Are Employees Really Ready to Work on Mars?
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Good Things … Small Packages
76% of the professionals surveyed would choose a smartphone over a TV for accessing video programming. -
Making a 'Net Sacrifice
58% would rather lose their sense of smell than their Internet access. -
A Smart Start to the Day
54% of respondents look at their smartphone before doing anything else in the morning. -
Take My Data, Please!
45% would hand over all their personal data to a mobile carrier in exchange for a free smartphone with unlimited data. -
New Brain Power
26% of Gen Y and 21% of Gen X workers said they'd have a brain implant if it made the Web instantly accessible. -
Surprising Sacrifice
48% of respondents said they would rather sacrifice sex for a month than lose their smartphone. -
Workers Unchained
53% of them said they prefer smartphones to desk phones. -
Old Habits Die Hard
40% of respondents said a laptop is their work device of choice. -
Mightier Than the Sword
63% said they prefer to use pen and paper to take notes during a meeting, versus 13% who'd rather use a smartphone. -
No Restrictions
45% of respondents want the freedom to work and play from anywhere, at any time, with no restrictions. -
Very Long Commute
27% of Gen X and 25% of Gen Y workers said they would relocate to Mars if their company opened a branch there. -
Doing It All
44% of Gen Y and 42% of Gen X respondents consider themselves "supertaskers"—workers who can perform multiple tasks simultaneously and effectively.
There's no doubt that technology is reshaping the way people think about how, when and where they work. In fact, in a recent survey, a significant number of Generation X and Generation Y professionals said they would be ready to move to Mars if their company opened a branch there. And a similar number said they would have a brain implant if it "made the World Wide Web instantly accessible to their thoughts." These are among the many surprising findings in Cisco's annual "Connected World Technology Report," an exhaustive survey of 2,000 Gen X, Gen Y and HR professionals that examines the changing relationship between employee behavior and the increasingly pervasive nature of the Internet. Taken as a whole, the report indicates just how much the spread of mobile devices—along with the resulting anytime/anywhere access to applications and data—is causing employees to shift their priorities and ask for the ability to seamlessly blend their professional and personal lives. Although some relics survive, such as the affinity for laptops and old-fashioned note taking, there are clearly huge changes afoot for forward-looking employers. "Businesses should grab this opportunity to re-examine how they need to evolve in order to attract top talent and shape their business models," said Lance Perry, Cisco's vice president of IT customer strategy and success. "Without a doubt, our world is changing to be much more Internet-focused, and it becomes even more so with each new generation."