Millennials, also known as Generation Y, are a generation made up of people born between the years of 1980 until approximately the year 2000.
There are around 13.8 million Millennials in the UK, meaning they are currently flooding the workforce, ready to be moulded into future leaders. By offering millennials suitable training programmes, you are more likely to retain these staff members and may identify future leaders who will fit into your succession planning.
What skills do millennials possess?
Due to the unique life experiences of millennials, they are also known to job hop frequently. This is not necessarily due to employee dissatisfaction, but rather an organisation not offering the correct development routes. Millennial candidates will likely become dissatisfied in roles where they are not given a clear path of how to achieve their goals and the training that will get them there.
Millennials are known to adapt more quickly to situations and gain new skills more quickly, due to their native approach to technology. By providing millennials with training, you are likely to experience more success in retaining them as employees as they will gain new skills and develop their professional persona.
Millennials are often considered a valuable asset to the business, by offering new perspectives and creative solutions that can bring a refreshing approach to reconstructing existing strategies and revamping them to succeed in the modern world.
Moreover, millennials are known to be adapted quickly to using technology, which not only incorporates typing and computer skills but expands to personal devices and an immersive attitude to social media. Socially active employees will often be able to offer an alternative perspective to company marketing activities and assist in introducing these technologies into offices, particularly those occupied by a primarily more senior workforce.
What are the critical mistakes that are made when planning training for millennials?
All employees should be entitled to adequate training to not only develop their skills but also to help improve your business. However, some training may not hit the mark for millennials as each generation should be trained differently.
Millennial training programmes should focus on their learning style, for example, many in this generation respond better within a structured chain of command, so a coaching relationship may help to evaluate their pros and cons, as they thrive on feedback.
Additionally, incorporating technology into the learning gives them the power to learn when they want to and on devices that they feel comfortable with, instead of always being taught in a classroom.
Moreover, it is important to discuss with millennials why the training is applicable. They are incredibly focused on career progression, so through the explanation of how that particular training will assist them with their own goals, they are more likely to engage and respond positively.
What problems can millennials solve in the workplace?
Millennials can make great employees due to their drive and determination. They are a generation that cares about the environment, so they are focused on liberal policies and their contribution to the world.
Additionally, millennials like to see the bigger picture, within the workplace this often applicable to how they see themselves fitting into the future of a company. Their tenacity and evaluation skills can be valuable when it comes to analysing competition, setting targets and understanding commercial spaces. This can lead to millennials making efficient and proactive leaders, and succeeding in organisations where they feel valued and sufficiently trained.