Before hiring new employees, companies always look for the right applicants whose skills match that of the job they’re applying for. Unfortunately, there seems to be a lack of essential work skills and capabilities in the candidates and even in the workforce.
This is called the Skills Gap.
A much alarming reality among Millennials and Gen Z
Many people, especially those that are new to the workforce and those shifting careers, don’t think they have the right skills needed to do their jobs well.
It’s possible that this is due to the fact that employers want to emphasize that they’re looking for people with a specific set of skills. Applicants, specifically millennials, then feel somewhat inadequate when they find out that what they know and what they can do aren’t enough for the company.
The good news, however, is that they are more than willing to be trained.
There are studies that reveal that among the things that millennials look for when considering a job, it isn’t necessarily the pay or the benefits that they prioritize. In fact, they look for sufficient training[1].
A survey conducted by Deloitte, a multinational professional services network, revealed that millennials and even Gen Z employees have certain skills that they feel they’re particularly lacking in. In the survey, respondents shared that they are most interested in working on their interpersonal skills, confidence and motivation, and critical thinking[2].
Unfortunately, it was also found out that one in ten of the respondents felt that they don’t have all the necessary skills and knowledge.
In the same survey, 82% of millennial staff and 75% of Gen Z employees believed that on-the-job training is most important to be able to perform their best in their jobs. They would like to see their employers as their educators putting so much premium on training in the course of their careers.
Because they believe that they are not skilled enough, they are quite expecting that the companies they’re applying in have the right resources to help them meet the skills requirements.
So it’s time that companies do something about it.
While there are a good number of companies that look for a potential employee’s trainability, not all have the integrated training and mentorship into their work environment as they expect that their employees already have the ample amount of abilities they required from the beginning.
In a study run by Adecco, a human resources solutions firm, it was seen that companies don’t put top priority on training and retraining[3]. Some companies believe that training doesn’t provide much of a direct return, and think that it will just distract employees from their primary responsibilities. Companies also don’t allocate too much budget on training unless there is a change in the environment or circumstances.
But what can organizations and companies do to make training part of the work process?
Mentoring
Since providing formal training can be costly, companies can make do with the resources that they already have. Newer employees will have to learn the ins and outs of the company anyway so it’d make sense if they have a mentor to train them, too. Mentors provide support and advice, and can also show them the ropes to hone their skills alongside someone who may be able to monitor their progress.
Microlearning
Microlearning can also be incorporated into the day-to-day workflow. Short videos and online courses can be used to train employees and can be done so that not much of their time is taken away from their actual workload. And because resources can be culled from anywhere, companies can likewise allow their employees to be flexible and create their own learning strategies for them to also enjoy the learning process.
Experience
What better way to learn than through experience? By sharing with employees’ real-life experiences that they’ll need to face at work anyway, it’ll give them a good feel of what they need to do and what they need to work on. It will also build initiative and leadership.
All these millennials and Gen Z employees want is the opportunity to learn and subsequently develop themselves. By bridging the skills gap, companies will not only give them what they want and need but will also encourage them to perform better at work.
SOURCES:
[1] https://www.inc.com/ryan-jenkins/want-to-retain-more-millennials-in-2018-offer-this-1-thing.html
[2] https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/About-Deloitte/gx-2018-millennial-survey-report.pdf; https://www.inc.com/scott-mautz/new-deloitte-study-of-10455-millennials-says-employers-are-failing-to-help-young-people-develop-4-crucial-skills.html
[3] https://future-skilling.adeccogroup.com/downloads/Adecco_bridging_the_skills_gap_report-(WEB)v4.pdf
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