Communication in the workplace

Allison's post, Internship Hunting, got me thinking about how my generation's dependence on the internet is shaping the type of employees we are becoming. Many employers have expressed their dissatisfaction with young employees' behavior in the workplace, stating that these twenty somethings are unprofessional, and more focused on technology than they are on their jobs. Additionally, many employees are so reliant on impersonal electronic communication such as emails and text messages, that they have lost their ability to interact in person both on the phone and in the office.

I saw this first hand during my internship this summer. As interns for a U.S. Senator, myself and 17 other students were charged with answering phones, greeting office visitors, and occasionally serving as office representative at public events. I was shocked as I observed the fear that some of my fellow interns at these simple tasks. Several would clam up on the phone, stutter, stammer, or try to find ways to avoid answering.   It was obvious that they were uncomfortable with this type of interaction and would prefer to stick to tasks that involved little to no interpersonal interaction. It was interesting to observe that people from my generation lacked the basic communication skills necessary to advance themselves in the workplace. It was additionally interesting to observe that these interns were completely comfortable using email, letters, and electronic communication devises. It seemed as though the more personal interaction the task involved, the more my fellow interns were hesitant to participate. I am curious if this personal anecdote demonstrates the role of electronic communication in transforming the behaviors of of my generation. Has our dependence on instantaneous electronic communication decreased our ability to interact in person, and if so, what effect will this have on our employment prospects?