Digitally Distracted: 3 Secrets To Keeping Your Millennial Workforce EngagedBy Guest Post | In Communication, Company Culture, HR & Career, Mobile, Ofce Technology, Team Building | January 17, 2015The Millennial generation, those born between 1980 and 2000, is projected to make up 75 percent o the !"#" workorce b$ 2025" %ith an arm$ o Millennials suiting up to take shape as our imminent workplace leaders, integrating and culti&ating this generation into the workorce toda$ is critical to the uture success o $our business"'owe&er, this has not been an eas$ task or business leaders, as just like the generations beore them, Millennials work, interact, and engage dierentl$" (mplo$ers sur&e$ed in a )w* +Millennials at %ork, report admitted that reaching and retaining this talent pool is one o the biggest challenges the$ ace" -nd it shows. a sur&e$ b$ /usiness 0nsider and 1ews To 2i&e /$ , ound that 37 percent o Millennials let their 4rst job ater just two $ears"5n top o this, the Millennial workorce cra&es engaging training" %hen asked what bene4ts the$ most &alue rom an emplo$er, 35 percent o respondents said the$ were attracted to emplo$ers who oer e6cellent proessional de&elopment programs and saw this as the top bene4t the$ sought rom an emplo$er"*learl$, there is a disconnect" *orporate training programs must be modi4ed to resonate with Millennials, and the 4rst step in doing so is understanding how technolog$ has changed this generation7s beha&iors" To better engage, onboard, attract, and retain Millennial talent, here are three wa$s companies can structure their training initiati&es to meet our uture workorce7s uni8ue learning and working st$le"1. Dont Be Basic: Make Learning MOBILE-s a generation o digital nati&es and the largest segment o smartphone users with 19 out o e&er$ 20 Millennial owning a de&ice, Millennials naturall$ adapt technolog$ to suit what is most useul or con&enient or them, including learning" %hile pre&ious generations needed to attend li&e classes, perorm research at the librar$, and read re8uired materials to succeed, Millennials began to rel$ on technolog$ and mobile applications at an earl$ age to get things done more e4cientl$"This mobile94rst generation has also spurred a remote workorce, as technolog$ has broken down geographic barriers workers were once tethered to" :ust as emplo$ees toda$ ha&e come to e6pect work9rom9home options, the$ are similarl$ primed or remote training options deli&ered through mobile9riendl$ learning programs "%hether it be creating a mobile app that pro&ides access to pertinent training materials, allowing emplo$ees to &ideoconerence into a session remotel$, or creating digital emplo$ee manuals, mobile training presents &ast opportunit$ or emplo$ers to engage and educate workers" This approach caters to emplo$ees who ha&e become accustomed to ;e6ibilit$ at work, allowing them to learn at their own paces, and &ia their own de&ices" 1o longer a nice9to9ha&e, a mobile94rst approach is a mainsta$ orcorporate learning programs o the uture"2. Speak Their Language: Make Learning SOCIAL-s the true pioneers and stewards o social media, the roup" Training programs that oster emplo$ee collaboration through social networking applications, especiall$those with &ideoconerencing capabilities, allow Millennials to learn in a wa$ that7s most like their personal sociali?ation habits" 1ew technolog$ that enables social group learning d$namics and breakout training sessions will soon replace the awkward corporate conerence call o da$s past". !se "i#eo to Engage an# Mentor: Make Learning $E%SO&AL*ertain elements o traditional training programs, like in9person mentorship programs, are worth re&i&ing and impro&ing" -ccording to the +Millennials at %ork, report, career progression is the top priorit$ or Millennials, ahead o competiti&e salaries, which comes in second" -nd when it comes to climbing the ladder, Millennials place high &alue on gaining e6perience and wisdom rom their peers, managers, and compan$ leaders"-s a group o workers who delight at an$ opportunit$ to engage, interact, and learn rom others, new digital mentorship programs and peer9to9peer learning can be achie&ed through &ideo" >oogle is one compan$ doing peer training well" 0n 2013, 2,000 >ooglers taught classes, teaching 55 percent o the compan$7s ormal training sessions" -dd li&e, d$namic &ideotothese sessions and &oila @ personal mentorship and training at scale"'owe&er, we must keep in mind that on9demand &ideos are commonplace or Millennials" - search or AAhow9to77 and AAtutorial77 on BouTube $ields 211 million and 10C million &ideos, respecti&el$, according to Tim *onneall$7s =orbes7 piece, +Teach Millennials %ith Dideo",%hile this generation learns innatel$ through &ideo, the new opportunit$ or corporate trainers lies in the abilit$ to keep hold o the personal learning e6perience" -nd as machine9to9machine communication continues to grow, trainers will 4nd increasing &alue in li&e, interacti&e &ideo tutorials that allow or real9time, ace9to9ace learning"- major shit in generational di&ersit$ in the workplace is upon us, and we must build a solid structure to bridge this gap" -s teachers, we must understand the dri&ing orces behind Millennial workers7 beha&iors in order to better engage and prepare the generation that will soon become responsible or the uture o toda$7s corporations"