COLUMN
talking point
Millennials need space to work
Mary Ann de Lares Norris , VP EMEA of Oblong Industries , looks at how to provide the most effective environment for millennials to deliver maximum productivity .
In a recent report from PwC , it was revealed that by 2020 millennials ( adults aged between 18 and 34 ) will have overtaken all other generations to make up 50 per cent of the global workforce . The potential of millennials must be harnessed to drive productivity and economic growth , so integrators must consider how they can provide the technology that enables businesses to do so .
Millennials are collaborative , social , mobile and tech savvy , consuming and sharing information instantly , enjoying social interaction at their fingertips and connecting with previously inaccessible brands , companies and individuals from the palm of their hand . Millennials anticipate instant connectivity , mobile interaction and seamless , collaborative technology as standard in their working environment . Integrators are crucial to the implementation of this more mobile , connected way of working . We must ensure that AV / IT systems not only enable this collaborative approach to working , but are future proofed so that as technology develops and ways of working evolve , so AV and IT systems are not restricting this development , but are enhancing it .
While generation Xers are comfortable being presented to , most millennials want to participate in and drive the discussion , solving problems collaboratively and without the barriers of a formally structured meeting . As flexible working becomes more commonplace and staff are ever more distributed , integrators must ensure that communication is seamless . Instant connectivity means the workforce is breaking through the confines of traditional office environments , using technology that allows them to connect to systems , colleagues and information from anywhere .
The traditional meeting , consisting of all attendees gathering in one room with one large screen to see a presentation is outdated . Millennials are bringing laptops , tablets and smartphones to meetings to take notes and to reference work in real time . With the right technology , they can share instantly the content locked in those devices for everyone to see . Videoteleconferencing and document sharing technologies are already offering roomto-room and peer-to-peer connections across locations , but the most sophisticated and productive solutions provide participants with simultaneous access and control to a united workspace , regardless of their location .
It is the responsibility of AV consultants , installers and integrators , as the experts , to embrace the latest technological developments and educate clients about the possibilities . Secondly , integrators need to develop workplace collaboration systems that are device agnostic , enabling streams from a wide range of connected devices regardless of operating system , location , or type . Whiteboard , Internet , laptops , databank , all of these need to come together simultaneously and side by side to remove barriers to productivity and engagement . For meetings to really engage the millennial generation , workplace infrastructure must empower meeting participants to share their work and ideas instantly to accelerate decisionmaking by bringing all factors into a common view .
Finally , but arguably most importantly , the experience needs to be exhilarating . Workplace collaboration technology needs to be immersive , fast , visually beautiful , innovative , adaptive and future proof . With the huge advances in visual collaboration and the emergence of Info-presence ( the flexible flow of content and data from multiple sources across multiple screens and connected locations on demand ), meeting with colleagues can be an exciting , dynamic experience . Info-presence is the experience of being immersed with your work group ’ s vital content and data , for those present in the room and also those in distributed locations . It can transform the workplace from a rigid and structured environment to an immersive , three-dimensional workplace that complements the intelligence , aspirations and collaborative tendencies of millennials .
Oblong ’ s Mezzanine is delivering Info-presence in a variety of organisations across the globe . The Mezzanine system helps maximise millennial interest and retention , keeping them connected . Info-presence provides a deeper connection to information , immersing groups in a radically new relationship with their data facilitates the visualisation and absorption of data , engaging teams more easily , quickly and effectively . Integrators that can provide experiences such as Info-presence in the workplace can give their clients a significant competitive advantage by stimulating feelings of engagement and purpose that will attract and retain the talent rapidly defining the 21st century workplace . The reign of the ‘ bored room ’ will soon be at an end .
10