Automation & Millennials, Gen Xers, & Baby Boomers In The Workforce

51% of Millennials report using online/cloud-based tools for word processing/spreadsheets compared to 33% of Boomers. Use of collaboration tools such as Slack, Dropbox etc. is higher among younger workers. Millennials are also looking for the faster implementation of new technologies and improved collaboration tools. Older employees want more of a focus on making existing technology more user-friendly. Roughly half (46%) described their employer as either “cutting edge” or in the “upper tier” in use of IT, while 41% put their companies somewhere in the middle of the adoption curve.

Across generations, men were likely to consider technology more of a significant factor. However, this difference is less pronounced among Millennials. The difference between Millennial men and women when it comes to significance of technology in choosing a potential employer is 12 percentage points compared to 23 percentage points between Gen X men and women.

In terms of device usage, younger workers tend to use smart phones/mobile apps for work purposes more than older workers – 61% of Millennials, and 54% of Gen X say they use their smartphones frequently for work when compared to 38% of Boomers.

In terms of applications used, the use of online/cloud based applications is higher among Millennials. Also, the gender gap seen with regard to significance of technology is not reflected in the actual usage of applications noted below among Millennial men and women.

The Millennial generation is now the largest generation and accounts for 35% of the workforce, according to data from Pew Research Center. As of 2017, there were 56 million Millennials, 53 million Gen Xers, and 41 million Baby Boomers. Millennials surpassed the number of Gen Xers in 2016. Even though the composition of the workforce is quite heterogenous there are commonalities – CompTIA research found that the majority of workers (54%) are where they expect to be with regard to their careers. There were also similarities when it comes to long-term career aspirations or goals. Across generations, employees are looking for financial security and rewarding work that provides some sort of work/life balance.

Looking at this data by industry sector reveals that concern about the impact on future jobs mirrors the pattern seen with regard to awareness – concern about job losses among those employed in IT is higher than those in education.