Tom Brokaw has called them the “greatest generation since the “Greatest Generation.” They have had more screen time than any other generation in history. They are millennials, and they are no longer the up-and-coming generation. This group of people – born between 1980 and 2000 – already has grabbed the wheel and are driving today’s workforce.
Despite a reputation for being lazy, less productive and noncommittal to their employers, surveys and research have revealed that millennials actually are driven and motivated by a number of things. According to the most recent Deloitte Millennial Survey, millennials want roles that offer purpose and the opportunity to change their personal and professional environment.
How do millennials want to make their impact? According to The Future Workforce Study, the answer is through technology.
Millennials are tech-dependent.
Technology has become completely unified into the everyday life of millennials. They no longer ask for sufficient technology at their jobs, they expect it. Often, this expectancy has been painted as entitlement, but what millennial workers really want are the tools they need to do their job efficiently. With this tech-dependent generation about to represent more than half of the global workforce, organizations are looking for cutting-edge tools to meet their employees’ needs. One of the most essential needs of this generation is personal and career development through learning programs.
Millennials want technology that contributes to their personal growth.
In a recent poll by Gallup, 87 percent of millennials surveyed said professional development was an important part of their job. The desire to learn and grow is a key trait that separates millennials from past generations in the workforce. Learning Management Systems, certification programs and workplace training opportunities are not just attractive perks, but necessary toward engaging and retaining millennial employees.
Learning management systems can enrich training programs and help with certifications through video, audio trainings and quizzes. These strategies are crucial to retaining this age bracket of employees. Though they often carry a reputation as the “job hopping” generation, millennials have a record of remaining with companies that offer personal and professional development opportunities.
Millennials crave feedback and communication.
This generation has grown into the workforce parallel to the rapid evolution of communication through technology. The near instant response time of text messages, instant messengers and group chat applications are not just for personal matters, but are now an employee demand.
Technology enables millennials to change the world
The workforce is changing fast and so are the needs of today’s high-potentials. In this era of quickly changing technology, it is important to understand how technology has become an integral part of millennials’ goals to impact and change the world. Do not hesitate. Give your millennial workforce the technology they need to innovate and change the world in ways the generations before never could have dreamed.
