Behavior Drivers Behind the Rise of BYOD
 
The growth of personal devices in the enterprise originate with the millennial workforce, the young employees of the post Boomer and post genX generations. They are also called the Gen Ys as they tend ask the “why?” questions that lie at the heart of all enterprise innovation. This generation believes in meritocracy a work environment that allows a person to have a voice, create, and advance quickly based on merit and value. A meritocracy, when done well, would place a high priority on creating a context where people are allowed to thrive and ask, “Why not?” and “What if… ?” without being squashed with a “We’ve never done it that way before.”
 
With technology dominating every aspect of their lives, it is perhaps not surprising that 41% of the milleninals say they prefer to communicate electronically at work than face to face or even over the telephone. They routinely make use of their own technology at work and three-quarters believe that access to technology makes them more effective at work. However, technology is often a catalyst for inter-generational conflict in the workplace and many millennials feel held back by rigid or outdated working styles. The milleninnals prefer to communicate electronically since they learned to communicate electronically via SMS and send an average of 3-4,000 texts per month.
 
They use their laptops to create, smart phones to call, text, respond to important email, navigate and listen to music, and use the tablet primarily to view content, with limited input. This multi-device environment has not only changed their lives, but has significantly changed the demands on the enterprises that wish to hire them.
 
As the multi-device environment has evolved, consequences have come to the forefront for these individuals and for the enterprise. With a seamless, rich, inviting and natural user experience, the lines between work and non-work lives are blurred for the milleninals. They are giving companies more of their time; they are on 24 X7, always plugged in. For the enterprise, it means these employees have much more of a voice in, and choice in, and an impact on the devices that connect personal and work time. It also means that their demands on enterprise accessibility and data are growing exponentially.
 
If business leaders plan to entice and keep new talent, they must realize that communication for millennials is different. They don’t ask for (nor need) a desk phone and office line. For that matter, they don’t even have a home phone line. For example, if a vice-president of Sales expects a new millennial sales representative to cold call 50 people a day from a desk phone, he is going to be disappointed. Millennials use LinkedIn and Twitter to network. When millennials feel “held back by rigid or outdated working styles” then both the company and employee suffer. Change is never easy. Change takes risk. Yet, a work place that embraces change is exactly what will attract millennials and will ultimately lead to future growth for businesses.
 
Development and work/life balance are more important than financial reward: This generation is committed to personal learning and development and this remains the most essential benefit they want from employers. In second place they want flexible working hours. Cash bonuses come in at a surprising third place. At the heart of work/life balance is enterprise mobility. This techno generation seems to be avoiding face-time and yet doing fine. With technology dominating every aspect of their lives, it is perhaps not surprising that 41% say they prefer to communicate electronically at work than face-to-face or even over the telephone. They routinely make use of their own technology at work and three-quarters believe that access to technology makes them more effective at work. Technology is often a catalyst, however, for intergenerational conflict in the workplace and many millennials feel held back by rigid or outdated working styles.
 
Source: http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/managing-tomorrows-people/future-of-work/key-findings.jhtml