Yahoo 31. And sorry Millennial-bashers on this platform, but at LinkedIn it's 29. In 2017, other studies showed that the average age of a software developer worldwide was 28. Between 2011-2014, the UK's digital tech economy job creation rate was 2.8x faster than the rest of the economy. Millennials are at the very centre of what some term the fourth industrial revolution.

This increasingly younger, tech-savvy workforce drives changes in the digital infrastructure of employers. Our expectations are for information (and cat memes) to be available 24/7, instantaneously wherever we are and on any device. In 2014, randstad and IDG Research found that 2/3 of organisations have a strategy or are developing a strategy to address the needs of Millennials in the workplace. Some employers might resist this demand for change. The best employers react to it by implementing BYOD policies, adopting more collaborative talent and project management systems, cloud-based services, and more digital learning and development.

Not only does this expectation push employers to adopt modern, connected infrastructure - those improvements in turn enable newer ways of working, such as flexible and remote working arrangements. In 2017, Deloitte's Millennial survey found that Millennials were more likely to leave the least flexible companies (45%) than the most flexible (35%) within two years. Between the 2016 and 2017 surveys, the percentage of Millennials able to work outside of their primary office jumped from 43% to 64%, as businesses continue to implement the digital infrastructure needed to support a newly mobile workforce.

And while Millennials have grown up with technology, they're also most likely to expect business to prepare workers with new skills for new technologies. According to the 2019 Deloitte Millennial survey, 49% expect new technologies will augment their jobs and 30% believe the onus is on employers to equip their workforce with the necessary skills.

Technology isn't going to stop disrupting the economy, and Millennials will continue to be at the core of that disruption. Those businesses that adapt to this change and facilitate development through mentoring, learning technologies and career development programmes will find a more loyal and productive workforce - and maybe one a little less distracted by cat videos.