Attracting Top Talent: What the Newest Generation Wants

By Dave Moorman, DynaSis

Earlier this year, talent solutions firm Glassdoor ran an article about how companies can avoid scaring away top talent. In the article, the company pointed out that the job market has improved considerably, and companies are again competing for the most talented workers, especially in high-skill positions.
This particular article focused on avoiding mistakes in the interview process, but there are other steps companies can take to ensure they lure the “best and brightest” candidates in today’s market. When those candidates are promising college graduates or young workers, the answer lies in technology.

According to a report released by networking giant Cisco Systems, young professionals under 30 and college students place a high value on unrestricted technology access―specifically freedom in choosing their mobile devices and using the Internet and social media. Rather than keeping their work and personal lives separate, or focusing on work-life balance (a term that is now nearly three decades old), they yearn for a blended approach.

For example, a separate study found that most young workers prefer to check corporate email in the morning before heading into the office―and many say they want access to email and corporate resources at night and even on vacation. Rather than viewing this access as an intrusion into their private time, they see it as an opportunity to stay caught up and begin their workdays without a log-jam of messages to process.

This generation also wants working flexibility, with 69% and 70% of workers and college students in the Cisco survey, respectively, reporting it is unnecessary to be physically in the office regularly with the exception of important meetings. Access to corporate information is also a top perk―approximately 64% of respondents want access to corporate data on their home computers; 51% want it on their personal mobile devices.

Additionally, this technology-centric group wants to be trusted to use social media in the workplace. They view social media as a cornerstone of communication and collaboration, not a toy. In fact, 56% of those surveyed indicated they would either not accept a job offer from a company that banned access to social media―or they would find a way to circumvent the rule.

More importantly for companies with tight budgets, more than 40% of college students and young employees under the age of 30 said they would accept a lower-paying job that had more flexibility of device choice, social media access and mobility than a higher-paying job with less flexibility.

Admittedly, these statistics are for college students and young workers in general, as it is impossible to predict and interview only future stars. Nevertheless, with these preferences being so broadly applicable, it is highly likely that talented individuals share these views. SMBs who embrace these approaches have the best chance of winning top talent at a lower salary level than those who continue to follow outdated technology models.

DynaSis can perform business and technology assessments and develop recommendations for moving your firm in this direction securely and with minimal disruption. To learn more, I invite you to call me.