The Rise of Gen Y in the Workplace

Younger workers from Generation Y (20 to 34 years old) are replacing the retiring Baby Boomers in the workforce. New generational research from CompTIA indicates that, as Gen Y assumes the prime labor role, these younger workers will bring new preferences, new behaviors, and new expectations—especially with regard to how technology is used in the workplace.

Younger workers from Generation Y (20 to 34 years old) are replacing the retiring Baby Boomers in the workforce. New generational research from CompTIA indicates that, as Gen Y assumes the prime labor role, these younger workers will bring new preferences, new behaviors, and new expectations—especially with regard to how technology is used in the workplace.

A few of the insights from the study, Generational Research on Technology and its Impact in the Workplace:

  • Gen Y employment hasn’t come easy—unemployment stood at 13.2% among 20 to 24 year olds, compared to just 5.3% for workers 55 and older in May 2013, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

  • Technology is a part of Gen Y’s self-image: 65% of Gen Y workers claim either “cutting-edge technology usage” or “upper tier use of technology” — compared to only 32% of Boomers making that self-assessment.

  • Smartphones are standard Gen Y workplace tools: 74% of Gen Y workers used one for work purposes in the last year, compared with 37% of Boomers.

  • Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is the norm: Nearly two-thirds of Gen Y workers use a personal device or application at work, compared with just a third of Baby boomers.

  • Gen Y seeks training more often: Three out of 10 20-somethings have sought voluntary training, compared with an average of 2 in 10 in the Boomers and Gen X age groups.

  • Gen Y embraces e-learning: 45% of Gen Y workers have used e-learning to train within the past 12 months, a significantly higher rate than the 34% average for all age groups.

  • Training sees a Gen Y gender divide: Three in 10 young female workers reported participating in no training at all, compared with 17 percent of Gen Y males. While 34% of males said their employer required them to attain a professional certification or credential of some type, only 24 percent of Gen Y females answered similarly.

  • Gen Y wants expanded training options: Nearly half of workers in their 20s and 30s said the use of mobility and social media as platforms for professional development and training would be beneficial. More than a third of the Gen Y group wants to train via simulation-type games (compared to just 8% of Baby Boomers who considered it a potentially useful resource).

  • Younger office workers are slightly more open to emerging methods of IT support: 20- and 30-something workers look for more touch points for IT support such as video chat or text.

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