MobileIron: Gen Mobile Feels Guilty Mixing Work, Personal Lives

More than half of millennials, or “Gen Mobile” workers, admit experiencing a sense of guilt when mixing their personal and work lives, according to a new study from MobileIron (MOBL).

According to new research in “The Gen M Survey,” 58 percent of Gen M workers surveyed said they feel guilty whenever they use technology to conduct personal business during work hours, or vice versa, also known as “shadow tasking.”

The joint MobileIron and Harris Poll study surveyed 3,500 full- and part-time professionals who use a mobile device for work between December 2014 and January 2015. Respondents were from the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Spain, France and Germany. Harris defined the group of Gen M workers as men ages 18-34 or people with children under the age of 18 living in their households (MobileIron surveyed everyone over the age of 18 for the survey but chose these two demographics because of their propensity to use mobile devices in the workplace).

“Mobile is fundamentally changing how we work and live,” said Bob Tinker, CEO of MobileIron, in a statement. “The Gen M Study, to us, reflects the emerging, connected culture of modern business. Forward-thinking companies embrace this change and understand that mobile is as much an HR program as a technology initiative.”

Gen M reported doing 26 percent of their work on smartphones or tablets, compared to non-Gen M professionals at 17 percent, according to the study. MobileIron also found a larger correlation between Gen M workers and shadow tasking. About 82 percent of Gen M respondents engage in at least one personal task on their mobile device per day during work hours, compared to 72 percent of non-Gen M professionals. Conversely, 64 percent of Gen M do at least one work task on mobile per day during personal hours compared to 54 percent of non-Gen M professionals, according to the study.

But while mobile workers are more likely to blend personal and work tasks together, they have collectively more guilt about their actions than do non-Gen M professionals. MobileIron found 61 percent of Gen M respondents suffer from mobile guilt when receiving work communications during personal hours, compared to 47 percent of non-Gen M workers. Similar findings occurred for those receiving personal communications during work hours, with 58 percent of Gen M workers feeling guilt compared to 46 percent of non-Gen M workers.

With the continued importance of mobile devices in the workplace and the advent of wearable technology, MobileIron expects the number of Gen M workers mixing business and pleasure to increase, which means companies will have to develop policies to adapt to new ways of doing business. Companies that want to attract and keep the most talented Gen M workers will need to develop formal policies around shadow tasking as well as establish clear boundaries and goals to keep performance acceptable, according to the study. This means encouraging employees to use their devices by reimbursing them for data or providing stipends, and ensuring that their personal data remains protected.

MobileIron’s findings correlate strongly with earlier studies, which have found that millennials desire a proper work/leisure balance to feel at home in their job of choice.

For more news on Gen M workers, check out The Millennial Report right here on The VAR Guy.