According to The Born Digital Effect, the latest research from Citrix Systems, 76 percent of Born Digital employees does not want to return to full-time office work post-pandemic, preferring a remote or hybrid model instead. Made up of Millennials (born between 1981 to 1996) and Generation Z (born after 1997) workers, the Born Digital is the first generation to grow up in an entirely digital world and now account for most of the global workforce.

“These young employees are different from previous generations in that they have only ever known a tech-driven world of work,” said Donna Kimmel, executive vice-president, and chief people officer, Citrix. “To shore up their future business success, companies must understand their values, career aspirations and working styles and invest in their development.”

Citrix, together with Coleman Parkes Research and Oxford Analytica, conducted The Born Digital Effect, a study that combines global opinion research from 1,000 business leaders and 2,000 knowledge workers in 10 countries to understand what the Born Digital want from work, with economic modeling to quantify the impact they can have on business and the larger economy. The study reveals that when it comes to understanding what engages and motivates younger workers, leaders are out of touch.

While they may prefer to work remotely, 86 percent of Born Digital workers in India recognize that social interaction is crucial in a business context, which is significantly higher than the global average (68 percent).

Although a five-day week is still a popular working pattern, these young workers in India believe that employers should offer the opportunity to work a four-day week (76 percent) to promote employee well-being post-pandemic.

 

When given a choice, this generation expects to be able to decide when to begin and end their working day (22 percent), and a few want to work unstructured or output-based hours (four percent).

When asked to identify the three most important aspects of company culture they look for in choosing an employer, the Indian Born Digital cited: autonomy, or the opportunity to work in a high-trust environment (90 percent), innovation at its core (90 percent), and priority towards learning and development (90 percent).

Further, an overwhelming nine in ten respondents expect employers to have a better understanding of family commitments, compared to the global average of 74 percent. Also, 92 percent of respondents in India say they would prioritize employee well-being as they advance in their careers.

Over four-fifth (86 percent) of Born Digital employees in India believe that the pandemic has shown that their organization needs to invest more in digital technology, while only 16 percent of business leaders believe this is the case.