Face it, your IT support system is bad for Millennials

So, it isn't just mine, then? I don't mean literally here -- but at university, mere mortal students are looked down upon like the scum of the earth.

At university, we have a 'hole in the wall' -- where we can take our duff, decrepit and broken computers, devices and peripherals for a series of diagnostics. If the techies deem you of sufficient level of skill to engage with you, they will. But it does not guarantee a fix; whether they can do it or not.

But according to new research, Generation Y employees are more respectful of their IT counterparts than most give them credit for.

So -- where is the problem -- if it even exists?

(Image via Flickr)

From the generational perspective, there is a great difference among the older and my own younger generation. But what opinions seemingly divided us before, actually bring us closer together.

The problem stems from 'instant'-ness. The need to have instant and effective support, from tech-mentors to IT troubles, is a key expectation of younger employees; and CIOs are struggling to keep up.

Millennials like to be self-sufficient. Reaching out to the IT department is, and always will be the last call, but for reasons lesser known. It breaks down to part expectation of self, part self-reliance and part embarrassment. Combined, you have a giant wobbly mess of someone who doesn't want to show their weaknesses to those who are clearly more knowledgeable than them.

One of the issues focused upon in the research by GigaOM Pro is the issue of slow support from IT departments. Along with this, innate technological ability for problem-solving and minor tech-support issues built-in to the minds of tech-savvy Millennials heightens the issue.

Does this mean the IT support system is outdated and ready to be retired?

I doubt it. Technological knowledge of the IT landscape does not equal or even necessarily relate to the abilities held by the individual.

A key issue highlighted in one report cited the assumption that "Millennials are prone to flouting authority" in the form of the IT support they have on hand.

Again with this, it simply falls down to wanting to be productive, carry on with the work set for them and avoid the issue of IT problems when they arise. Whether 'turning to Google' is an easier option than to intrude on a colleague's workload, or whether a psychological barrier exists -- I would bet money on the former over the latter.

IT support is only as effective as it wants to be, and if the methods of communication are not there -- such as text-based support over phone or in-person assistance, no wonder Millennials are more likely to try and fix issues themselves.

This is for the chief information officer -- the CIO -- to fix, and neither the problem for IT support, individual managers or the Millennials in question.

Millennials are not too different from the older generations, you know. We just sometimes circumvent the traditional IT support methods -- only to carry on as if nothing has happened, or occasionally making issues worse.

Related content:

• Could the Generation Y crash the enterprise IT party?
• How to make your company more Generation Y friendly
• Five stereotypes about the Generation Y debunked: It's all our parents' fault
• Tech mentors: Why every Generation Y employee needs one
• The future of IT jobs? It's in three types of roles