Camilla Byk Founder and Editor of Podium.me, an award-winning audio platform for the voices of the under 25s, regularly works with the BBC and other leading broadcasters.
This allows the future generation the ability to have their voice heard, stepping out of their comfort zones and making an impact on their community and the world around them.
Camilla joined the 2019 Condeco Workplace Innovation forum panel, and discussed a number of workplace and technology related trends, she shared her unique perspective of the younger generation in the workplace with the panel and studio audience. We spent five minutes with Camilla to understand a little more about the future generation of workplace employees.
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What do younger people want from the workplace?
There is a lot of talk generally about the problems of zero hours contracts, but I hear from young people that they appreciate flexibility so that they can take on different projects and advance their careers without being tied into a long-fixed contract. This could be only in the broadcasting world where freelance jobs tend to be more commonplace.
As accommodation in city centres becomes more and more unaffordable, young people appreciate flexible hours and the ability to work remotely as it is often hard to commute long distance. Food is a great draw, a company that provides subsidised food is always popular. Young people want to feel that they work somewhere with a good vibe and a social life attached. They are also keen that the company they work for has a social conscience and does its best to be plastic-free, ethical and pays a fair wage etc.
How are they effectively using technology to communicate?
Email is becoming less and less used amongst young people under 25. They often communicate via platforms like WhatsApp and are happy to work on shared documents via Google Drive.
“Email is effectively dying among this crowd. Those aged 13 to 24 now spend more than 3.5 times overall usage time in messaging apps than those over 45 years old” – App Annie
What are the misconceptions of young people, regarding work ethic and communication?
In an era of very easy communication it can often be quite difficult to communicate with young employees. There are so many platforms where they are able to engage, but this can lead to confusion and even a lack of communication.
Is technology destroying or enhancing the art of conversation?
Technology is connecting people in a way that is very effective, but it is hindering communication because there is often simply too much information available. People may connect for a work context via social media but there is no depth or meaning to these relationships and it is easy to move on quickly to the next idea without having properly finished the first one.
In my TEDTalk, “You already know how to change the world, what’s stopping you?” I encourage the young and not so young to talk to people who are different from them. Technology often doesn’t allow us to step outside of our comfort zones, but face-to-face does and it is far more rewarding.
Listen to Camilla’s TedX Talk, “You already know how to change the world, what’s stopping you?” she shares her insight on the power of asking questions and the reward of personal connections from just a simple conversation.