Best Practices

GEN Z TO BOOMERS

5 insights on technology use

With multiple generations currently active in the workforce, we have an extremely broad range of childhood experiences with technology to consider. And although it’s not accurate to say all Gen Z employees are this way, or all Boomers have this or that attitude, we know that how employees grew up communicating and accessing information impacts their expectations for technology at work.

Technology usage and preferences become even more important in a hybrid workplace, where communications, collaboration and culture building all depend on digital channels. If you’re charged with engaging employees in communications, here are five points to consider.

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Many Gen Z only know remote work

Gen Z is steadily filling the entry-level ranks, many of them starting their first job during the pandemic. This may make them more interested in face-to-face interaction in the office, if only for the novelty. But they’ll also expect their companies to have great technology. For instance, they may quickly grow frustrated with a clunky intranet. 

Boomers started out with typists

Although you can expect Boomers to own smartphones and be comfortable interacting online, keep in mind that their early work experiences were very different from offices today. There were no laptops, or even desktop computers. Instead, they might have had a typist stationed outside their office door. So give them credit for adapting to changing technology.

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Gen Z uses their phones to pass the time

This is an opportunity for internal communications to provide content that might get younger employees’ attention. For instance, you might post videos, podcasts, and social media-like photos with captions on your intranet or other internal channels. And if you want them to engage with the intranet for content other than what’s essential to their jobs, make sure it’s mobile-friendly.

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They all use technology to connect

They may differ in their preferred platform — such as Gen Z and Millennials preferring text to email, or Gen Z spending more time on TikTok and BeReal while Boomers are still faithful to Facebook — but human connections online are familiar to all. This is a tremendous advantage in helping to build and maintain culture in a hybrid work environment.

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Employees want flexibility in platforms

Ideally, organizations would be able to provide employees some personal choice in the platforms and tools they use for productivity, collaboration and connection. This can drive IT departments crazy, but as we saw with Slack’s rogue adoption years ago, just because the company doesn’t support a certain technology doesn’t mean employees won’t use it anyway.

How can we help?

Tribe does internal communications – and that’s all we do. We’re a full-service shop, from audits and strategy to creative and production.

Steve Baskin
President and Chief Strategy Officer
Office: (404) 256-5858
Mobile: (404) 663-7910
[email protected]