Engaging Digital Natives

Sughosh TembreSenior Lead – Human Resources

Infosys LimitedPhD Scholar at SPPU

Agenda

• Digital Natives….?

• Contemporary Research

• Workplace Implications

• Engaging Digital Natives

Introduction 2

Digital Natives….?Introduction 3

Who are they?Introduction 4

DIGITAL NATIVES: 30 years old or younger They have grown up with digital technologies and have integrated them into their lives from a very early age

DIGITAL IMMIGRANTS: 30 years old or older They have similar behaviors to “core” Digital Natives They were confronted with digital technologies

and adopted them

Source: Johnson Controls Study

Introduction 5

Generations – Global Outlook

Source: Grail Research

Digital Immigrants Digital Natives

Generations in India Introduction 6

Gen Y – Millennial /Digital Natives

Generation X – Baby Boomers

Traditional – Post Independence

1940 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010

Even though there’s no direct relation to the

population booms of the US, India follows

the US with generational titles and

timeframes; meaning Gen Y in India = 1985-

2000, Gen X = 1965-1979.

Source: Steelcase Research

Contemporary Studies

• It is now clear that as a result of this ubiquitous information environment and the

sheer volume of their interaction with it, today’s students think and process

information fundamentally differently from their predecessors.

– Marc Prensky – “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” 2001

• “Different kinds of experiences lead to different brain structures” - Dr. Bruce D.

Berry of Baylor College of Medicine.

– it is very likely that our students’ brains have physically changed – and are different from

ours – as a result of how they grew up

Introduction 7

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Distinct difference when comparing Internet-savvy

users and naïve users during the Internet search task. Internet-savvy users used different areas of the

brain compared to the naïve users.

Stanford University study says that for every hour

we spend on our computers, traditional face-to-face interaction

time drops by nearly thirty minutes

Source: Mediative

Some Key Characteristics….

DIGITAL NATIVES

• Used to receiving information quickly

and randomly (out-of-order)

• Prefer graphics before text

• Prefer Games to Serious work

• Function best when networked

• Instant gratification

• Parallel process and multi-task

• Eg. Can process different types of

information at the same time (watch

TV, listen to music, do homework)

• More likely to place personal

information on the Internet

DIGITAL IMMIGRANTS

• Like step-by-step instructions

• Read more books and print

newspapers

• View games as a leisure activity and

not work

• More cautious about using new

technology

• Tend to use proper English in

correspondence

• Print hard copy to edit

Digital Natives 9

Idea Internet Network - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVE9iGcOYw8

• This is the generation who are now beginning to enter the workplace; they will become

the knowledge workers of the future.

• Because of their growing up in a digital world, they are armed with a different set of

skill sets than previous generations.

• They have developed behavioral and ethical norms in sharing and using technology

that differ significantly from the previous generations.

• As they enter the workforce, filling the projected employment gap as millions of “baby

boomers” retire over the next decade, they may find themselves in organizational

structures, policies, processes & systems designed by and for the previous generation

• They are is using different modes of communication than in the past and companies

should leverage those channels in engaging them

• Attrition rates are soaring in organizations; employee engagement and retention have

gained more importance than ever before

Objective 10

Why Engage the Digital Natives?

Employee Engagement

“Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.”

- Stephen Covey

• Employee Engagement: Employee engagement is the degree to which an employee is

cognitively and emotionally committed to his or her work and organization.

Objective 11

Source: Corporate Leadership Council

What do I get – Materials and equipment. Expectations at work

What do I Give – Development,Recognition and Care

Do I Belong – QualityBest friend at work, Purpose / Mission

How canWe

Grow –Opportunities

to learn & grow

Gallup Q12 – Employee Engagement levels

Define aspirations and Set expectations. Digitally integrated work environment.

Indicators for Engaging the Digital Natives

Manager as Mentor, Flexibility at workplace, Materialistic Rewards

Work as extension toFamily, Friends and Social connections. Employer brand & identity

Goal Actualization,Learning ,Social Recognition

Concept 7

Engaging Digital Natives Conceptual Framework

Source: Adaptation from Gallup Q12

HR ImplicationsHR Implications 13

Overview

• A wave of Digital Natives is about to or has already started entering the

workplace

• Organizations will need to cope with the habits and assumptions of this new

workforce?

Traits at Work

• Technology dependent

• Constantly multitasking & Virtually connected

• Instant gratification & Shifting Loyalty

• Changing Values, Attitude & Work Style

HR Implications

• Technology driven HR Solutions (Vodafone Shared Services)

• Use of Web 2.0 and Mobility (InfyBubble)

• Reinventing Rewards & Recognition (Accenture / HCL)

• Differentiated Engagement (HR Policies)

What are Companies Doing? - Employee Engagement Trends

Awards to recognise,

acknowledge, appreciate

and reward employee’s

achievement (even small)

Rewards & Recognition

Social media

Internal blogs

Video Sharing & Radio

Online Cross-functional

groups for projects

Group activities –sports

/ arts / music

Education, Green IT,

health, rural development,

upliftment of women and

children, etc

‘Work, play, and share’ –

Pull Strategy through Web 2.0

CEO Blog: Communicates

with employees; also seeks

ideas / views and opinions on

various topics

Infy Bubble: Social Media

Platform for employees

InfyTv :Video Sharing

CommunicationInteraction CSR & Technology

Individuals: Pat on the

Back Award, Star

Performer Award, Long

Service Award, Star of the

Month Award, Instant

Recognition and Special

Awards, etc – Online

Vouchers (Flipkart, Croma

etc)

Teams: Star Team Award -

Offsites

One Cognizant: –

Gamification Initiative to use

leaderboards & games to

encourage employee

participation

Sales Associates get-together

to share notes on business ,

market development, etc

E.X.I.T.E. camps: For girl

students to take up science as

a career , thus enhancing the

resource pool

BYOD – Bring your own

device to work

Mobile Apps – Fightback,

(TechM) Airtel Money

9HR Implications

Social Edge - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VjCqHrExrg

Engaging Digital Natives – Key Points

• Use of Social Media & Web 2.0

– Blogs, Wikis, Knowledge Banks

– Podcasts, Webex & Videostreams

– Social Networks & Mobility

• Gamification

• Self help ;but 24*7 Support

• Online Presence (Physical proximity does not matter) – Change in Org. Structures

• Differentiated Rewards – Instant, Simple and Tangible

• Awareness about Security Policies & IP

• Don’t expect Loyalty >> Expect Advocacy

• Money matters, but flexibility & creativity at job drives motivation!

Engagement 15

Engaging Students

• Bit by Byte – Content Sharing

• Connected – Range of Devices & Platforms

• Transparency & Free Sharing of Knowledge

• Create Blogs, engage them Online…..

• Use Games for learning

• Share & Upload short Audios / Videos

• Use Photos, Info graphs & Diagrams

• Provide Forums & Enable peer review- with range of Deadlines for

Assignments

• Engage students outside the classroom (both electronically & physically)

• Engage with tools / materials that matter to them

Student Engagement 16

Source: Alaress & Corporate Leadership Council

References

• Nasscom – Report on Chainging HR Trends

• Prensky, M. (2001 Dec). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants: Do

they really think differently? On the Horizon, 9(6).

• Grail Research. 2011. Consumers of Tomorrow. Grail Research

Corporate Website. [Online] November 2011.

www.grailresearch.com.

• Digital Natives - University of Auckland Business Review,

Volume 15 No1, 2012

• Generation Y: What they want from work

www.talentsmoothie.com

• Infosys Limited (2014):Sparsh Intranet

• Kothari C R (2004) – Research Methodology Methods and

Techniques : New Age Publishers

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Thank You!

Safe Harbor – Information and data represented in this presentation is based on secondary research. This is intended for educational and student learning purpose only. While due care has been taken to respect Copyright and Intellectual Property Information. The creator of this presentation does not take any responsibility and liability for any violations.

Views expressed in this presentation are of the author’s and do not represent or propagate any organization

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