L&D andhuman resource leaders, take note. If you’re not losing sleep over how best tohold onto your top performers, if you aren’t doing everything in your power toengage and inspire an influx of millennial workers—you’re already asleep at thehelm. A tech savvy 21st-century workforce is demanding a new kind ofrelationship with the workplace, one centered around happiness. Fororganizations not currently bothering with employee happiness, nurturingworkers should be a top business priority. Here’s why:
- Most workers are“checked out.” Eighty-seven percent of employees are disengaged at work. No wonder, with estimates that40 percent of training fails, leaving workers poorly supported to do their bestwork. Yet traditional methods, rife with bloated content, antiquated delivery,and abysmal knowledge retention, are still the corporate norm.
- The workplace ischanging. The rapid evolution of technology has completely revolutionizedthe way we work. On top of that, the largest cohort in the American workforce aremillennials, and these digital natives aren’t wired the same as previousgenerations; they have far different skillsets and expectations. Among thisset, attention spans are dwindling, screens are shrinking, and an on-the-golifestyle demands a new approach to training.
- Employees arestarved for better learning. Development is consistently reported as one ofthe top three perks millennials consider whendeciding to stay at a job—more than cash, a 401k, or any other benefit. And with the job market on theupswing, talent is moving; the average tenure of a millennial’s job is just 4.6 years. Gone are the dayswhen employers can sit back on their heels, hoping standard role training isenough.
- Learning is hard to get right. We knowfrom research that certain learningstrategies work best: spacing,variation, interleaving—but the trouble is that these are very hard to do atscale. Bulky training programs can’t make use of these learning techniques.Unless, that is, the units you’re dealing with are small.
What’s the solution?
Microfy your trainings.Update dinosaur L&D training programs with a micro approach to learning: short videos,accessed online and mobile compatible, and available at the point-of-need.Because if you can teach your employees a bit at a time in 60-second bursts,chances are they’ll be back for more.
A leaner approach toL&D. The good news is that micro content is easier and faster toproduce. A targeted, slimmed down approach could mean a 300 percent increase in speed of development and a 70 percent reduction in production costs, coupled with measurableperformance improvements. It’s a win-win for L&D.
Treat L&D like ithas a seat at the table. A robust learning product should not only performlike an extension of your team, with accessible, custom curricula, modularcontent, and up-to-date trainings for everyone—it should also be a top priority for the C-suite.Because when a learning program does the above well, learning becomes a partnerin fulfilling, andeven creating, businessstrategy.
Engage employees no matter where they are in theirtenure. From onboarding to training to daily support, learning anddevelopment touches the complete lifecycle of an employee. Empower your teamwith technical training, leadership skills, and the vision to see their rolegrow in the future. Because the promise of development and promotion is the newpost-recession pension plan.
All or a combination of the above will helpcontribute to your organization’s overall culture of learning. Because when people learn new skills in theright way, at the right time, they feel better, work harder, and positivityspreads. Show your employees now and in the future that you’re investingin them as they are in you—andyou’ll drive engaged, happy workers to their ultimate success.
