Believe it or not, the first Generation Y CEO to lead a British FTSE company, will be appointed by 2016. That is according to Deloitte’s Upwardly Mobile report, commissioned by EE, and businesses will have to play catch up, quick. With comment from Gerry McQuade, CMO of EE.
The Upwardly Mobile report, commissioned by EE, explores how future CEOs, currently aged 33 and under, will transform British business in numerous ways. Most notably they will bring about a sea change in organisational culture by mobile-enabling daily work processes and routine tasks, enabling employees to respond faster, while boosting productivity and staff engagement. These future leaders, defined as those who have grown up with mobile technology, are frustrated by the absence of a mobility culture in British businesses. Only 21 percent of employees in large businesses are equipped to productively work away from their desks. This frustration is why three in four Gen Y workers want to do more with mobile devices at work. As a result, 19 percent of employees are already using a personal mobile device at work, whether they are allowed to or not. For example, they are using their mobile devices to collaborate on documents in the cloud and take notes quickly and easily using a smartphone or tablet.
The impending Gen Y-led transformation of large organisations could not come at a more crucial time for the UK economy. The report claims that British businesses have suffered a ‘lost decade’ of under-investment in mobility, despite their high technological readiness. Two key issues underlie this missed opportunity that has resulted in lost productivity gains and cost savings worth millions of pounds. Firstly, trust is a defining characteristic of companies failing to embrace mobility, with 60 percent of British workers believing presenteeism exists in the workplace, with half of respondents being discouraged from working away from their desks. Secondly, British businesses still see mobile technology as a cost and a security risk, rather than a strategic enabler. Consumers are way ahead of businesses in using a mobile internet enabled device to make informed decisions. By 2016, 80 percent of the British population will be using mobile devices this way, whereas only 35 percent of large businesses in the UK currently use a mobile device to complete work.
Gen Y workers welcome new technology. The report finds that 78 percent of Gen Y workers would value greater use of mobile technology within their company. They are the heaviest users of mobile apps and 52 percent say they think mobile working improves their productivity. The report outlines a ten -point self-assessment to formulating a transformational mobility strategy. These points are designed to encourage senior executives to collectively work through the challenges that exist across their organisation. As Deloitte mentions in the report: “We are approaching a ‘mobility watershed’ where future leaders will demand that organisations make use of mobility in a way that is not evident today. We urge businesses not to wait until the first Generation Y CEOs arrive before revisiting their mobility strategy.”
Gerry McQuade, Chief Marketing Office for Business at EE, said: “Generation Y makes up half the British workforce and it’s essential that we constantly adapt our work culture, our processes and the technology that enable our employees to workmore productively and efficiently. The most important asset any business has is its people – and using the latest technology at work can help attract the best talent. That’s why we’ve commissioned this report and set up a Generation Y panel to challenge our working practices, and start to identify ways we can improve. We’ve asked six of EE’s brightest young stars to meet regularly with EE directors to help us devise a vision for Gen Y company working practices.”
Gerry McQuade, Chief Marketing Office for Business
EE
www.ee.co.uk
