Gen C: Coming to a Workplace Near You
Complete Data Products exec says younger workers pose quandaries for employers concerned with security, mobility
Troy, Michigan, October 14, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Take a look at the average 16 year old, a member of what’s popularly known as Gen Z. Now take a look at the average 30 year old, who is a member of Gen Y. They seem to have almost nothing in common, except for one thing: They are both considered “digital natives” who have always had the Internet and mobile phones in their hands. They are members of the connected generation, or “Gen C.”
In just a few short years, Gen C will dominate our economy, and our workplace. They will become the single largest group of consumers in the history of civilization.
This creates two issues for employers, said Neal Doshi, co-managing partner of Complete Data Products Inc. in Troy, Michigan.
“One issue is how employees can securely work in locations other than a brick-and-mortar office space,” he said. “The work processes has to be streamlined, and accessible remotely on a variety of mobile devices. There are software solutions that can address those needs, and many employers are investing in them.”
Doshi said that one of the products available to help employers is CDP E-Capsule, a customizable, cloud-based platform that can be accessed from anywhere and on mobile devices.
“Ideally, you want to have a program that can integrate multiple functions, and that can be accessed from iPads and iPhones and Android devices because that’s how people work now,” he said.
That’s because Gen-C’s professional and personal lives tend to blend together, and they are likely to shun the conventional Monday-Friday 9-5 grind. But that doesn’t mean they are lazy. Quite the opposite. They are hard-working, value collaboration, and tend to work long hours, though the hours they work are integrated into their lives by way of digital technology.
They view the office as an extension of their home life. That leads to the other important issue employers have to address as their workforce becomes more mobile: security.
“It’s great if an employer offers workers the opportunity and tools to work outside the office, and outside of traditional work hours,” Doshi said. “But they have to also ensure that that company data is secure, that sensitive company data can’t be accessed by those who shouldn’t be able to get it, and that the company can wipe devices clean of sensitive information in the event that the device is lost or stolen.”
