Workplace collaboration, barriers and the generational divide: how Gen Z are driving tech adoption

This informal CPD article Workplace collaboration, barriers and the generational divide: how Gen Z are driving tech adoption was provided by Gamma Business Communications, a leading supplier of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) in the UK, German, Spanish and Benelux business markets.

The way we work has drastically changed. While calling this new reality a ‘new normal’ is certainly a bit of a cliché, we cannot ignore how the pandemic acted as a catalyst for change in our personal and working lives. Flexible or hybrid working, once an added benefit, has now become expected by existing and potential employees. In particular, the differing priorities of the younger workforce generation are shaping the way companies approach new technology, benefits and processes.

For business leaders, this poses new challenges to ensure all are satisfied, productive and collaborative – regardless of location. However, this shift also poses new opportunities to create a workplace where any barriers to positive behavioural changes are removed and where the adoption of new technology is fostered and encouraged.

Reshaping the future of work: Gen Z

Recent global challenges have certainly put more focus on maintaining mental health. Amongst all, there’s one group of workers who has really taken the concept of work-life balance to new highs: Gen Z. According to recent reports, Gen Z will make up 27% of the workforce by 2025¹ – bringing with them fresh perspectives on values and ways of working. For them, work is what you do, not where you do it. More evidently than other generations, Gen Z are looking for a sense of purpose and achievement – founding their career choices on purpose and principles, as well as work-life balance.

As the first digital native generation, Gen Z are thrilled by the prospect of flexible working options. Before the pandemic, 1 out of 67 jobs on LinkedIn offered the option to work remotely², with that figure dropping to 1 in 7 by the start of 2022.

In this light, business leaders must re-evaluate the tools and solutions they have in place to cater for the needs of this new group of workers. While established employees might struggle to adapt to new technologies and might be more resistant to change, Gen Z recognise the importance of technology to encourage seamless collaboration and welcome new solutions that can help them establish better working relationships and better work-life balance.

A good example? Microsoft’s 2022 Work Trend Index highlights how receptive the younger generations are to VR tech, with 51% of Gen Z respondents open to the idea of the Metaverse at work.

Challenges and opportunities

If on one hand, new generations are pushing for new, collaborative technology in the workplace, on the other, there are still evident barriers that hinder the adoption of new collaboration tools in the workplace. Fear of change, outdated company culture and confusion over choice are preventing businesses from taking the next step in their collaboration journey.

Company culture

When remote working became the norm, it shook the foundations of classic company culture – from the in-person meetings to the informal chats and the 9 to 5 workday. It quickly became evident that business leaders had been reluctant to change for no real reason. Employees simply continue to do their work remotely, with the same level of productivity, if not higher in some instances.

Moving forward, business leaders should learn from this and foster a culture of change and flexibility, where employees feel empowered to embrace new ways of working that can increase productivity and foster better work-life balance.

Fear of change

Humans are creatures of habit, finding comfort in familiar and safe environments. When anything changes our day-to-day, we tend to be resistant to it and are scared it will complicate and disrupt our lives. This is evident when new technology is adopted. Changing processes with new tools can often jeopardise that feeling of comfort in the ‘old ways’, with many refusing to adhere to new ways of collaborating and simply defaulting to what they know.

To ensure new technology adoption is welcomed, business leaders must take the time to walk employees through the benefits of new technologies; how they’ll improve their day-to-day and why it’s going to be important to the individual’s work. Clear, concise communication will be key.

Confusion over choice

Adopting the right tech to enable collaboration is vital. With the right tools, employees are empowered to work from their location of choice, enjoying the benefits of flexible working hours and in turn, increasing productivity. Combining technologies together, such as UCaaS and CCaaS solutions, can generate further benefits besides a more innovative and productive workforce, such as an enhanced customer experience.

Yet, the array of collaboration tools in the market can overwhelm business leaders and employees – the first unsure of which solution to adopt, and the second of which to use in their day-to-day lives. Faced with this issue, business communication and productivity are often fragmented and left to the preference of the user. A lack of direction and a clear message of what the business is working toward also threatens to hinder the adoption of collaboration tools, especially when training is lacking.

This is why it has never been more important for business leaders to define clear goals and to provide training to ease employees’ confusion over tools and solutions, and in turn, paint a clearer picture of the purpose of each tool.

Conclusion

Taking down the barriers to technology adoption will require plenty of work from leaders, who are tasked with satisfying the growing demands of their employees. While Gen Z and millennials are clearly more receptive to hybrid working and the benefits of the latest collaboration tools, existing employees are still finding it hard to adapt to the sea of changes we’ve had to face in the past years. For now, it’s all about finding a balance - a hybrid approach, clear direction and training will be vital to empower employees and businesses. Co-creating the future of work can’t be done with a divided workforce.

We hope this article was helpful. For more information from Gamma Business Communications, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, please visit the CPD Industry Hubs for more CPD articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.

References

¹https://mccrindle.com.au/article/topic/generation-z/gen-z-and-gen-alpha-infographic-update/

²https://www.cbsnews.com/news/great-resignation-60-minutes-2022-01-10/