According to population projections from the U.S. Census Bureau, Millennials are expected to become the largest living adult generation by 2019. By 2025, they will represent 75% of the workforce.
As generational compositions in the workforce transform quickly, organizations must adapt and be prepared to meet Millennials’ expectations. This group of tech-savvy, ambitious, once considered young generation, has grown up and are no longer kids. As adults, Millennials exhibit an entrepreneurial, fast-paced spirit and are eager for mentors and professional coaching that can help lead to career development opportunities.
On the older end of the Millennial spectrum, for those approaching their mid-thirties, their role in the workplace is also maturing. With nearly 10 years of experience under their belt, they are stepping into managerial and even c-suite roles. The average age of first-time managers today is 30, creating a new image of the leadership persona.
Millennials are employees of your immediate future. Taking the time to understand some of their common values and behaviors will help create both an engaging learning culture for your workplace and an engaging learning program catered to their needs.
Here are three ways to effectively engage Millennials in today's workforce:
- Cater to their short attention spans.
Surrounded by a constant influx of texts, emails, tweets, and more, multitasking comes second nature to Millennials. Moving from one task to another quickly has become the norm, making focusing on a task for long periods of time difficult for this generation.
The days of reading through large amounts of content, especially when it’s not clear on how it applies to the job at hand, are over. Bite-sized, accessible, time-managed activities will resonate with their desire to move fast while providing a sense of accomplishment.
- Clearly define how actions can lead to outcomes.
Millennials are known for their ambitious attitude to move up the ladder quickly. They value opportunities for growth and expect ongoing learning programs to support those values, especially as they have come to realize that they will likely have the longest career of any generation before them.
Clearly communicating the tangible outcomes of a learning activity will set expectations for why they should spend time participating and how the skills can be immediately applied to help progress them in their specific role.
- Create a culture that fosters consistent feedback and recognition.
Growing up during the internet explosion has programmed Millennials to demand and expect instant access to information. This also reflects in their attitude towards feedback. Waiting for feedback won’t cut it these days. Millennials want clearly defined goals and validation on whether or not they are hitting them in real-time. You must provide routine, consistent, open-ended communication to increase engagement.
Millennials are making their mark, redefining the structure of today’s workplace and learning programs. Are you prepared to offer accessible, relevant learning opportunities that entice, engage, and retain top talent in this prevalent group of aspiring employees and candidates?
Want to learn how to tailor your learning strategy to keep Gen Z and Millennial learners engaged? Check out our on-demand webinar, "5 Tips to Engage Gen Z and Millennial eLearners in 2020 and Beyond" to learn more.
