The Up-and-Coming Generation C: Team Technology

As the economy continues to change, the workforce as we know it continues to shift, and what we expect to be the normal hire-to-retire cycle becomes a new beast, another factor is quickly coming into play. A recent article from Talent Management.com authors Jeanne Meister and Steve Dahlberg describes the newest factor in a changing work environment: Generation C.

What’s Generation C? Well, most importantly, it’s the newest up-and-coming generation to enter the workforce. Gen C’s are born after 1997 and called Gen C because of their fine-tuned focus on connectivity, communication and collaboration. These individuals are fully involved with Facebook, iPhones, smart-technology and any kind of app imaginable – their lives are fully intertwined with technology. Some are even referring to Gen C’ers as the new “Silent Generation” because of the lack of face-to-face interaction.

This immersion into a culture that is saturated by technology isn’t just the ‘new thing’ – it changes the way our brains work. In one video, an infant has been so immersed in this same culture, she cannot grasp why a magazine does not work as an iPad does (click here to view the video). This documentation alone proves that the way Millennials think is vastly different from the way members of Generation C comprehend the work environment around them, in fact, Gen C’s probably think differently about the world in general. What does this say about talent management and how current hiring processes will need to change in the future? Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help prepare for the up-and-coming Gen C’s in your workplace:

Talent Sourcing: Will recruiting start online in social networks, such as Facebook, and on a company’s social game site?

Talent Development: Will training and career development be personalized to each individual and be available on mobile apps and smartphones with virtual facilitators?

Talent Skill Development: Will personal communication skills be even more important to be developed in new hires as members of Generation C spend more than 20 hours a week online?

Talent Feedback: Will annual performance reviews go the way of calculators and desktops? Will feedback and mentoring constantly be delivered on demand via a smartphone?

There are a million ways in which the world is constantly changing around us. How you adapt to these changes will impact the success of your organization. A new generation of workers will quickly fill the workforce – how will you prepare yourself for the new employee pool? Click here to read the full article.

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