By Eric Lifson
As the population grows older, boomers are requiring better tech to stay competitive in the workplace.
I recently came across the story of Ann Dobija, a senior IT program/project manager at IBM for 13 years. She was forced into unemployment and replaced with an H1B professional (a technical worker without the formal education for the job). Despite her loyalty to the organization and vast experience in her role, Ann has been unable to secure a job since her layoff due to her lesser technical expertise.
Those over the age of 55 have the highest rate of unemployment in the U.S. Despite this generation's experience and loyalty, companies have embraced the transition to hiring millennial workers, making use of cost efficiencies and new skill sets. The fact of the matter is, baby boomers cannot compete with the new skills that millennials bring to the table. Regardless of their years of expertise, credentials and skill sets, it does not cut it anymore in the modern workplace. Companies are agile, and job roles are changing. Many boomers' skills are not aligned with their company strategy. Companies require heavy technical skills, which many boomers do not possess from their education.
For example, the class of 1981 graduated college without smartphone technology. If an employee is incapable of using technology to make their work more efficient and with greater accuracy, they will slowly lose their spot in the workplace. Anecdotally, we commonly see companies hiring two millennials for the price of one boomer to make use of the technical skill sets millennials have. Millennials now take up 35 percent of the workforce, compared to a decreasing 31 percent from the boomer generation. Companies feel it is far easier to train and grow tech-savvy millennials than deal with less technically literate people and exhaust their resources.
The problem here is boomers have diverse skill sets that will be eradicated if they are moved out of the workforce. They have years upon years of experience and credentials that are not being capitalized on due to their lack of technical skill.
Exploring Innovative Application Design as a Potential Solution
With innovative application design, there is a way to leverage boomers' strengths called accessible user interface design. A user interface is the front-end design landscape users interact with when using software. An accessible user interface puts people at the forefront of its design. The application is designed to the needs of any type of person: young, old, technically literate, technically illiterate, etc. After opening the app, it is ready to use. Navigating throughout the app is very simple: All important functions can be easily recognized and made simple enough to use on the first try. The meticulous research that goes into accessible user interface creates a solution that leverages any type of its users' abilities.
How Does Accessible User Interface Leverage Baby Boomers Skills?
Accessible user interface design leverages baby boomers skill sets to their company's needs. Boomers who lack technical skill can use the applications their companies recommend. They can spend less time frustrating themselves with technology they know nothing about, and spend more time doing the work they are passionate about thanks to technical efficiencies.
My company has designed our core product with an accessible user interface. Our user base is very broad, so it is critical that anyone in the company can use the product to its full potential. The accessible user interface allows those with fewer technical skills to utilize all the components of the app without trading off any core performances. Users can spend more time collaborating and producing, and less time organizing and fixing communication errors.
Another great software is called Proto.io, an application that allows users to create prototypes. Tools used to create digital mock-ups, such as Photoshop or Sketch, are difficult to learn and require lots of experience to be used effectively. Tools like this are designed to allow users to create mock-ups as easily as possible. All functions are highly intuitive, yet there is a wide array of power with the app. This way, employees with a less technical background can create visual mock-ups and communicate at the new standards required by their companies. Any team member can jump straight into prototyping for their companies, regardless of their technical skill.
Choose Your Company's Technology Wisely
As a business, when looking to digitally transform, it is critical that you implement applications that are easily approachable for all team members. Yes, functionality is important. But the system must be designed accessibly for all ages and have high user friendliness. Rather than spending days implementing training programs with heavy training manuals, an accessibly designed app ensures employee adoption as it only takes just a few minutes to learn.
Technologies with accessible user interface create inclusiveness within companies, where everyone can leverage technology to its full potential. Everyone is more comfortable in the office, taking down the barriers between the different generations. Now, Ann and boomers like herself can leverage their skill sets with the capabilities of technology and remain competitive in the workforce.
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Eric Lifson is Skrumble co-founder and marketing guy with expertise developing strategic marketing initiatives for world-class tech, FMCG and retail brands.