SAN DIEGO (April 16, 2024) – Seismic, the global leader in enablement, today released the findings of its new Generation Enablement Report: The Rise of Enablement’s Influence. Hundreds of business leaders were surveyed to understand their enablement strategies, challenges, and go-to-market (GTM) processes. The survey explores how attitudes and actions vary across Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. And while opinions differ on adoption, use, and effectiveness, one thing is clear: enablement’s influence is growing worldwide, and so is that of its leaders.

According to the report, 93% of enablement technology users say that the desire for strategic, effective enablement has increased over the last three to five years. And it’s no wonder why: 85% agree the technology is integral to weathering difficult economic times. Not to mention, 89% of enablement technology users say it gives their team a competitive advantage, and 88% say it enhances their job satisfaction.

Despite these benefits, sentiment toward adopting new technologies varies by generation. In particular:

  • Generation Z: These employees are the most open to new technologies, with 72% of respondents reporting no resistance to adoption from members of Gen Z on their team. Yet, they also responded with the lowest enthusiasm towards artificial intelligence (AI). When asked about their organization’s likelihood to invest more in enablement due to the promise of AI, only 85% of Gen Z said yes. While this is a healthy majority, it is noticeably lower than other generations.
  • Millennials: Approximately one-third of U.S. respondents believe Millennials struggle to some degree with adapting to new technology. However, opposite of their Gen Z counterparts, Millennials seem the most optimistic about AI in the workplace, with 82% viewing AI as a virtual partner to them and 92% increasing their enablement spend due to the promise of AI.
  • Generation X: Despite being seasoned professionals, Gen X encounters technology adoption challenges with 55% of survey respondents noting Gen X’s resistance to new technology. Gen X is challenged by gaining executive support when introducing new tools to their teams, being 26% more likely than average to report a lack of executive buy-in when implementing tech. This generation also leads the pack in leveraging enablement analytics to make data-driven decisions.
  • Baby Boomers: While often known for being resistant to change, Baby Boomers are increasingly recognizing the importance of enablement tech. Notably, 68% of all respondents reported that Boomers have high resistance to new technology, yet they are 22% more likely than average to express a preference for companies utilizing enablement tech. Boomers were also most likely to agree that enablement is considered a strategic initiative at their company.

“In an era defined by rapid technological advancement and evolving workplace dynamics, the demand for enablement continues to skyrocket,” said Paige O’Neill, Chief Marketing Officer, Seismic. “No matter the generation, it is clear enablement holds the keys to the most significant challenges we see today: engaging customers, scaling GTM teams, adopting new tech, improving productivity, and integrating AI-powered workflows. Moreover, the data in our latest report shows that enablement helps bring people together and is crucial for fostering an agile, innovative workforce.”

The report also indicates that enablement continues to explode in usage and investment, with the majority (89%) of respondents using enablement technology at work. While sales and marketing executives rely more on enablement tech compared to other departments, with usage at 64% and 58% respectively, this technology is no longer reserved only for those teams – nearly all (97%) surveyed companies using enablement tech have deployed it across multiple departments. This trend is expected to intensify in the coming years, as 79% of respondents plan to allocate additional funds to expand enablement programs and functions, while 59% aim to implement enablement tools in additional departments.

“Technology, enablement or otherwise, is only as good as its adoption,” said Patricia Peral, Senior Director of GTM Enablement, Beeline. “As enablement leaders, one of our core responsibilities is to ensure that those who we expect to benefit from any new technology understand both how to use it, and the value of using it – no matter their generation. Additionally, we must ensure that we enable on tools not only at launch, but continuously, as people learn and adopt at different times in their journey.”

To learn more about the defining characteristics of Generation Enablement and dive deeper into regional and generational differences, visit the Seismic Blog or download the full report here.

METHODOLOGY
Seismic conducted the Generation Enablement survey online between February 22, 2024, and March 11, 2024. It reflects the opinions of 635 full-time employees in a sales, enablement, or customer success role at the management level or above in the United States, including 13% of those who have the title of VP of Sales, VP of Marketing, Chief Revenue Officer, Chief Sales Officer, or Chief Marketing Officer. The research was conducted at 95% confidence with a +/- 4% margin of error.

About Seismic
Seismic is the global leader in enablement, helping organizations engage customers, enable teams, and ignite revenue growth. The Seismic Enablement CloudTM is the most powerful, unified enablement platform that equips customer-facing teams with the right skills, content, tools, and insights to grow and win. From the world’s largest enterprises to startups and small businesses, more than 2,000 organizations around the globe trust Seismic for their enablement needs. Seismic is headquartered in San Diego with offices across North America, Europe, and Australia.

To learn more, visit Seismic.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram.

Media Contact
Natalie Beaulieu
Communications Director, Seismic
[email protected]