Training your millennial workforce
by Mary Jawgiel
Millennials have been called the pickiest group of job seekers ever seen. They also are possibly the group least afraid of leaving a job they don’t like. They believe in themselves and feel they won’t have a problem finding another job if their current one does not
work out.
Census Bureau data tells us the Millennial generation will account for close to half of the work-age population by 2023. Or, close to half of those individuals that you employ will be Millennials. We’ve already established that this group is different from us, and their training needs are different as well. Now is the time to start revitalizing your training program to accommodate the Millennial generation.
Perhaps one of the biggest differences between Millennials and previous generations is how immersed they are in technology and how dependent they are on it. Whereas prior generations memorized their multiplication tables, the younger generation relies on a calculator that is on their smart phone or tablet to solve basic math problems. And their smart phone, iPad or tablet is always with them.
Using technology to train your Millennial employees is a must. In the past, companies may have provided printed training materials (such as workbooks or even pages run off the copy machine) and told their employees to read and keep these documents handy. Now, training materials need to be available online 24/7. Millennials like to learn when it is convenient for them, and that could be at 1 a.m. Training materials also need to be adapted for use on mobile phones, iPads and tablets. If your salesperson is out in the field and needs the specs on a certain product, he will want to consult his mobile device for the answer, not call in and ask someone to look it up. And, he won’t be carrying volumes of paper around in a three-ring binder to consult when he is in the field.
You also need to incorporate an interactive component. Simply putting up the material on a mobile platform without providing a way for your trainee to interact won’t hold the attention of a Millennial (remember, they have short attention spans and are used to instant gratification). One way to accomplish this is through video.
Millennials love video – short clips are the best to hold their attention. So, instead of showing a picture or a diagram of a product, get out your video camera and demonstrate the product. The video does not need to be done professionally – just done. Post your creations on YouTube (in addition to your website) or post a link on Twitter or Facebook. Your Millennials are on these social networks, so use them to your advantage when you want to push out training.
For training that does not involve product, make sure you tailor it to your employee’s job. Don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach. If your warehouse worker does not need to know each computer module, just show him how to look up what he needs and forget the rest. Millennials will drift off into their own world if they believe the information you are providing does not apply to them. So, make sure you tailor the information that needs to be learned to the position and explain how and why this stuff is necessary.
There are companies out there that have developed online role playing scenarios and games to make sure their Millennials are learning in the method they embrace. This can get very expensive but provides real-life scenarios that will improve the performance of Millennial employees.
But, you don’t need to get that fancy. You can develop role playing scenarios yourself that you can do with your Millennial employee. This is a great way to provide relevant information in a fun, interactive way. Set aside some time and work with your Millennials in a group or one-on-one.
Write up a scenario of a sales call or a customer complaint, and you play the role of the customer. Make sure you give your employee a chance to read the situation and think for a few minutes about their response. Have them show you how they would handle the situation. This process will engage them and provide you the opportunity to offer feedback of their performance (Millennials love feedback).
The most effective training program for your Millennial employees is:
- Short
- Interactive
- Online
- Relevant to the position
- Provides feedback
And remember, you may need to go back and retrain your Millennial. Be patient, and your Millennial employee will learn the skills you need for them to have.
If you have a new employee who needs to learn about the field of industrial distribution, ICP has a course, “Elements of Industrial Distribution,” in an online and print format. It is designed to provide an introduction to the field for those who are new to industrial distribution. For details, visit www.industrialcareerspathway.org/elementsintro.
Mary Jawgiel is ICP program director for the PTDA Foundation and is managing the new ICP Job Board at www.industrialcareerspathway.org. Mary’s life-long passion has been working with young people. Industrial Careers Pathway (ICP) is a cross-industry initiative supported by the ISA Foundation, NAHAD: The Association for Hose and Accessories Distribution and the PTDA Foundation. For more insights on recruiting, hiring and training Millennials in the distribution industry, subscribe to the ICP Talent Tipsheet at www.industrialcareerspathway.org/Subscribe.
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2013 issue of Industrial Supply magazine. Copyright 2013, Direct Business Media.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The November/December issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Kimball Midwest. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dirk Beveridge, Frank Hurtte, and Mike Marks, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
