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Gen Y gets a rude awakening in the work world

Judi Hasson — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:46:53 -0400

For those recent college graduates lucky enough to have an IT job, the workplace may come as a bit of a shock. No, not necessarily because of the hours or even the work itself, but because of the low-tech nature of communicating.

For younger workers, instant messaging, Facebook and smart phones are routine. But in the workplace, the technology provided to Gen Y workers often does not match what they've used in the consumer market. And in some workplaces, common social networking tools may even be banned in favor of dull and sometimes less efficient corporate technology. Jonathan Yarmis, vice president of Disruptive Technologies at AMR Research, said the younger generation has embraced social networking.

"Why would a recent grad want to work for an awesome company who blocks such sites when they can work for an equally awesome company that doesn't?" Yarmis asked.

He said there are three communication technology trends taking place that affect the working world--an increased use of social networking, the continued evolution of the mobile devices and the growth of cloud computing. It may be time for companies to adjust. Change is inevitable, and Gen Y will no doubt push to make it happen.

For more on the influence of the next generation:
- check out this CIO.com article

Related Article:
Gen Y demands new tech at the office

Facebook: Growth is primary, revenue is secondary

Paul Mah — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:25:28 -0400

In an interview with a blogger for a German newspaper, the co-founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg declared that: "Growth is primary, revenue is secondary." Zuckerberg elaborates by noting that he doesn't believe social networks can be monetized the same way that search was. However, Facebook is certainly experimenting on getting the right revenue models. Zuckerberg appears confident that he still has plenty of time though. The timeframe he gave himself? Three years.

"In three years from now we have to figure out what the optimum model is," Zuckerberg said. Still, I'll say that three years is a long time, especially given the state of the economy at this moment. Then again, this is Facebook.

To find out more about this story:
- check out this article from CNET News

Firms block access to FaceBook

Judi Hasson — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:00:38 -0400

Concerned about worker distractions, nearly one in four companies are now blocking employee access to social networking websites like Facebook and MySpace, according to a new survey of human resources professionals. Challenger, Gray & Christmas--a consulting firm that conducted the survey--said the use of the social networking sites has grown during work hours and is worrying some employers who view the communication tool of the new generation as a "productivity killer."

The survey found that 23 percent of companies polled block access to these sites entirely. Yet some companies have a totally different perspective, with 8 percent saying they encouraged employees to use social networking sites, and 10 percent viewing them as invaluable marketing, networking and sales tools. At the same time, the majority of firms--59 percent--have no formal policy at all.

To learn more about social networking:
- check out this NetworkWorld article