While at a training session for some Microsoft products a couple weeks back, the speaker moved away from talking about pure technology for a few minutes. Instead, he spoke about a problem that faces many companies – retaining new, younger staff. The problem, he suggested, had nothing to do with wages, benefits or the people they work with. His theory was that it had everything to do with technology.

Let me explain.

The idea as it was put forward is that younger professional workers are more accustomed to technology that those of previous generations. The so-called Generation X was really the first group to have a mass exposure to technology from an early age. I myself remember playing around on Commodore 64′s as well as the Apple II, and on an old Time Sharing System (TSS) when I was about 4 or 5 years old. But I digress.

The later generations however have always had computers, gadgets, and so-called “modern” technology. They grew up with cell phones, PC’s, and the Internet. And these people are now starting to enter the workforce. They’ve lived technological lives, and now that it’s work time they want to do business with the same tools they use in their personal lives.

They want to be able to send instant messages to both co-workers and clients. They require access to text messaging systems. The whole social networking phenomenon, to them, is not a phenomenon; it’s a fact of life. They want their media access and they want their connectivity because they feel it to be an integral part of how they live and communicate. And in the world they grew up with, it is.

So when a large conglomerate with policies drafted in some head office says “Thou Shalt Not Surf Facebook” these new staffers ask ‘Why?”. And the typical answer of “Because We Said So” just isn’t acceptable to them. They end up leaving the organization not because of wages but because of a lack of technological freedom.

This presents a unique opportunity for small and medium sized companies. In markets where staffing is a challenge (like it is in Vancouver) the forward thinking company can implement these technologies, draft usage policies (don’t ban them, just provide guidance on how they’re used) and then make these new methodologies and tools work as part of the business process. Think of the potential! Imagine being one of the most technologically advanced companies around, able to talk to potential clients through any one of 5 (or more) different mediums. All at the customer’s discretion.

Of course, you should always talk to your technical support provider about proper planning and implementation of new ideas like this, to make sure they fit into the overall business and technology plan. And then let your imagination do the rest.