You may be using a variety of assessment tests to bring the right kinds of people into your business. Once they’re on board, you’ll need to put the right kind of culture in place to keep these folks engaged and productive. Part of this challenge will be understanding what drives members of the millennials and Gen Z groups. A new RanstadUSA​.com study explores the kind of training that managers, especially millennial managers, need in order to supervise employees.

In increasing numbers, millennials are moving into management roles. But, are they ready for this responsibility? Randstad research shows these younger managers frequently lack the kind of emotional skills required to interact with team members, especially when it comes to older employees. Millennials seem to agree, as only 27% say they’ve got good interpersonal skills.

Millennials also point out, in the following percentages, that they haven’t been prepared for:

• Resolving conflicts 29%
• Negotiating 28%
• Managing other people 27%
• Working with older people 22%
• Working in a team environment 22%

These issues call for an upgrade to training courses that are designed to help millennial managers improve their soft skills. In addition,  your millennial managers need to understand how the pervasive use of technology impacts productivity. Randstad analysts report that Gen Z and millennial employees call the following tools distracting and say they get in the way of completing their tasks:

• Social networking 46%
• Text messaging 39%
• Emailing 31%
• Instant messaging 27%
• Video conferencing 17%

This finding poses a bit of a paradox. Younger workers want to use technology in their jobs. In fact, 45% envision a career that is largely based on their technical prowess. Some of the up and coming tech advancements that intrigue them include virtual reality (26%), robotics (20%) and augmented reality (14%.)

New managers may need additional training to coach their team members on how to use their time wisely and how to control their use of technology instead of letting it control them.

As older generations retire from the workforce, and younger managers take on more responsibility, make sure your training materials address the areas that are most important to the organization’s success.