Invisible Forces Influence Our Ability To Accept New Technologies

Most people make decisions about technology or different ways to do things based on the invisible forces of previous experiences.  Everyone has a different natural relationship with technology, primarily driven by our age.  Most Generation X workers remember having to turn the record or cassette over to hear the songs on ‘the other side’.  They have a memory of an older version of technology.  Generation Z workers (born after 1996) do not know about flipping a record or cassette.  To them, this world never existed.  They only know a world where they can stream any song they want to their phone.  Technology is only new if you remember the way it was before.

This relationship is often invisible until we are forced to interact with someone who has a different relationship with technology.  For example, have you ever emailed a person only to get a response back by text, or have you sent a text message to someone, and instead you get a call back?  These are examples of the invisible force of technology.

The challenge is that these invisible forces inhibit our ability to accept new ideas or technologies. 

Let’s look at the following concept:

Apply today, get hired today, work today, get paid today. 

To most older work leaders, this is a foreign concept.  That could not have even happened five years ago.  However, many Gen Z workers have only known a world with the ability to get paid daily.  They worked for Uber or Doordash, where they were paid the same day they worked.  The ability to be paid immediately has established a new expectation with this younger workforce. 

This ability to pay employees the same day they work is possible with Earned Wage Access (EWA).  EWA enables employees to access a portion of their accrued but unpaid salary any time before payday.  In addition, offering EWA services can be done at no cost to the employer or employee.  Unfortunately, many employers decide not to offer EWA because it involves technology with which they are unfamiliar, even if it will save the company time and money.

The data supports offering EWA.  The Center for Generational Kinetics notes, “61%…would like their employer to provide the option for daily payment of their wages.  Employers who do not offer this option will likely be at a disadvantage in recruiting and retaining employees as more companies roll out this payroll-style feature.”

The key to accepting any new technology is first to understand the invisible forces influencing our decisions around technology.  Next, contact an expert about new technologies, like Earned Wage Access, and get your questions answered. 

How can we help?