Millennial perceptions of the 4th industrial revolution in an information technology company

Abstract

The 4th Industrial Revolution is in the early stages and impacting every aspect of life. Businesses are realising economies of scales as a result of the technologies introduced by this era; thus, creating uncertainty where existing jobs are concerned as new skills are required. Millennials are the largest generation cohort in the labour market, and they will be required to reconsider their career ambitions in order to remain relevant in this era. The general objective of this study was to establish millennial perceptions of the 4th Industrial Revolution in an information technology company. A qualitative research design was used, utilising a semi-structured interview approach to obtain data from millennials employed in an information technology company. Participants (n = 15) were identified using purposive sampling and were approached, based on the research requirements. Once data had been collected, a content data analysis approach was used to analyse the recorded data. The results indicated that millennials describe the 4th Industrial Revolution as a phenomenon that has emerged from the 3rd Industrial Revolution. They also associate this era with the introduction of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, robotics and automation. They suggest that these technologies are reducing the amount of administrative and physically intensive work. However, as a result of this, they suggest that certain jobs are becoming redundant and new career opportunities are emerging, bringing about a demand for new skills as business demands change. Therefore, millennials suggest that they need to reskill and upskill in order to keep up with and align to the 4th Industrial Revolution. They also suggest that organisations need to support them through establishing people inclusive strategies and provide further support through skills development initiatives that are future focused.