Give Gen Z the right skills to stay happy and engaged at work
Employers finally recognise the value of giving their people skills development opportunities. And not a moment too soon, as 72% of people consider training and development crucial for the future of their jobs. However, skills-for-life needs a rebrand if you want to keep your Gen Z employees happy and engaged.
Give people the skills they need to succeed at work and in life
Your Gen Z employees are dealing with some big issues in their lives that have a direct impact at work:
7/10 Gen Z have been diagnosed with a mental health condition or are experiencing short-term mental health (Randstad)
50% of Gen Z say they currently live pay cheque to pay cheque (Deloitte)
The standard skills-for-life approach will only go so far if you’re not addressing Gen Z's needs and giving them tailored support. By offering training that helps your people manage their mental health and personal finances, you set yourself apart as a company committed to employee wellbeing and social change.
Financial resilience and wellbeing
Financial resilience is managing financial stress, adapting to financial challenges, and recovering from financial setbacks. By improving your people’s financial literacy, you can help build this resilience. Financial training gives Gen Z the knowledge and skills to manage their take-home pay effectively, reduce debt, save for the future, and make the most of their workplace financial benefits.
Do Gen Z need different training models?
It’s a myth that Gen Z has a shorter attention span, but they are more discerning about the type of content they will engage with. In short, if it’s boring, it won’t get through! Here’s how to win over your Gen Z employees with the training they actually want to do:
Blend macro and microlearning to give variety to the training experience
Integrating technology and thinking differently - virtual reality, augmented reality
Rewards-based learning - use badges, points or vouchers
How to deliver on a budget?
Budgets can be tricky to navigate, especially if you want to do something new or add to the existing training programme. Here are our top tips for making it work:
Build the evidence base for new training needs - speak to your people and look at research about where skills are lacking
Get early buy-in from stakeholders and use suppliers to help build the business case
Do what you can for free - there are loads of resources out there!
