Ricoh Europe: How Gen Zs ‘always-on’ mindset will reshape the world of work

By David
Mills
, CEO, Ricoh
Europe

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–While the youngest are still being born, the oldest members of
Generation Z are now 19 years of age and are making the journey from
full-time education to the workplace. They are eager, digital natives
with a unique approach to the concept of work.

New research into the
4G Workplace
by Coleman Parkes, sponsored by Ricoh
Europe
, explores what impact Gen Z will have on businesses and how
well prepared they are for accommodating four very different generations
under one roof. The findings were surprising.

Gen Z is acutely aware that the lines between work and personal life are
blurring. Work is a mindset for them, not simply a set of tasks to
complete or objectives to reach. And with constant access to email and
the latest collaboration platforms, most don’t switch off.

But while conversations about this always-on workforce have focused on
the technologies involved – the separation between work and personal
devices becoming increasingly rare –little attention has been given to
their mentality.

The 4G Workplace

With retirement ages rising and the health and fitness of older people
improving, many Baby Boomers are still working. Some will even have ten
or more years of active work ahead of them.

Meanwhile, younger generations are shaping their careers. Generation X
are now typically reaching middle or senior management positions.
Millennials are starting to make headway and rise up through the ranks.
And now, of course, we have Generation Z; keen trailblazers, who are
just leaving the education system and entering the world of work.

The research we commissioned shows that 65 per cent of the people
surveyed believe there are clear differences in how people from
different generations work. Making sure that these groups work
effectively together and empowering them to thrive in their jobs is a
challenge for every organisation.

It’s all in the mindset

The always-on mindset is almost inherent in the Gen Z demographic. As
digital natives they’re not in awe of technology like their older
counterparts. They’ve grown up in the Internet age, with information and
communication at their fingertips and this reflects in their attitudes
to work and prospective employers.

This is echoed in the decisions and thoughts around their future
employment choices. Three times as many Gen Z respondents are attracted
to companies that offer technology to enable people to work more
efficiently compared to those from the older generations. While this
might not be surprising, it highlights that businesses who want to
attract and retain young talent have no choice but to deploy the
technology Gen Z expects – older systems won’t be tolerated.

Gen Z also have high expectations of their own positive impact on the
workplace. Most of them believe they will bring new ways of working,
with exceptional technology skills, bright ideas and fresh thinking.
Findings suggest that businesses already struggling with Millennials
face huge challenges if they fail to adopt new ways of working that
complement all four generations.

What’s particularly interesting is that it’s Millennials who are most
excited and optimistic about the potential of technology, more so than
Gen Z. This perhaps shows that Gen Z are immune to the novelty of tech,
having absorbed it since birth. They’re accustomed to technology driving
their personal and social lives, using it as the main point of all
communication – and expect the same from work.

Businesses must embrace this unique mindset toward technology and the
concept of work in order to harness Gen Z’s natural always-on attitude.
This will prove a key tactic to embracing digitalisation, improving
agility and adopting new collaboration platforms across the business.

-ENDS-

| About Ricoh |

Ricoh is a global technology company specializing in office imaging
equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and
IT services. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in about 200
countries and regions. In the financial year ending March 2015, Ricoh
Group had worldwide sales of 2,231 billion yen (approx. 18.5 billion
USD).

The majority of the company’s revenue comes from products, solutions and
services that improve the interaction between people and information.
Ricoh also produces award-winning digital cameras and specialized
industrial products. It is known for the quality of its technology, the
exceptional standard of its customer service and sustainability
initiatives.

Under its corporate tagline, imagine. change. Ricoh helps
companies transform the way they work and harness the collective
imagination of their employees.

For further information, please visit www.ricoh-europe.com

Contacts

Ricoh Europe PLC
Jack Gibson
+44 (0) 203 033 3766
E-mail:
press@ricoh-europe.com
Homepage:
www.ricoh-europe.com
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