Year: 2007

Today I read a very interesting article that was powerful enough to knock me out of my blogging slumber. It is essentially a summary of a paper that was recently published at the International Conference on Information Systems. It can be found at the following URL (and was slashdotted here):

http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyId=14&articleId=281734&intsrc=hm_topic

So why was this article particularly interesting to myself? Well for starters it was based on a study of executive recruiters, who are my current employers. It was also particularly interesting as the theories presented back up the beliefs at the foundation of my new CRM system (my thesis). The article provides empirical evidence that multi-taskers are more productive due to their increased ability to handle parallel tasks. This is one of the key features of the CRM package, however it is also the thing that is taking the longest time to train staff to use.

I am even noticing a difference between Generation X and Y staff in this area. As this related article states; Generation X may have introduced multitasking to the work place, but Generation Y has perfected it. I am certainly finding that to be the case. This is also extremely important for the retention of staff. As multi-tasking becomes more embraced by the Generations, they begin to expect it to be supported and become frustrated quickly if it is not available. Some of my other favourite articles on Gen Y employees reinforce this message. Empower your staff with flexible, multi-tasking IT tools and they will be highly productive and highly profitable.