Episode: 469

Episode Title: Choose Your Own Training Adventure

Should companies create training that is specific to each generation? I don’t think so and here’s why, coming up next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 469 show:

Welcome to a new episode of The Perna Syndicate! Today’s workplace now has four generations—Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers—working and learning side by side. This dynamic creates a blend of communication and working styles, thanks partly to the digital forces that helped shape each generation.

As companies grapple with this multigenerational dynamic, many are wondering: do we need to customize our learning and development programs based on generational needs?

While it’s true that different generations have different strengths and areas for growth, I’m not usually a fan of drawing strict lines between these groups. First, there are always outliers, and second, if you use Gen Z as a benchmark, there’s a good chance you’ll also satisfy almost everyone else, too. 

Instead of creating specific Boomer training, Gen X training, Millennial training, et cetera, I believe companies should offer courses on a wide variety of topics and then let employees ‘choose their own adventure,’ so to speak.  

New grads probably won’t need much training in Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and social media—but maybe they’d like to improve their phone conversation skills or workplace etiquette. The reverse may (or may not) be true for an older employee. 

The point is, people have choices and they feel in control of their own journey. That’s the kind of training culture that will attract and retain employees for the long term—no matter what generation they’re part of.

Tomorrow: what are some problems employees see with their companies’ current training programs—and how can they improve? We’ll cover that and more on the next episode of The Perna Syndicate. Take care and we’ll see you then!