What is the ideal working environment for digital natives?

Generational change, digitalization and globalization are fundamentally altering the world of work: Demographic developments are increasing the proportion of older employees, and at the same time the workforce is becoming more heterogeneous - in terms of their qualifications, working methods, cultural backgrounds and demands on the employer. Well-educated, technology-savvy and success-oriented digital natives are in demand on the job market. In this blog, you can find out what kind of working environment makes your company attractive to digital natives.

In recent years, numerous efforts have been made, not only in Switzerland, to counter the shortage of young talent in the IT sector: universities and colleges have developed new courses of study in computer science and IT, companies offer training opportunities or paid internships for career changers, and many large companies have outsourced IT business activities to geographically close locations. Nevertheless, most HR specialists, recruiters and market observers agree that the so-called "talent gap" in the ICT sector is unlikely to be bridged any time soon. In Western countries, international companies such as Google, IBM and Facebook, which invest considerable financial and human resources in employer branding, are swallowing up a large proportion of developers and programmers. This makes it even more difficult for SMEs and start-ups to recruit qualified IT staff. According to a report by the Swiss ICT and Internet industry lobby group (SWICO), all segments of the ICT industry in Switzerland indicate that they have difficulty in recruiting specialists.

This is what distinguishes digital natives

According to studies, the change in the labor market caused by digitalization and globalization has a direct impact on the innovation potential and competitiveness of companies. Digital natives currently make up the majority of applicants in the ICT industry and a significant proportion of employees already on the job market. According to Gabler Wirtschaftslexikon, the term digital native refers to a person "who has grown up with information technologies and the Internet since childhood and is unfamiliar with a world without digital media." Generation Y, which includes everyone born between about 1980 and 2000, is the first generation of digital natives. "What probably distinguishes all those born after 1980 is their affinity for PCs, mobile phones and social media. The members of Generation Y are the first digital natives and have already fundamentally turned the job market upside down with desires such as home office and flexible working hours, as well as with their naturalness in using social media. Rigid working hours are unattractive to them," writes the international management consulting firm Mercer in a blog post. In this age group, the desire for self-determined work is great. This requires the right working environment for digital natives.

Community and teamwork should be encouraged

"The Gen Y wants to think for itself, act independently, make its activities mobile and flexible working hours" is the conclusion of the recruitment specialist HR Monkeys. Representative of Generation Y often question hierarchies and thought patterns. They expect Superiors with good leadership qualities and continuous feedback on their Work. An open and transparent communication culture plays an important role in recruitment and leadership of the first generation of digital natives a important role. A productive working atmosphere as well as an atmosphere Corporate culture that suits the personality is also central to ensuring that generation Y feels comfortable at their workplace. Prefer digital natives Employers who promote community and teamwork. Investment in a tailor-made IT infrastructure, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and other technologies that enable more efficient completion of repetitive tasks, will benefit digital natives. It's easier for them to work on to delegate technologies than their older colleagues. So they can focus on strategic activities and concentrate on the core business.

The option to work remotely can be a major advantage when recruiting new employees. In surveys conducted years before the outbreak of the pandemic, many digital natives stated that flexible working hours and the option to work remotely were aspects of the working environment that should not be neglected when choosing an employer. Self-determination is an important asset, especially in Western culture. For many employees it is motivating to be able to work in a self-determined environment - and sometimes also with self-selected working and break times. The group and open-plan offices that have become standard today, with constant contact with colleagues, are not the right environment for all employees. Being able to choose a place of work that suits you can be perceived as a sign of the employer's appreciation and be conducive to motivation.

The right IT infrastructure promotes a flexible way of working

According to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of people working at least occasionally in the home office more than quadrupled between 2001 and 2018, rising from 250,000 to over one million employees and self-employed persons. Project-related work that requires little personal interaction with team colleagues and tasks that require the highest level of concentration can be carried out much more efficiently in a home office or other quiet workplace than in the office. Flexibility in working hours and location requires a flexible and stable IT infrastructure. It must be possible to access applications at any time, from anywhere in the world and with multiple end devices. The cloud is accessible around the clock, allowing flexible working hours and minimizing downtime.

Xelon supports companies of all sizes in designing the appropriate IT infrastructure. When providing the IT environment, factors must be such as company size, working methods, mission, industry, the scope of the online project and the portfolio. While stability, reliability and security of the IT infrastructure mostly belong to the If you have to meet a number of mandatory criteria, the expectations of scalability differ, Flexibility and price-performance ratio often massive. Xelon knows the requirements of today's workers to the IT environment and helps you to would be happy to help you build a tailor-made IT infrastructure.