Many put tech toys ahead of salary

The Greatest Generation wanted workplace security and solid benefits. Boomers and Generation X wanted better pay, and Generation Y sought more vacation time and workplace flexibility.

As for Generation Z -- those "millennials" born in the 1990s or later, who grew up in the Internet age and will be entering the workforce in the decade ahead -- they want workplace connectivity.

They want to be able to use their smartphones and social media freely while at work. And the Internet should be available at every workstation.

But who needs workstations? They also want to work from home whenever they want.

And they don't want to be forced to use a BlackBerry when they prefer an iPhone or Droid device.

According to the 2011 Cisco Connected World Technology Report, "The desire of young professionals and college students to use social media, mobile devices and the Internet more freely in the workplace is strong enough to influence their future job choice, sometimes more than salary does."

The study surveyed 2,800 college students and young professionals in 14 countries. Some findings:

-- Fifty-six percent of college students "said that if they encountered a company that banned access to social media, they would either not accept a job offer or would join and find a way to circumvent corporate policy."

-- One in three survey respondents younger than 30 said social-media freedom and workplace mobility were more important than salary.

-- A quarter of college students said a prospective employer's policy on social-media usage would affect their decision in accepting or declining the job.

-- In India and China, more than 80 percent of young survey respondents expected that their primary work device should be mobile -- a laptop, smartphone or tablet.

-- More than 70 percent of college students surveyed said they didn't want to differentiate between "personal" devices and exclusively work-related devices -- "company-issued devices should be allowed for personal and business use because of the blending of work and personal communications in their daily lifestyle."

-- And 70 percent also say they want to be out of the office regularly, working remotely.

The survey says much about what millennials want out of life, but it likewise speaks to what employers will have to do to attract and retain talented, college-educated employees.

"The study provides proof that the next generation of employees and their technology demands will influence job decisions, hiring and a new age of work-life balance," said Sujai Hajela, vice president and general manager of Cisco's wireless networking business unit.

"How businesses address these demands will inevitably affect their competitive advantage and HR success. It is not just a technology trend anymore -- it's a business trend."

Cisco Systems is a San Francisco-based communications, network-management and IT company. The study was published in September.

(Contact Bill Toland at btoland(at)post-gazette.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)