I had to laugh this morning when I was asked on a new website I was testing for a company if I wanted to take a “virtual tour” first. I decided to humor myself and take the tour anyway. I got exactly what I expected; a bland click-by-click navigation of someone *else* browsing around the site. For those who may have a web design and user interface (UI) background like myself, please take note. I’m not saying virtual tours aren’t a valuable tool or can’t be useful. What I am saying, however, is that if your site isn’t intuitive enough to allow people to get there and just know how to use it by encorporating generally accepted web design standards and clearly directed, actionable items…creating a virtual tour isn’t your biggest problem.

If you’re wondering what this has to do with Gen-X and Millennial employees, the answer is – everything. It points back to senior-to-middle management not listening to the voice of those already within their workforce. These young minds have never known a day without technology, and they understand it very well. If you want to know how your website should look and feel, what actions it should offer or how the UI interacts with the visitor – ask them. They want to tell you. They’re practically begging to give you the answers you’re willing to pay outside consultants too much money for. All you have to do it ask them. You have the business and project management experience to know how their great ideas can be implemented. So don’t keep them out in the cold. Invite them in, engage with them and most importantly…listen to them.