Government Technology - July 2008 - (Page 19)

Facebook, MySpace and other Web 2.0 of other ages when it comes to creating tools can be great networking and com- security risks. “I don’t worry about Millennials at all; munication business tools — connecting with clients and building contacts. But these they’ll be great employees,” Ross said. “And same tools can be terrible for privacy. Sensi- a percentage of them will do stupid things, tive in-house data could be displayed over a just like a percentage of 50-year-olds will, public network for thousands to see. These so I don’t see any difference there. It’s about networks can also be means for employees educating your employees and making sure they have a full understanding to store work-related data on that if they inappropriately use an unauthorized source that state equipment there are conselacks proper security. quences.” Technological innovation Ross actively encourages Milbrings new conveniences and lennials to join the work force. threats. Want to store a project On Feb. 15, 2008, his departon a portable hard drive to ment hosted a job fair in Second take home and perfect over Life, a popular three-dimenthe weekend? It could fall out sional online virtual world. of your pocket or purse and Their thinking was to recruit be picked up by a stranger. young people to government Those nifty instant messages jobs by going to an environment are great for communicating many of them access. Missouri with co-workers, but also serve didn’t hire any Millennials from as ways to bypass firewalls. Someone could unknowingly Dan Ross spearheaded that event, but many expressed an interest. More Second Life introduce malicious code to Missouri’s recruitment job fairs are planned. Ross also the network by sending a link island in Second Life to visits high schools and middle to a questionable Web site attract Millennials to the public sector. schools to build young people’s through an instant message. interest in IT careers. Missouri Dan Ross, Missouri’s CIO, is aware of how security can be compromised. has a centralized IT department of more He oversees the Information Technology Ser- than 1,100 employees, and 51 are Millennivices Division, which serves 14 state offices and als. Ross expects 60 percent of his work force more than 34,000 state workers. Still, Millen- to be eligible for retirement between now nials don’t scare him any more than employees and 2018. Millennials and the Future How might young people be workplace assets? Could all that time typing or texting make them speedy typists, able to whip up memos at the drop of a hat? Does familiarity “I don’t worry about Millennials at all. They’ll be great employees, and a percentage of them will do stupid things just like a percentage of 50-year-olds will.” Dan Ross, CIO, Missouri Missouri state government hopes that virtual environments might lure younger applicants to the public sector. with new and emerging technologies have its benefit? You bet, according to Dustin Lanier, director of the Texas Council on Competitive Government. The council brings state leaders together to shape policy for government departments, including IT. “I think they’ve built an approach to work that involves a lot of multitasking,” Lanier said of the Millennials. “Something will be loading on one screen, you alt-tab to another application and pull up an e-mail, the first process loads, you flip back, start a new process, flip to a forum and pull up a topic. It’s frenetic but normal to that group.” Lanier doesn’t think Millennials present more of an IT threat than their older 19 http://www.govtech.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - July 2008

Government Technology - July 2008 Point of View The Last Mile Big Picture On the Scene Four Questions for ... Generation 2.0 at Work Dangerous Convenience Tainted Justice? Are You Ready? E-Discovery Basics Smart Docs Advanced Math Online Video Blues Spectrum Personal Computing Products signal:noise

Government Technology - July 2008

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