Written by: Eric Handler

How to Reach a Millennial

Millennials are addicted to learning, and it’s reshaping the world.

In fact, they’ve been called the generation that knows too much too soon – wise intellectually, but somewhat stunted emotionally.

It’s nothing new for employers to significantly invest in training employees in basic business skills and knowledge, not to mention extensive new employee orientation programs. According to Deloitte’s 2016 Human Capital report, 84 percent of executives rate learning as important, but only 37 percent believe corporate training programs are effective.

So, while it’s good news that Millennials want to learn, the bad news is they want to learn only what interests them, only in ways that hold their attention, and only at the time they want to learn it.

As the picture becomes clear, we see that the puzzle pieces don’t fit together nice and neat.

What’s more, Millennials are nearly twice as likely as Baby Boomers to be bored at work. Why? They say it’s because they aren’t learning anything new. Millennials crave stimulating learning and exciting career pathing to stay engaged at work.

What’s an employer or supervisor to do? Reinvent employee development and on-the-job training.

“Yesterday was about instructor-led classes and web-based e-learning platforms, but today’s workforce increasingly demands next-gen learning that’s engaging, personalized, mobile, and immersive,” according to Udemy’s 2017 Learning Index. “It’s no longer about L&D creating formal training courses, but blending a range of formal and informal learning experiences such as in-person training, mobile online learning, social discussion forums, and even virtual reality.”

Next month, we’ll provide a roadmap to engage Millennials in our Handler Report, “The Care & Development of Millennials.”

Additional Resource: Click here to listen to the first 1-1/2 minutes of Simon Sinek’s provocative insights about Millennials in the workplace. Oh, and if you’re serious about supporting Millennials, click here.