This just in: Millennials are expected to outnumber baby boomers and any other age groups by the year 2019 (Pew Research Center, 2018).

How does this impact your workplace? Can you still stick to what you were doing even before millennials came and populated the workforce?

If your company has been comfortably practicing pure traditional training for so many years, and you think it would work for today’s young professionals, you might have to double take.

Millennials are known to be digital natives. They are brought up during the digital age and are very much at ease in using computers or any form of technology. They almost always have everything they need in a handheld device – name it and they’ll tell you what application fits. Millennials are also energetic, passionate, and go-getters. Retaining your old training methods will absolutely bore them to death (figuratively speaking).

What can you do for your diverse workforce? How will you use this “common ground” to your advantage?

1. MAKE ESSENTIAL TRAININGS AVAILABLE TO THEM 24/7

They all have their own platforms: mobile phones, desktop, laptops, tablet, etc. Now, all you have to do is make all essential information about their jobs accessible by them whenever and wherever through the internet. This gives them ease of access and immediate answers to whatever information they seek. Quick solutions, no delay on their job. Win-win.

2. INCORPORATE ENTERTAINMENT IN LEARNING

Like what I’ve said earlier, millennials might be bored to death by traditional trainings alone. Find ways to incorporate fun in your training methods. Make them watch an informative video. Make them take an online quiz. There are so many ways to have fun while learning. You just have to find the right one that fits the context of your training the most.

3. BLENDED LEARNING

Face-to-face coaching and classroom trainings are critical. This way, you get immediate feedback from your learners and vice versa. You see how they react to the training and they get answers to their questions instantly. That’s why you really can’t remove these vital parts in talent development. However, to maintain the interest and engagement from your people, you have to blend it with modern training methods. Giving them remote trainings but still giving the effort to coach and mentor them face-to-face – perfect.

Richard Branson, a renowned business magnate, once said:


“Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”

Developing all your employees into what they can ultimately be will surely pay-off at the end. Arm them with the information they need, engage them in fun trainings, and mentor them all throughout their journey – and they’ll treat the company as if it’s their own.

Sources:

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/01/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/

https://www.overallmotivation.com/quotes/richard-branson-quotes-employees-work-life/