Millennials became the largest generation in the workforce in 2016. And, by 2020, experts predict that this group (those born between 1981 and 1995) and Gen Z (those born between 1996 and 2012) will make up almost 60 percent of the workforce. Right this moment, however, 70% of millennials are unhappy with the way corporate learning is done.
By Deborah Tan
Just as how our tastes in food and entertainment have changed over the decades, so too have learning needs. It would be futile to insist our millennial employees do their learning using hefty textbooks and product manuals. Unlike Baby Boomers, who have no issue hunkering down with a book and committing large chunks of information to memory, millennials love looking for new ways to approach problems.
Millennials, with their by-now-famous shorter attention span, require a different training method. Employers need to tap into their tech savviness and offer mobile training options to effectively engage and develop them, to provide the leadership training 70% of millennials complain they are not getting.
The best thing about addressing this new learning reality is that the solution is simpler than it looks.
NO to Classroom Time. YES to Mobile Learning
Studies have shown that traditional methods like classroom training are low in effectiveness and are high in both material and opportunity costs.
Putting corporate learning content on the phone shaves off time AND money because it removes the need for a venue, physical textbooks, catering, etc. Employees receive information with just a few swipes on the phone, anywhere, anytime.
NO to Lengthy Content. YES to Microlearning
Companies need to be aware that learning is best done in short, effective segments. And putting corporate learning content on the mobile does that. Microlearning requires a low time commitment and can vary in format to contain podcasts, videos, quizzes, and polls.
Microlearning works by providing learners with just-enough information just in time.
NO to Rote Learning. YES to Engaging Content
The reason why TED Talks are so popular is because they are engaging and are over in a few minutes. To the listener or viewer, a TED Talk feels like a conversation, like listening to friend tell a story. Information isn’t forced down the throat. Rather, the talk is broken down into several key points, often with a story to make them relatable.
Employing techniques such as spaced repetition, reinforced learning, and gamification will keep the learner’s attention switched on and, things never get boring. Embedding measurement tools into the content also allows for progress tracking.
And if you need another reason to introduce microlearning to your millennial employees, consider this:
In a ranking of learning methods that drive the greatest value to an organisation, “corporate documentation” came in last with just 3% of managers voting in favour of it. More disturbingly, 80% of millennial learners forget what they learned in classroom training within 30 days.
Do you care enough to change?Shameless self-promotion: At SmartUp, we are doing some wonderful things with our clients transforming their corporate learning content. Organisations such as JLT Asia and Hong Leong Bank have converted their traditional training materials into engaging microlearning modules. Click on the button below to schedule a chat with us now or visit our website at www.smartup.io.
