Technological innovations are reshaping the future workplace and giving rise to “Supertaskers,” a generation of workers that are able to use multiple technologies to manage and perfectly carry out various tasks simultaneously, according to the 2014 Cisco Connected World Technology Report (CCWTR).
The CCWTR reveals that the workforce demands of Generation X and Millennial workers are changing their employers’ policies to accommodate more flexible work schedules and attitudes. Among other findings, the report also revealed that by the year 2020, the majority of Generation X and Y professionals believe that smartphones and wearable devices will be the workforce’s most important “connected” device – while the laptop remains the workplace device of choice.
The report is reflective of Filipino’s workplace behavior, based on a local survey conducted by Cisco where almost half of the professionals surveyed (47%) said that they want to be free from the typical 9-to-5 work schedule. Furthermore, more than half of the respondents said that they would rather work at home than go to the office (53%), citing travel times and discontent with the office environment. The survey also showed that Filipinos consider the smartphone as their device of choice—66 percent of the surveyed professionals chose smartphones when forced to choose one device for their work and personal lives. This is consistent with a key finding of the CCWTR that Gen X and Millennial professionals believe the smartphone is their most important connected device by 2020.
“These days, people in the office are looking for instant access to the best communication and collaboration tools and expect these tools to be always available on any device, anytime, anywhere. The findings in the Cisco Connected World Technology Report suggest new approaches to consider in deploying technology tools and solutions for the workplace. With more Millennials joining the workforce in the Philippines, local companies need to adapt to their highly mobile and flexible working styles to keep them engaged with the company and the role. Our job as leaders is to welcome and adopt new ways of working together, to help increase the competitiveness of the Philippines and to drive economic transformation,” said Louie Castaneda, Country Manager, Cisco Philippines.
The “Supertasker” as the most desirable employee of the future
- More than four in 10 Gen X and Millennial workers, along with nearly 6 out of 10 HR professionals, consider themselves to be a “Supertasker,” defined as individuals who can successfully do more than two things at once, and do them well.
- In the Philippines, about three out of 10 Gen X and Millennial workers consider themselves as Supertaskers, claiming that Supertasking helps them become more productive in the workplace.
Supertasking: Gen X vs. Millennials
- Millennial workers are highly positive of their performance in the workplace. Believing that they are “wired” differently than Gen X employees in terms of efficiency and multitasking, 56 percent of Millennials believe that they are more efficient than Gen X employees.
- This is supported by the survey’s findings that 60 percent of Gen X professionals and 81 percent of HR professionals believe that Millennials are able to perform their tasks faster than older employees using mobile devices and apps.
Flexibility in the workplace
- In terms of work flexibility, more than half of Gen X and Millennial professionals consider themselves available for work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 3 out of 10 professionals also claim that they are accessible through both email and phone.
- However, Gen X professionals are more likely to work remotely as opposed to millennial professionals—more than 4 out of 10 Millennials (44 percent) claim that they are most focused and productive when working in the office, while Gen X professionals (38 percent) say they can be equally focused and productive at home and in the office.
- In contrast, 88 percent of surveyed Filipino Millennials claim that they are more productive in the office, while all surveyed Gen X professionals equally favor their home and office spaces.
- Given these evolving needs and preferences, Cisco aims to provide businesses and uses with the tools that will make them more productive and effective at work.
The fourth annual Cisco Connected World Technology Report examines the relationship between human behavior, the Internet and networking’s pervasiveness. Examining this relationship unearths data about how companies will remain competitive amid the influence of technology lifestyle trends. The global report, based on surveys of professionals between the ages of 18 and 50 in 15 countries, provides insight into present-day challenges that companies face as they strive to balance current and future employee and business needs amid increasing mobility capabilities, security risks and technologies.
