3/19/2017 The discussion around the future of email is ongoing, but the fact is that Generation Z, today’s teens have grown up with collaborative, mobile platforms and don’t use email. A Pew Charitable Trust study in 2012 that revealed that only 6% of teens use email while 95% have an online presence. What will happen when these teens reach the job market? Which companies will they choose to work for? Based upon their learned behaviors growing up, they will choose to work for companies where collaborative platforms are the norm – not something that email does well. They will expect companies to give them more freedom over their hours and projects and ability to collaborate. Money and career path are no longer the primary drivers since they don’t expect to work for any company more than 2-3 years.
As collaborative software becomes prevalent, the need for email will decrease and so will its effectiveness, since most employees agree that their inboxes are overflowing and it’s hard to determine which communications are a priority. In addition to collaborative tools, productivity tools such as SnapComms, Lync, Netpresenter will eclipse email as primary information distribution systems that also offer collaborative tools. Email isn’t going to disappear, buts its role will change from primary communications system to an adjunct to the more intuitive, collaborative tools that today’s teens have grown up with. |
from an employee-based model to outsourced model. It points to operating efficiency,
lower overhead and the ability to scale rapidly in either direction as among the reasons for
its success. It offers examples such as Walmart, Federal Express, Virgin America and Google where the model is currently being used.
It appears that this model will be comprised of two main groups: generation X, along with a smattering of millennials for whom loyalty and job security are not career objectives, and boomers who have aged out and will accept lower-paying, project oriented assignments because they have no choice.
While there are large issues to be discussed and debated, the challenge for communicators
is: How do you communicate effectively and motivate a contract workforce that lacks the intrinsic motivation to go the extra mile for their “home team” – because there isn’t one?
Inherently, most people want to do good work. And, they want to be recognized. The contract model doesn’t surgically remove these motivations, but it certainly makes it more difficult. Currently, approximately 50-60% of all internal communication is ignored. While
there are multiple reasons for this, it’s going to be even harder to reach contract employees who have little incentive to engage with their quasi-temporary employer. The contract model is going to require new thinking about how you communicate, engage and motivate contract workers. We’ve been working on the problem and suggest that our colleagues give the question some thought, as we believe it is going to be a larger issue in the future.
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