How To Engage And Enrich Millennial Learners

Companies stand to benefit from developing their own employees

Ongoing learning for the workforce has never been more critical amid so much rapid-fire change and technological innovation. Learners need to consistently reskill and upskill to keep up with the pace of change. As such, developing employees, and preparing them for a very different future, is top of mind for many organizations.
 

Organizations must prioritize the development of employees by giving them the tools they need to succeed in today’s climate. Employee development is an organization’s accelerator, so when each person is learning and growing, organizations can anticipate business demands and avoid playing catch-up.

Beyond that, employees prize development offered by an organization, with 93% of employees saying they would stay longer at a company that invests in career development. For many employees, development programs are table stakes, as they expect more than just a routine annual development program. Rather, they expect a continuous investment in the skills, knowledge, and experiences that will keep them productive and engaged.

Companies stand to benefit from developing their own employees, as those that develop their own workers are 30% more likely to lead their industry over the long term. However, employee development can fall to the bottom of a manager’s to-do list as it gets pushed aside by urgent, but not necessarily more important, tasks. In fact, the research we completed last year with our friends at Degreed showed that managers are not providing consistent guidance or support. Only 38% conduct periodic check-ins, and 39% provide consistent regular feedback. Instead of burying development on a to-do list, managers can look for development potential within their daily tasks.

For example, a manager can hand off a task they would typically complete– such as leading a team meeting or leading a presentation to stakeholders – to another employee as a learning opportunity. Managers should also encourage employees to proactively ask for chances to try new things as it is ultimately up to them to build and practice skills.

Another way managers can step up in developing employees is through coaching. Coaching has become a business imperative which is why we have updated this topic in Harvard ManageMentor®. With fewer straight-line reporting relationships, leaders may be called to coach others across their organization, beyond just direct reports.

A leader’s entire team will benefit from guidance in building skills and choosing actions that lead to positive business results. As such, it is necessary for organizations to provide these skills to all employees so they are ready to step in when necessary. Effective coaching starts with supporting the development of learning agility. Learning agility means being able to stay flexible, learn and grow from mistakes, and successfully respond to challenges. When you coach members to be agile and embrace change, you boost your team’s ability to create- and capitalize on- capabilities. Effective coaching also means knowing when to coach.

Coaching isn’t a fixed process; rather a leader must tailor their approach based on the needs of the person they are coaching. This means gauging whether an employee is receptive to coaching at a certain time or whether they are open to feedback. Good coaches begin their dialogue in a non-judgmental way and keep their focus on the person they are coaching. Perhaps most importantly, they work to build rapport and trust by listening rather than giving too much direction. When leaders make a daily habit of coaching, people are better able to grow and achieve their goals.

Lastly, organizations must have proper career management programs in place to help their employees thrive. Career management is a shared responsibility of an individual and their employer. While successful organizations help employees pinpoint their specific professional goals and build an action plan to meet them, employees must also be proactive in managing their own careers. Fixed career paths aren’t in vogue anymore; career paths need to be more flexible.

As such, employees must consider building new skills as part of their job description, so that they can do their current job well while also preparing for the next opportunity. Employees should adopt a mindset of a lifelong learner, continuously understanding their skills and interests and evaluating what more they can add to their skillsets. This should also go beyond work, as employees can very easily experience burnout if they tailor their interests solely to work.

To get a better understanding of strengths and weaknesses, family members, friends, co-workers and mentors can step in to help identify areas one might not immediately think of. When employees truly know themselves, while they need to keep up with the fast-paced nature of change, they can also begin to look for opportunities, support, and rewards needed for a fulfilling career.

While companies play a huge role in developing and retaining their employees, it is up to the employee themselves to take part in and make sense of any training they may receive. Today’s learners want interactive, engaging learning to keep them coming back, so in addition to updating our topics around employee development, coaching, and career management, we’ve added several new features to Harvard ManageMentor®, including new curated podcasts across many topics, more practitioner videos, and lesson kits, among other updates.

We know today’s learners have high expectations for learning experiences that are highly relevant, personalized, and engaging. These new capabilities will not only help learners put learning into action and make an immediate impact, but they also ensure that your workforce feels a commitment to their own development and has the motivation to consistently build the skills they need for success in the future of work.

Author Bio

Abbey Lewis is a Senior Product Manager at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Visit www.harvardbusiness.org Connect Abbey Lewis