Like so many parents who are frustrated by what you might call ‘Talking to my kids but they never seem to listen’ syndrome, there is a substantial difference between communicating at younger employees and actually engaging with them. This can be particularly true if managers who are more Generation X, or even Baby Boomers from a generation earlier, are managing this communication.
Yet, millennials, or Generation Y, as employees, are adept with so many more forms of communicative technology, and at responding to it, than any group has ever been. There are already over 40 million of them active in the US workplace, and now the upcoming Generation Z are also set to become an increasing part of any workforce!
Digital signage moves communication forwards
In a world of hand-held personal devices, many offices still use technology, from desktop computers to beloved fax machines, that can seem almost antique to a younger generation. Add to this any regular communications using a traditional memo, uninspiring email, untidy and out-of-date bulletin boards, or often-ignored newsletters, and even an intranet site. These can seem almost like being part of a history lesson for so many younger employees!
Overall, they are an interactive and involved group of communicators; ones who appreciate access to both swift and relevant information sources. Making use of agile digital signage through a cloud-based content system reaches millennials who are screen-savvy. Appreciating that accessing and absorbing content in this way is a given for millennials, it's important to assess which high-traffic locations are best to place the screens to catch their eye and attention. Gathering points, such as meeting rooms and in-company cafes, are also excellent vantage points for digital signage.
Although the focus here is on reaching millennials, it’s also fair to acknowledge that many older employees have enthusiastically moved with these tech-savvy times and would also appreciate their company or organization responding to this.
Be an agile and involving information-provider
Our truDigital signage team really appreciates that attention must be quickly engaged by such a system. Information then needs to be disseminated as swiftly and clearly as possible. Content that employees need to know should be delivered using both action and speed, perhaps also with appropriate humor. Such processes encourage employees to seek out the screens as a valuable information source. Cloud-based agility allows messages to be in-the-moment, whether for a single site or across many locations.
As an eager-to-communicate generation, involving your millennials and others in the content-provision process can also be an important step in maximizing the effectiveness of your digital signage. Options for allowing individuals to both respond to information, or add further content – albeit within a set of clear parameters and carefully-managed guidelines – can deliver a more active information system.
How could your business or organization better engage with millennials?
If you’d like to be part of an obligation-free discussion with an experienced member of our truDigital signage team please call 1-801-852-9898. We’ll offer advice to help build more effective communication content to inform, motivate and inspire all those who possess a millennial mindset…
