Welcome along to #TalkingTeams
Talking Teams is a weekly newsletter about all things people development and is for HR managers, L&D people and team leaders. If you are working with people then we are confident that this content will be of value to you.
In this issue we are asking why we should care about why #millennials care so much about L&D.
Oh and to be clear when I say 'millennials' I mean people born between 1981 - 1996 (so me then ????????).
Ahh millennials, you can't make your mind up can you?
One minute it's 'I need more money'
The next it's 'I don't know what I'm doing with my life!'
This is a population that has itchy feet and is sometimes irrational.
But it's also a highly talented, focussed and ambitious group that wants real achievement in their careers.
In a recent report #Deloitte said that the 2nd biggest reason why a millennial or GenZ would choose to join a new company after #worklifebalance is learning and development opportunities.
Let's unpack some of the reasons why millennials care so much about #learninganddevelopment
Career growth and advancement
Consistently surveys have shown that millennials are focussed less on corporate loyalty and more on what they perceive to be in the best interests of their career. This means that we as people with influence over their careers, need to be doing everything we can to show them that they should stick around. In the age of the digital skills gap retaining this talent will be key to organisational success in the future.
Work/life balance
I don't think we're quite there yet but shifting towards an outputs focussed model of management versus the traditional 'time logged in' , is something that we should all care about.
Our interventions should be focussed on helping people become more efficient, learn a new skill and use their initiative. Where you can showcase this as part of your programme your more likely to get buy in from people that want to finish their day faster.
Job satisfaction
Job satisfaction is key to us all, it's just more likely that without it Gen Z and millennials will move on.
Feeling engaged and fulfilled is not a pipedream either. I was speaking to someone who had been working in a large parcel delivery company and he told me he was approaching his 20 year anniversary. When I asked him what it was that encouraged him to stay so long he said that the company had changed his role every 2 / 3 years, which had offered him a fresh challenge.
Making a Difference
There has been a lot of research that has gone into the theory around a ' values conflict'. That is to say younger people are increasingly disconnected from employers that don't align with their attitudes towards issues that are important to them.
Topics like diversity and inclusion, well-being and sustainability are no longer part of a CSR strategy, they are key to organisational success. Taking the time to construct initiatives that speak to these topics will pay dividends both now and in the future.
So, some reasons to think about your training programme and L&D budget today.
It should also be said though that whilst millennials and Gen Z are the relevant groups, it's also true that all people care about these topics.
We need to stay curious with our people and test our assumptions about what people care about and what is going to motivate them. 'Investing' in people doesn't always half to be a half-day training, it can be a conversation, it can be by taking an interest in their career and yes, so sometimes that means paying them more money.
Commit today to taking that interest and you'll see the results.
At Manabu Learning we believe that you'll attract more and lose less of your good people by investing in their development.
The trouble is that a lot of traditional interventions are off the mark for learners and the organisation. This is because it can often be quite difficult to prove if they had any impact.
We use games and simulations as the delivery method for our programmes as it is the best way to engage and enable your people.
