Younger employees are more pessimistic than their older colleagues when it comes to attitudes to workplace technology, research shows.
A recent survey commissioned by power module manufacturer CMD found that the majority of Generation Z employees think their is office to be outdated in some way, whereas many Generation X employees regard theirs to be ‘state of the art’.
Just over a fifth of 18 to 24-year-olds surveyed said their office was ‘way behind in both style and technology’ compared to around one in ten of 35 to 44-year-olds.
Bruce Cantrill, marketing manager at CMD, said: “Younger generations have grown up with smart technology and place extremely high demands on it. They constantly update their own personal devices and expect the same in their place of work.
“In contrast, older generations expect less of technology due to their much gentler introduction to the digital world.”
Many businesses are adapting to these needs and expectations of young workers by investing in the latest technologies to attract the most talented graduates and ‘millennials’. This can be a slow and expensive process, reflected in the finding that 36% of 25 to 34-year-olds think their office is a ‘combination of old and new technology’.
A separate report by Dropbox and Ipsos Mori revealed the frustrations faced by younger workers over outdated technology in the workplace, highlighting the problems experienced by younger workers when working across multiple devices and the greater feelings of frustration when using technology compared to their older colleagues.
This contrasts previous research by the British Medical Association in a report on ageing and the workplace that highlighted how ‘older workers are reluctant to adapt to change and to new technologies’.
Bruce Cantrill concludes: “Creating an ‘age-neutral’ workplace is a challenge faced by many companies, as is ‘invisibly’ addressing age-related issues. Investing in smarter technology can benefit employees of all generations, for very different reasons.
“For example, on-desk power modules provide instant charging options for multiple devices, while providing accessible power for workers who are less inclined to crawl under desks to access an available socket. Likewise, wireless charging hubs and sit-stand desks enhance working conditions for all age groups.”
