Designing a Training Program for Millennial’s
A research by Deloitte indicated that the second largest issue HRs face is talent development. The research also indicated that the training program for millennial’s tend to leave the workplace majorly because of their dissatisfaction with how their leadership skills are developed. Due to the influence of technology and connectivity the millennials grew up differently and thus their needs also differ. To address those needs the training approach should also be different and follow an evolving learning.
The Importance of Training and Development
Training millennial employee involves certain crucial aspects like the training needs to be brief, crisp, agile, accessible, instant, collaborative, communal, relevant, relatable and it should blend and bind. These are some of the characteristics to be looked at while designing a training approach for the millennials.
In a recent study, it was found that millennials ranked training and development way higher than bonuses and cash rewards. Millennial employees tend to be more satisfied with employers who provide them opportunities. This emphasize that millennial employees prefer engagement not entitlement.
Organizations that tend to hold their talented millennial employees seem to combine various building blocks like professionalism, well-defined vision, custom-tailored benefits, training and development. In general, several researches tend to describe millennials as creative, curious, enthusiastic, travellers and these are the characteristics that organizations should play on when focusing on training millennial employees.
As mentioned, millennials are the generation referred as Digital Natives. They are more comfortable with technology and because of their curious nature they tend to welcome new ways of learning. They’ll be happier to receive training through learning management systems, whereas the previous generations are more hesitant. So, when planning for millennial employee training this should be kept in mind and the approach should be created accordingly.
Companies have started adopting certain new ways of training:
Microlearning
These are very short and specific sessions that are majorly delivered through eLearning mode. Due to the dropping attention span imparting through short videos tend to be highly efficient. So, creating content that have the ability hook the audience immediately and keep them engaged is crucial.
Virtual Reality & AI
This has started gaining attention in recent times, and with recent advancements virtual reality has set its own space in the millennial employee training. Millennials tend to respond well to virtual and interactive environments as they have been a generation weaned into computer gaming. With help AI and VR the training program for millennial’s employees can be designed such that where they are in their environment with their own specified avatar indulged to learn a specific topic.
Gamification
Gamification is also an engaging way of training program for millennial’s employees. This is a way of training or learning through game which incorporates aspects like points, levels etc. Gamification tends to be more effective when rewards are combined with real life incentives.
Experiential Training
Though the virtual training works effectively sometimes it is essential to provide training and development in the real world. Experiential training proves effective in those situations, as it combines different real-world actual life challenges to make learning and application effective.
Informal Training
Another way of millennial employee training is informal training. This is basically to let them handle the responsibility of training themselves. Where they’ll pick and choose topics that interest them or will help them in growth and attend the training.
