Generation X is hyperconnected, and that’s the whole problem

© Unsplash/Sarah b

As Generation Z enters the job market, they are faced with seniors who don't have the same habits at all of work. This can create a real gulf between employees, reinforced by a total lack of understanding.

Young employees, born between 1997 and 2010, pay particular attention to their mental health (as is the case in love) and do not hesitate to set limits to separate their professional life from their personal life. And older employees have a hard time understanding that.

Also read – What really sets Generation Z apart at work ?

As Les Echos points out, Generation X executives are strongly affected by hyperconnection. Indeed, a study carried out by Cog'X, a consulting and training agency in cognitive sciences, and Lecko, the data specialist, demonstrates that the majority of Generation X executives, therefore people born between the years 60/65 and 1979, are hyperconnected.

Incapable of disconnecting

Smartphones are becoming more and more present in our daily lives. To the point of becoming, for some users, an extension of the hand. This ubiquity specifically concerns members of Generation X who have positions of responsibility. According to the study reported by Les Échos, Generation X sends at least one email outside the time slots between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. for 9 days each month. But that's not all. They have the unfortunate tendency to participate in 15 meetings per quarter outside of the 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2 p.m.-6 p.m. times.

In addition to an intergenerational gap with other generations, who do not have the same vision of the working world at all, this hyperconnection of Generation X is harmful to their cognitive abilities. As Arnaud Rayrole, CEO of Lecko, explains, such behaviors and this inability to disconnect lead to cognitive fatigue. Unlike physical fatigue, it is too often minimized. However, it is essential to consider and recognize this hyperconnection because it strongly affects work efficiency.

Great fans of meetings which sometimes drag on longer than necessary, executives must then compress the remaining time to accomplish their other tasks. To increase productivity and level of attention, it would be relevant to review the way of collaborating within these companies. And to reduce these meetings by at least 20%. But the meetings are not the only fault. Conversational tools like Slack or Teams create a completely fictitious sense of urgency. But this pushes employees and managers to always be available. It doesn't matter the time of day… Or night.

Today, hyperconnection is a real scourge in businesses. This is becoming a new issue of quality of life and working conditions (QVCT). The image of companies also depends on this hyperconnection. New generations are more attentive to these abuses.

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