A lot has been written about the next-generation workforce: what it’s like and what a company needs to do to attract and, more importantly, keep it. Although old, there's an interesting article about younger, tech-savvy new workers in the September 19, 2006, issue of The Financial Times "They are the future—and they’re coming to a workplace near you." Only subscribers may access the full article, but there is a preview. |
Bottom line, these new workers live online and are driven by results. They know how to use video conferencing, audio conferencing and any collaboration services needed to get work done. They are more than familiar with using software as a service (SaaS)—in many interviews with junior candidates applying for their first job in Accenture, I found that many of them did their final college work/thesis using Google Docs, sharing and reviewing it with their mentors online. |
You may be asking: What does all this have to do with being green? The answer is: Quite a lot. Put simply, implementing collaboration software and services, such as audio/video conferencing, document sharing and management and, finally, instant messaging, are initiatives that align well with the green agenda as they help reduce travel and commuting. They also help reduce costs, improve productivity and allow your company to work with global teams. |
The next-generation workforce is more virtual than ever. And in this virtual world, reducing the amount of paper needed suits this workforce—and makes it more agile. Electronic workflows make certain processes paperless—the green agenda thanks you very much for that. As does your finance department for saving the costs of paper and printing (maintaining, replacing and buying new printers). By the way, what is your user/printer rate? I know there is no magic number for this, but do you really need all the printers you have? OK, I will talk about printers on another post. |
Another good consequence of preparing for this workforce is perhaps the reduction in the use of office space. Wow!! Not possible!! Think so? Accenture recently saved two floors at its Chicago office, thanks to no longer needing the space because of shift changes among employees, and the technology to support this. Well, multiplying the rental costs for two floors over 12 months will produce good savings at the end of the year. Being able to do this depends on the type of workforce you have, but have you checked whether this is applicable to your business? |
I had a conversation with an Accenture colleague last week, and we talked about a meeting he had weeks ago with the CIO of a big airline company. One of the main concerns of the CIO was the difficulty of attracting and retaining talent. There on the CIO’s desk stood an old computer with Windows 95, using and old e-mail system with zero collaboration (for example, instant messaging or an integrated communication system like the Office Communication Suite) available. Considering the demand for technology this workforce shows, it’s definitely hard to attract and retain talent if they see they do not have the technology infrastructure they need—infrastructure which is aligned with the green agenda. |
The Next-Generation Workforce is more thoughtful than any other category, and they use the modern technology. Perhaps they have not realized yet, but they are green too. |
