A Guide To Employing Generation Y: Digital Skills

The benefits of selecting your new hires from generation Y are many and varied. We take a look at how a millennial could boost your in-house digital arsenal, and get some tips and tricks from our own gen-Yer.

We’ve not been shy on pushing the importance of millennials in today’s business environment. Although they have garnered a (somewhat unfair) reputation for impassivity and dispassion, today’s potential employees come ready equipped with an array of digital skills which may still seem foreign to some of your in-house veterans.
The way in which we do business has been disrupted by technology beyond all recognition. Soon, our children will be learning to code in their everyday education, while the elders among us are left to adapt the way we work in this digital climate with restricted help channels. Here’s where your millennial employee could be beneficial.
So what areas of digital literacy are important in today’s business? And how could a millennial help your employees to adopt these technologies? We spoke to one of our very own millennials to find out.
Which area of digital technology do you feel is an integral part of 21st century business?
Methods of communication; I have watched throughout my lifetime the birth and then takeover of the internet in almost all forms of communication. In order to stay in touch with my dad, for example, I knew it would be necessary to introduce him to smartphone technology.  Much of the older generation has been left behind as the younger population has adopted technology at a fiery pace, and I find that businesses who are yet to embrace the communication technology of today take a fall in global growth potential.
What obstacles does a millennial face when bringing a digital shift to older colleagues?
The first hurdle I encountered was more social than technical. Employees with more experience mistook my willingness to help as patronising. Indeed, these employees were in some cases veterans of the business, and I can imagine it was a struggle to accept help from ‘new blood’. I was torn between wanting to make the technologies easy to navigate and causing offense, but once we established that the knowledge would benefit them that all fell away. The power of human communication is often overlooked in the digital age, yet I learnt its importance in this task.
What would you say is bad practice when approaching digital learning?
When teaching my father how to use his smartphone, I actually searched for “Best apps for senior citizens,”. Perhaps surprisingly, I was disappointed – the results produced suggestions for things like medical monitoring systems and reminders to take pills, all of which seemed appropriate for senior citizens who have already adopted technology and would feel comfortable depending on it for the management of their health care, not for someone new to the technical scene.  It’s important to gauge the level of digital literacy your colleagues have already so as not to offend them by bringing things right back to basics. Many business veterans will now be familiar with a smartphone, but struggle with the intricacies of Skype calling, while others may still have trouble understanding autocorrect.  Each individual’s level of digital literacy is unique, and thus must be approached as such.
How is the experience of collaborating with older colleagues mutually beneficial?
My generation have a lot to learn about the ways of the business world! Myself and my colleagues learn something new each and every day. While digital skills are integral to businesses around the world today, there are a plethora of skills aside from the technological which keep a business ticking along. Cross-generational collaboration is hugely beneficial for all members of a team; I can’t stress that enough.
As the internet of things becomes mainstream technology and the office that we know today becomes smarter, there will be another new technology to challenge the entire population waiting just around the corner, and most of us will likely need help from our children and grandchildren to understand it all. So take advantage of the digitally literate generation Y-ers, as the mutual benefits are too great to ignore. Let’s be honest, once teleportation becomes a regular thing, both old and young are going to want to give it a go.
Do you have any advice for businesses looking to employ millennials? Tweet us @VPSNET.