Is your organization worried about meeting their workforce needs over the next 5 years and beyond?
Then you have plenty of company because according to Pew research 80% or 8 out of 10 businesses share the same concerns. With record numbers of skilled workers retiring over the next few years organizations are agonizing about who will fill their shoes. They share many concerns about having to rely on a younger less experienced workforce.
Millennials are more likely to have degrees, beyond any other generation but they lack basic interpersonal skills that are essential to interrelate effectively with others in day to day activities in most any organization. According to an article written by Rachel Weinstein-founder of the Adulting School millennials lack basic soft skills – such as critical thinking, problem solving, attention to detail, working in a group, verbal and non-verbal communication.
The best time to address these issues with your new employees is at the time of hire but this type of supportive assessment and evaluation can be provided to help any employee at anytime during the term of their employment with your organization. Try to recognize and identify any skills gap, then provide your staff with the right training in your onboarding program to support their success. Remember an effective onboarding program doesn’t end after the initial employee orientation it’s an ongoing process.
Not having the right support or training and the fear of being criticized and judged by older peers creates anxiety and stress for younger employees and will inevitably affect their ability to do their job effectively and learn new skills. This can ultimately influence their decision whether they will remain committed or loyal to your company.
So, it’s time to stop complaining and stereotyping millennials and embrace them for their individuality and who they are. If you want to retain millennials past the 2-year mark and build them into leaders in your organization, the fact is you need to make the effort to understand who they are, what they value, believe and where they aspire to be in your organization and give them the opportunities and the right training in their onboarding experience to support their success.
Author: Lucky Lauridsen
The benefits of our Age-Sensitivity Training will have long term lasting results for your organization. Learn more at www.agewisebusiness.com