Millennial Employees and Their Digital Demands

Here’s an unsettling tidbit for employers: Forty-two percent of millennials say they would quit their job if their employer uses subpar technology, according to a report from marketing website DMR, formerly Digital Marketing Ramblings.

Millennials — those workers born between 1982 and 2000 — became the largest generation in the U.S. workforce in 2015. Studies show that the group will make up more than a third of the global workforce by 2020 and as much as 75 percent of America’s workforce by 2025. Businesses must be ready for this massive group of employees whose digital demands can transform industries overnight.

Growing up in the world of mobility, these digital-native employees view their smartphone as much more than a tool; rather, these devices dismantle the barriers between their professional and private lives.

A recent Zinwave survey found that cell phones are second only to email as the most popular business communication tool. Zinwave also found that millennials use their cell phones at work more than any other generation of employees. Additionally, in a prior survey,  Zinwave identified millennials as the group most likely to complain about frequent problems with cellular coverage and the irritation and productivity losses it causes. Millennials demand reliable and strong indoor signals, and they’re increasingly blaming their companies or building owners for unreliability.

Companies, therefore, must invest in reliable, flexible and future-proof cellular connectivity solutions. The solution must be vendor-agnostic, since it must support different brands of devices, cellular carriers and wireless spectrum frequencies. And it must offer a low total cost of ownership (TCO) while being capable of adding more carriers and frequencies without requiring more hardware.

These mobile-first employees demand that their workplace support their mobile lifestyle. It’s essential that businesses understand that — or risk losing a talented workforce.

Scott Willis is president and CEO of Zinwave, which offers in-building wireless products and service through its patented distributed antenna system.