During the pandemic, Brian Solis’ research at Salesforce led him to propose two important trends, the New Economy and a New Generation of Fiction, to describe how the pandemic is reshaping customer behavior to set the stage for a hybrid post-COVID 19 economy.
Ariba, owned by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, cites his research in a new study Report“The Hybrid Workplace for a Mixed Workforce: Is Your Business Ready to Support a New Generation of Fiction?”
As digital analyst Brian Solis has coined, those who belong to Generation Novel are not just digital natives, they are driven by the emotional factors that influence their relationship with technology. From how they buy products to how they collaborate with colleagues, their preferences come from their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our research identifies three main areas where these changing preferences become apparent in the workplace.
“A new generation of novels came out of the pandemic with new expectations and new identities as workers. People’s expectations changed as they used technology more during the pandemic – especially in e-commerce and social media Platform-wise. The amount of customization and personalization available in the consumer space has changed attitudes toward workplace technology. Tech skills have improved, but so has impatience when these tools don’t work as expected.” Dr. Lisa Philby
Computer Weekly Brian’s research was also cited to support his findings and research published in the Ariba report.
After years of responding to the needs of Gen X and Gen Y, employers have a whole new generation to deal with the pandemic — the emerging Gen N novel (Gen N). According to an Aruba survey, if their expectations continue to go unmet, this generation will bring a whole new set of challenges to the workplace.
Created by digital anthropologist Brian Solis, Gen N describes a cross-generational group of people who thrive on digital-first experiences and place greater emphasis on personalization, customization and transparency from the brands they buy, work for and support. Most importantly, they understand, use and demand more technology than ever before – both at home and at work.
According to a Hewlett Packard Enterprise study of 5,018 hybrid workers in Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the UK, 85% of hybrid workers identify with Generation N characteristics and 78% of respondents are now using technology more than ever before Covid -19 episodes.
