In today’s business environment, millennial workers sometimes get a bad rap. They may be perceived as lazy, uninspired, unambitious, entitled, or always on their smartphones. These are often misconceptions—there is no evidence millennials are less hard-working and productive than their boomer and Generation X counterparts. However, these younger employees bring different priorities to the their careers and the workplace. Work/life balance is important, as is collaboration, communication, and social responsibility.The training tactics used to teach millennial employees must change to reflect their strengths and preferences. After all, this generation now comprises more of the American workforce than any other demographic. Organizations that fail to recognize and adapt to this shift will be at a competitive disadvantage. Here are some training tactics to adopt with the millennial workforce:
Technology That Is Familiar
If millennials seem to be on their portable devices all the time, there’s a reason: This generation grew up with cell phones instead of land lines, emails instead of writing letters, and instant communications, like text messaging. Older employees may be impressed with modern technology, but for younger workers, it’s simply a normal part of their lives. Training tactics that incorporate mobile devices resonate with millennials—much more so than traditional methods such as printed training manuals or boring seminars. And when training resonates, workers are more likely to engage in their jobs and boost productivity.
Video for New Hires
Video is emerging as a powerful training tactic for companies to efficiently get new employees up to speed quickly and correctly. As already stated, millennials don’t respond to the training methods of yesteryear; presenting them with a written training manual could create a negative impression with hires before their first minute on the floor or in the kitchen. Video can get new employees up to speed more quickly and to be productive right away without boring them into regretting that they are working for you.
Video for Existing Employees
New hires aren’t the only millennial workers who benefit from video training tactics. Existing employees can learn new skills with video content without being pulled away from other duties (or pulling managers away from their important responsibilities). Furthermore, mobile training solutions allow workers to shoot video and share it with other employees at their store or to locations throughout the company. In this sense, millennials create their own best practices and further engage in their jobs—and your company’s success.
The Chance to Contribute
Millennials don’t just want the chance to offer an opinion once in a while—they want to be part of the process as much as possible and have their voices heard. This goal extends into training processes; millennials like asking questions and giving feedback as they learn new skills. And when they are given the opportunity to contribute, they feel valued and are more likely to invest in their jobs. Mobile training solutions facilitate this kind of communication and collaboration. If employees have questions or comments about something they are learning, they can send that feedback directly from the tablet on which they are viewing the training content.
What training tactics do you find most effective with the millennial workforce?
