Freedom’s Just Another Word for Not Getting a Raise

Want to make a Gen Y worker happy? Don’t give her a raise, just let her use her own smartphone.

That seems to be the conclusion of a new Cisco survey of young workers in 14 countries. The 2011 Cisco Connected World Technology Report -- really, that’s what they’re calling it -- says “that one in three college students and young employees under the age of 30 (33%) said that they would prioritize social media freedom, device flexibility, and work mobility over salary in accepting a job offer.”

I’m not sure how that iPhone 4S is going to help these students pay off the  college loans they’re always complaining about, but this is actually good news  for cash-strapped but relatively flexible small businesses. To the extent that you’re willing and able to cater to these young workers’ desires, you may be able to keep (or hire) promising talent that you might not otherwise be able to afford.

Don’t be surprised if young workers ask about these issues in interviews or reviews, and don’t be afraid to bring them up if your company offers this kind of freedom.

From my perspective, at least, small businesses should be offering this kind of freedom whenever they can. Sure it’s important to maintain security and management over what employees are doing. But as cloud solutions for productivity, collaboration, and other functions become more mainstream, it’s increasingly possible -- not to mention cheaper and easier -- to support multiple devices in multiple locations.

But let’s be clear exactly what we’re talking about here. Do you really want workers who think it’s more important to be on Facebook than to make money? Of course, you may not have a choice. According to the study, 29 percent of global respondents said the absence of remote access would influence such job decisions as when to leave the company, whether to accept a job offer, and perhaps the biggest issue, how much to slack off! (Keep that in mind when you think about the fact that more than two-thirds of respondents don’t believe it’s necessary to be in the office regularly.)