Millennials currently make up 34 percent of the workforce, and according to Deloitte, they are expected to outnumber Baby Boomers and Generation X to make up 75 percent by 2025. Millennials are sociable, optimistic and goal-oriented, and moving into jobs with higher expectations than any generation before them.
Unlike past generations, millennials represent an age group where collaboration is paramount. Having grown accustomed to group learning from the beginning of their most formative years, Millennials today value the process of working together. They actively seek group settings where new ideas are easily created and strive to be able to seamlessly collaborate with coworkers and clients.
As a result of generational shifts where Millennials begin to dominate the workforce, businesses have had to rethink how to attract and engage Millennials while supporting the dynamics of today’s workplace environment. One key solution to address this need has been the introduction of touch technologies. Touch technologies not only promote creativity, but can drastically improve workflow processes. They support growing workforce trends, such as bring your own device (BYOD), and allow multiple employees to contribute to a single project at one time.
Touch Technologies for the Workplace
Touch technologies, such as video walls, tabletop displays and boardroom solutions, have become ideal tools for the office setting. Each of these solutions can be utilized for a variety of purposes and are redefining the traditional work environment to make it more intuitive and collaborative. Take video walls for example. This technology provides impressive digital signage that allows users to interact and work together by using fingers, IR pens and other everyday objects. When working on projects with numerous team members video walls accelerate timelines, as idea to final product can be easily captured and shared among the entire team for greater productivity overall.
The advancements of touch technology software have also made the use of interactive displays in the workforce highly versatile as they not only function as a work tool but can offer numerous gaming applications as well. In a recent study by Staples, more than 85 percent of employees believe taking regular breaks during the day would make them more productive. When employees need to take a break from a project, or just want to collaborate with coworkers in a laid-back setting, displays like interactive tabletops can provide a live-action experience.
Supporting BYOD with Touch Technologies
Touch technologies also support the growing (BYOD) movement. Millennials, in particular, are highly inclined to BYOD as they seek to use one device to access all applications – thus, the gap between personal and work devices is being bridged. Touch technologies today support the BYOD trend and allow employees to easily sync personal devices to displays to send and receive information, multi-task between projects, or interact with various office locations.
As Millennials crave a flexible work environment where they can telecommute when needed, BYOD is highly embraced. In fact, being able to work across different time zones – especially since 71 percent of millennials expect and want to do an overseas assignment during their career – is essential for employees today. Utilizing collaborative and personal technology that allows employees to move through various office settings with ease has become essential for today’s workforce.
ROI Factor
While touch technology systems can be a substantial investment for any organization, their benefits outweigh the costs in numerous ways. Touch technologies provide a more customized experience for employees and clients alike. For instance, lobby displays are now more intuitive and can easily recognize individual users to track interactions to create a comprehensive CRM system. Detailed reporting of these interactions is in turn allowing businesses to create an in-depth view of clients, in addition to workforce productivity, and the type of collaboration and content they respond best to can easily be deciphered. Importantly, touch technologies are also increasing the speed in which tasks can be completed. A study by Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories indicated as much as a 20 percent reduction in response time for users of touchscreen systems versus a more traditional input method.
The intersection of touch technology and industry trends, such as BYOD, help to leverage long-lasting positive effects on customers and clients and retain top millennial talent in this growing workforce. Touch technologies are more than a ‘nice to have’ company solution, they are becoming imperative for corporations to stand out among the competition.
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