30 April 2008
Young people hiding behind email?
School leavers love technology but don't like personal communication.
Statistics from software company FileMaker's recently published Educated Tea Makers report suggest that 82% of 16-18 year olds feel confident in their basic IT and computing skills, yet only 64% feel confident in their interpersonal skills.
This presents a worrying trend for tech-savvy employees who don't like to chat face to face.
Lack of training
The report, which includes data from a survey of 1,000 recent school leavers or graduates in the early stages of employment, shows that IT is second nature to the young workforce, who indicated they spent around 62% of their time in front of a computer while at work.
The survey also highlights a need for structured training, with most respondents indicating there was no formal in-house training on new systems or software, instead organizations were happy to let employees learn more on the job.
Given the widely reported notion that younger generations find email old-fashioned, some may be surprised.
Youngsters using email?
Given the widely reported notion that younger generations find email old-fashioned, some may be surprised to read an included comment from Max Deeley, a recent school leaver from Windsor, UK, who finds email a natural complement to messages sent on instant messenger and via social networks:
"I do find it easier to communicate over email at work because it helps me to get across what I am trying to say quicker and more concisely. I wouldn't avoid using the telephone or speaking face to face but I do feel more confident when I can use electronic communication. I often chat to friends and colleagues over social networking sites like Facebook or send them a text message so it seems natural for me to continue this into the workplace."
Relationship concerns
However, the preference for electronic communication in the workplace has long-term potential to cause problems.
“Once a person has experience of using IT on a regular basis and becomes confident with how it functions, it can be easier and more predictable to deal with than people," says Cary Cooper CBE, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at Lancaster University.
Relying on IT can restrict emotional engagement and can often lead more quickly to unnecessary conflict and misunderstanding.
"However, while IT can be a very useful medium of communication it's worrying to see that the balance is tipping away from face-to-face discussion. In some situations it can be daunting to engage a person in direct conversation but it's hugely important when building relationships to be able to do this. Relying on IT can restrict emotional engagement and can often lead more quickly to unnecessary conflict and misunderstanding.”
Have your say
Are younger employees in your organization failing at inter-personal communication? Do you think different generations really prefer different communication methods to each other, or is it just a case of them being more "used to" certain comms channels instead of them necessarily deciding on a preference?
Discuss these issues and others with other comms practitioners by joining the Internal Comms Hub members' group on the Communicators' Network.
Further links and resources:
A communicators guide to Generation Y
Podcast: Engaging a four-generation workforce
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