Gen Z and Millennials Say Skill Development is Non-Negotiable: Here’s How to Meet This Group Where They’re At  

Despite economic uncertainty, the job market is still showing stronger than expected gains. For employers banking on employees staying put, this spells bad news.  

New data also reveals that young people are especially open to change – 75% of Millennials and 79% of Gen Z employees say they’d actively look for a new job if their current employer didn’t offer upskilling opportunities. Employee expectations on skill development remain high, and employers must meet younger generations of talent where they’re at, providing them opportunities for growth or risk losing them to competitors.  

Let’s explore current skills development trends, strategies for building personalized learning and development initiatives, and the technology that supports upskilling efforts. 

Skills Development is No Longer Optional: Gen Z and Millennial’s Training Mandate  

Gen Z and Millennials view skills development as a mandate, not just a preference, with 96% of Millennials and Gen Z reporting that access to skills development is important to them. This generational shift tells us much more than where younger generations of talent are at; it reflects a broader transformation in how employees view their careers. Job security means more than a paycheck today – it also includes growth, development, and career progression. Young talent understands this is unlocked through skill development.  

The majority of Gen Z (68%) are already using AI-powered training tools, indicating a desire for technology in learning efforts. Beyond just requiring skills development to stay with a company, Gen Z now expects AI-powered learning and requires a commitment from organizations to adopt new technologies that equip them with future-proofed AI skills.  

Overall, it’s clear the largest share of the workforce is thinking about skills development as an approach that leverages technology to provide flexible, personalized, and on-demand learning. To keep employees engaged and invested in their careers, employers must offer personalized upskilling to retain this talent group.  

Upskilling for Success: Strategies for Personalized Skills Development  

Gen Z’s preferences on skills development aren’t just about format, they’re about flexibility, relevance and personalization that aligns to their goals. In turn, a one-size-fits-all approach to skills development is not tenable, and smart leaders must take a multi-pronged method to incentivize employees to learn.  

One strategy is microlearning, a form of upskilling that leverages small snippets of on-the-go content, delivering flexibility and personalization right into employee’s laps. Gone are the days of hours-long training and PowerPoint presentations. With this shift comes access to tailored, on-demand video content that allows employees to learn how they want, when they want. Microlearning aligns well with younger generations’ preferences, as 77% of Gen Z and 78% of Millennials prefer to learn new skills through video-based content.  

In specific functions, microlearning is even more important thanks to its flexibility and personalization. For example, consider go-to-market (GTM) or sales teams who face dynamic buyer expectations daily. For these roles, learning is a core aspect and microlearning enables these individuals to enhance their skills in real-time, reacting and adjusting to changing customer needs.  

Additionally, embracing strategies like gamification to make learning fun is crucial for employee engagement. Establishing leaderboards to track progress and offering prizes for course completion is a sound strategy to motivate employees to learn.  

Understanding generational preferences for learning is a start, but leaders will also identify innovative approaches, like microlearning, with technology to ensure upskilling meets the mark.  

AI-Powered Learning: The Gateway to Flexible Learning and Development  

Technology, specifically AI, gives optimal chances for organizations to not only personalize learning content, but provide employees with an AI upskilling opportunity within itself by simply interacting with the technology.  

As employees grow more comfortable with technology, they can lean into offerings like AI-powered coaches that provide real-time feedback and role-playing scenarios. Thanks to AI’s ability to produce content within minutes, employees can work with the technology to create content tailored to their role and needs via personalization to drive learning. It’s also crucial that organizations offer proprietary AI solutions that speak a business’ “language” to ensure compliance and data security, as younger individuals are more likely to seek out third-party offerings if these tools are not offered internally.  

Tools like AI-powered enablement platforms work to centralize learning and development content into one location, allowing multiple teams to access and learn from existing content while still personalizing it to their preferences. For example, a marketer leveraging an AI-powered enablement tool has access to content and information that empowers them to succeed, leading to more successful campaigns and conversion rates thanks to real-time data, coaching, and information sharing.  

By marrying personalized skills strategies with emerging technologies, organizations can effectively offer the type of learning desired by younger talent to drive retention.  

Tomorrow’s Skills Strategies are Rooted in Technology and Agility  

The next generation of talent isn’t holding back when it comes to their expectations around skills development. This group is seeking opportunities to grow with modern, flexible training, and organizations that fail to provide these experiences will lose out on top talent. 

Through strategic skills development approaches, AI-powered learning and enablement tools, and a commitment to continuous learning, companies can ensure they meet Gen Z and Millennial talent where they’re at for how they want to learn.  

Irina Soriano is the author of ‘Generation Brand’, a TEDx and keynote speaker, and a ‘life-brand’ expert. She is also an established leader in the enablement industry, serving as VP, Strategic Enablement Services, for Seismic, the global leader in enablement software. 

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