86% of Millennials Want Employer-​Provided Talent Development

BY Kathy Crosett
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How are you doing at developing talent and engaging your employees? If you’re like most managers, you might be looking at the world through rose-​colored glasses. The results from SABA’s 2017 Employee Engagement Report might help you see reality a little more clearly.

A number of studies released in the past year emphasize that training and talent development is linked to employee longevity. SABA researchers agree and report that 86% of millennials want this kind of support at their current position. About 62% of Gen X and baby boomer employees say the same.

It’s not enough to provide generic, run of the mill training programs. While 67% of all surveyed employees agree that they have access to effective training programs, 33% of employees aren't on board.

One of the concerns about effectiveness may center on the format of training materials and learning opportunities. Younger workers are all about accessing videos. Sixty-​eight percent of employees expect to see more video training resources in the workplace these days. Analysts point to the benefits of the video format – employees can pace themselves when learning new material. The organization can cut training costs, because employees won’t have to travel anywhere for their learning needs.

Beyond training and development, organizations can increase employee engagement by soliciting feedback. Over half of employees, 57%, say they don’t think anyone will take action on feedback they provide. Even worse, employees fear that offering honest feedback will backfire and hurt them in the long run.

When organizations do collect feedback, it can sometimes be a months-​long process that results in little or no change. If that’s the state of affairs in your organization, it’s time to change. One way to improve the feedback process is to put a process in place which collects feedback continuously. Weekly or daily survey questions may help. And so will the assurance that the answers are anonymous. Either way, let your employees quickly know the results of company-​wide surveys and about changes you plan to implement.


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