Talkin' bout your workplace generation

Gen Ys are changing the way in which Australian businesses operate, such as how they communicate and share information, according to a new survey from PGi (Premiere Global). Two in three Aussie workers (69%) point to the fact that Gen Ys are at the heart of this change, with the introduction of more online business tools such as video and web conferencing, instant messaging and social networking.

The international survey from PGi asked 1,000 full-time office workers in Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong about the current state of their workplace - such as who is driving the change, and what changes are taking place both now and in the future.

Key findings

• When asked about the types of tools Gen Ys have helped to introduce into the workplace, instant messaging (such as MSN and Yahoo!) topped the list for most Australians, with 59% saying that it was now being used as a business tool. Almost half (49%) said Gen Ys had helped to introduce video and web conferencing, whilst 43% said that it was acceptable for social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to be used at work too.
• Although there is an abundance of positive change, the survey identified a potential 'workplace generation gap' - defined as a lack of awareness for how different generations of employees prefer to work. This could be a key stumbling block in further adoption of online tools. Of the 51% who agreed that there is a generational divide in their office, 70% felt that it could undermine the trend towards encouraging more use of online tools.
• In terms of how the workplace will need to adapt in the future as the next generation of employees enters the workforce, the concept of flexible working resonated strongly amongst Aussie workers. Having 'flexible working hours' (75%) and 'laptops and smartphones to allow flexible working' (62%) were the two highest priorities when workers were asked how their workplaces should adapt.
• The good news is that Australian businesses appear to be on the right track when talking about evolving the workplace to cater to a younger generation of employees. More than half (56%) felt that they were already in that process or will soon be.

Joanne Rigby, Asia-Pacific marketing director at PGi, said: "It's positive to see that Aussie businesses have largely embraced the use of online tools such as Facebook and instant messaging in their workplace, something that only a few years ago may have been a taboo subject. It's clear that Gen Ys are helping to drive this adoption, and organisations are not only listening to the younger generation, but recognise the opportunities and benefits these tools can offer.

"Whilst it's good to see businesses catering to the needs of younger employees, it's important to not forget the baby boomers in the company who didn't grow up with technologies such as webinars or wikis. The key lies in having appropriate training and support so that all employees can feel encouraged and participate in using online business tools for their day-to-day work."

Ian Birks, CEO of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), said: "What PGi's study does is confirm one of the most common challenges we see leaders across a diverse cross-section of organisations and sectors dealing with today. Gen Y workers are bringing incredible technical knowledge into the workplace, but how is this best adopted and acted upon? New ideas and technology can be hugely advantageous to any organisation, provided it embraces and nurtures this knowledge in the right way."