Digital Natives

1. Engaging Digital Natives
Sughosh Tembre
Senior Lead – Human Resources
Infosys Limited
PhD Scholar at SPPU

2. Agenda
• Digital Natives….?
• Contemporary Research
• Workplace Implications
• Engaging Digital Natives
Introduction 2

3. Digital Natives….?
Introduction 3

4. Who are they?
Introduction 4
DIGITAL NATIVES: 30 years old or younger
They have grown up with digital technologies
and have integrated them into their lives from
a very early age
DIGITAL IMMIGRANTS: 30 years old or older They
have similar behaviors to “core” Digital Natives
They were confronted with digital technologies
and adopted them
Source: Johnson Controls Study

5. Introduction 5
Generations – Global Outlook
Source: Grail Research
Digital Immigrants Digital Natives

6. Generations in India Introduction 6
Gen Y – Millennial /Digital Natives
Generation X – Baby Boomers
Traditional – Post Independence
1940 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010
Even though there’s no direct relation to the
population booms of the US, India follows
the US with generational titles and
timeframes; meaning Gen Y in India = 1985-
2000, Gen X = 1965-1979.
Source: Steelcase Research

7. Contemporary Studies
• It is now clear that as a result of this ubiquitous information environment and the
sheer volume of their interaction with it, today’s students think and process
information fundamentally differently from their predecessors.
– Marc Prensky – “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” 2001
• “Different kinds of experiences lead to different brain structures” - Dr. Bruce D.
Berry of Baylor College of Medicine.
– it is very likely that our students’ brains have physically changed – and are different from
ours – as a result of how they grew up
Introduction 7

8. 8
Distinct difference when
comparing Internet-savvy
users and naïve users
during the Internet search
task. Internet-savvy users
used different areas of the
brain compared to the
naïve users.
Stanford University study
says that for every hour
we spend on our
computers, traditional
face-to-face interaction
time drops by nearly
thirty minutes
Source: Mediative

9. Some Key Characteristics….
DIGITAL NATIVES
• Used to receiving information quickly
and randomly (out-of-order)
• Prefer graphics before text
• Prefer Games to Serious work
• Function best when networked
• Instant gratification
• Parallel process and multi-task
• Eg. Can process different types of
information at the same time (watch
TV, listen to music, do homework)
• More likely to place personal
information on the Internet
DIGITAL IMMIGRANTS
• Like step-by-step instructions
• Read more books and print
newspapers
• View games as a leisure activity and
not work
• More cautious about using new
technology
• Tend to use proper English in
correspondence
• Print hard copy to edit
Digital Natives 9
Idea Internet Network - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVE9iGcOYw8

10. • This is the generation who are now beginning to enter the workplace; they will become
the knowledge workers of the future.
• Because of their growing up in a digital world, they are armed with a different set of
skill sets than previous generations.
• They have developed behavioral and ethical norms in sharing and using technology
that differ significantly from the previous generations.
• As they enter the workforce, filling the projected employment gap as millions of “baby
boomers” retire over the next decade, they may find themselves in organizational
structures, policies, processes & systems designed by and for the previous generation
• They are is using different modes of communication than in the past and companies
should leverage those channels in engaging them
• Attrition rates are soaring in organizations; employee engagement and retention have
gained more importance than ever before
Objective 10
Why Engage the Digital Natives?

11. Employee Engagement
“Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.”
- Stephen Covey
• Employee Engagement: Employee engagement is the degree to which an employee is
cognitively and emotionally committed to his or her work and organization.
Objective 11
Source: Corporate Leadership Council

12. What do I get – Materials and
equipment. Expectations at work
What do I Give – Development,
Recognition and Care
Do I Belong – Quality
Best friend at work,
Purpose / Mission
How can
We
Grow –
Opportunities
to learn & grow
Gallup Q12 – Employee Engagement levels
Define aspirations and Set expectations.
Digitally integrated work environment.
Indicators for Engaging the Digital Natives
Manager as Mentor,
Flexibility at workplace,
Materialistic Rewards
Work as extension to
Family, Friends and
Social connections.
Employer brand & identity
Goal
Actualization,
Learning ,
Social Recognition
Concept 7
Engaging Digital Natives Conceptual Framework
Source: Adaptation from Gallup Q12

13. HR Implications
HR Implications 13
Overview
• A wave of Digital Natives is about to or has already started entering the
workplace
• Organizations will need to cope with the habits and assumptions of this new
workforce?
Traits at Work
• Technology dependent
• Constantly multitasking & Virtually connected
• Instant gratification & Shifting Loyalty
• Changing Values, Attitude & Work Style
HR
Implications
• Technology driven HR Solutions (Vodafone Shared Services)
• Use of Web 2.0 and Mobility (InfyBubble)
• Reinventing Rewards & Recognition (Accenture / HCL)
• Differentiated Engagement (HR Policies)

14. What are Companies Doing? - Employee Engagement Trends
 Awards to recognise,
acknowledge, appreciate
and reward employee’s
achievement (even small)
Rewards & Recognition
 Social media
 Internal blogs
 Video Sharing & Radio
Online Cross-functional
groups for projects
Group activities –sports
/ arts / music
Education, Green IT,
health, rural development,
upliftment of women and
children, etc
‘Work, play, and share’ –
Pull Strategy through Web 2.0
CEO Blog: Communicates
with employees; also seeks
ideas / views and opinions on
various topics
Infy Bubble: Social Media
Platform for employees
InfyTv :Video Sharing
CommunicationInteraction CSR & Technology
Individuals: Pat on the
Back Award, Star
Performer Award, Long
Service Award, Star of the
Month Award, Instant
Recognition and Special
Awards, etc – Online
Vouchers (Flipkart, Croma
etc)
Teams: Star Team Award -
Offsites
One Cognizant: –
Gamification Initiative to use
leaderboards & games to
encourage employee
participation
Sales Associates get-together
to share notes on business ,
market development, etc
E.X.I.T.E. camps: For girl
students to take up science as
a career , thus enhancing the
resource pool
BYOD – Bring your own
device to work
Mobile Apps – Fightback,
(TechM) Airtel Money
9HR Implications
Social Edge - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VjCqHrExrg

15. Engaging Digital Natives – Key Points
• Use of Social Media & Web 2.0
– Blogs, Wikis, Knowledge Banks
– Podcasts, Webex & Videostreams
– Social Networks & Mobility
• Gamification
• Self help ;but 24*7 Support
• Online Presence (Physical proximity does not matter) – Change in Org. Structures
• Differentiated Rewards – Instant, Simple and Tangible
• Awareness about Security Policies & IP
• Don’t expect Loyalty >> Expect Advocacy
• Money matters, but flexibility & creativity at job drives motivation!
Engagement 15

16. Engaging Students
• Bit by Byte – Content Sharing
• Connected – Range of Devices & Platforms
• Transparency & Free Sharing of Knowledge
• Create Blogs, engage them Online…..
• Use Games for learning
• Share & Upload short Audios / Videos
• Use Photos, Info graphs & Diagrams
• Provide Forums & Enable peer review- with range of Deadlines for
Assignments
• Engage students outside the classroom (both electronically & physically)
• Engage with tools / materials that matter to them
Student Engagement 16
Source: Alaress & Corporate Leadership Council

17. References
• Nasscom – Report on Chainging HR Trends
• Prensky, M. (2001 Dec). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants: Do
they really think differently? On the Horizon, 9(6).
• Grail Research. 2011. Consumers of Tomorrow. Grail Research
Corporate Website. [Online] November 2011.
www.grailresearch.com.
• Digital Natives - University of Auckland Business Review,
Volume 15 No1, 2012
• Generation Y: What they want from work
www.talentsmoothie.com
• Infosys Limited (2014):Sparsh Intranet
• Kothari C R (2004) – Research Methodology Methods and
Techniques : New Age Publishers
17

18. Thank You!
Safe Harbor – Information and data represented in this presentation is based
on secondary research. This is intended for educational and student learning
purpose only. While due care has been taken to respect Copyright and
Intellectual Property Information. The creator of this presentation does not
take any responsibility and liability for any violations.
Views expressed in this presentation are of the author’s and do not represent
or propagate any organization
18