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Bring On the iPhones
A quick trip around a college campus reveals the vast majority of students are using iPhones, and like the idea of using Apple’s smartphone in the office. Give them the devices they use; it’ll benefit both them and you.
Bring On the iPads, Too
If you think tablets will help attract and retain young talent, the last thing you should do is waste time with devices like the Cisco Cius or RIM BlackBerry PlayBook. They bore young workers and use an OS they're not familiar with. It’s a lose-lose to go with anything other than the iPad.
BlackBerrys Are Dying. Accept It.
BlackBerrys are passé for young workers – and everyone else. At last count, RIM owned just 11 percent of the worldwide mobile market, compared to nearly 53 percent for Android and 15 percent for iOS. To put that into perspective, just three years prior, RIM’s market share was at nearly 21 percent. The BlackBerry is dying. Accept it.
Get Software Running Right
A recent study found that the more employees interact with software bugs, the more likely they are to at least consider leaving the company. With the high costs of training, you should ensure your firm’s software running well, else employee's eyes start to wander.
Let Them Access Social Networks
A study last year from Cisco’s Connected World Technology Report found that 40 percent of college students would work for less money if they could have social-media access. Social networks are important, and blocking access could be the difference between having the top talent and getting second-rate workers.
Don’t Block Shopping Sites
Cisco revealed in its Annual Security Report that 70% of younger employees ignore IT policies. Why? The reasons are numerous. But if that tells you anything, it’s that blocking shopping sites and other domains they typically access might not be worth your time.
Use Social Networks to Recruit
As noted, social media is extremely important to college-aged workers. So, why not use services like Facebook and Twitter to attract those folks? Not only is it cheap to do so, but it might just help you get top talent.
The Cloud Is Everything
Cisco revealed in its Connected World report that 70% of workers don’t' think it's necessary to be chained to their desks. Cloud services can let employees can do what you need from wherever they are. Is it ideal? Perhaps not. But it’s a reality in the next-generation workforce.
Don’t Tie Them to Desktops
With such high demand for work mobility, it’s important you don’t tie employees to a desktop computer. Looking ahead, you might just need to ditch desktops altogether.
Give Access to the Apps
From Apple’s App Store to the Mac App Store, giving young workers the ability to download their favorite apps or games is a necessity if you want to keep them mobile, productive and happy.
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