Posted October 25th, 2016
By Kris Powers
According to the Census Bureau, Millennials are now the largest living generational group. As Millennials grow to make up more of the work force and consumer base, businesses will need to adapt to meet the needs of and cater to this generation not only as consumers, but also as employees.
Who are the Millennials?
- Born between 1981–2000
- Make up nearly 80 million in population (Baby Boomers = 72 million; Gen X = 41 million)
- 41% of the total U.S. population
- 25% grew up in single-parent households
- Approximately 75% grew up with working mothers
- About half are currently in the workforce
As Baby Boomers retire, Millennials will have earlier opportunities for promotion and will require training to support them throughout the process. In today’s business world, with many employees being offered more flexible work schedules and telecommuting opportunities, in-house training and support is difficult. A recent article published by Inc.com entitled “10 Business Trends That Will Grow in 2017“, discussed that as companies further embrace telecommuting, businesses will focus on providing more training and resources for remote employees. Technology has enabled all of us to be accessible 24/7; and, as many of us are looking for a semblance of “balance” – work is often done at home in order to be able to juggle work and life commitments. These are all excellent examples of why corporations need to embrace and introduce online professional development and training to their organizations and employees.
A recent article posted on Ed4Career.com stated “Every company needs skilled and talented employees who can contribute to the company’s growth. In addition, employees like to feel that their contributions are important and that their employers are invested in their career progression. Employees who feel valued will work hard for your company, leading to your organization’s success.”
Millennials in particular want to feel that they are constantly working on improving their skill sets; this generation thrives on growth, success and technology. In fact, Millennials currently in or entering the workplace have never really known a learning environment that did not include technology. To the Millennial, learning and technology are naturally intertwined and remote training is an obvious choice for their professional development needs.
Research has shown that the number one reason people leave a job is because they are looking for a position that will allow them to grow and progress in their career. If, by offering professional development and lifelong learning opportunities you can offer that progression within your company, you are more likely to retain your talented employees longer.
Ed4Career understands that Professional Development is essential to career development. We offer hundreds of courses designed to help your team members stay current in their field. View our catalog and contact us today to see how we can help you offer high quality training to your team members today!
Sources:
https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/reports/millennial-generation-research-review
https://www.sweetrush.com/tips-for-training-millennials/
