Examples of personalized learning to engage Gen Z employees
The time has come for a new generation of employees to enter the workforce. The versatile, diverse and tech-savvy Generation Z has caused many companies to turn to training programs based on personalized learning. Although the first steps in designing such employee training are self-explanatory, such as defining learning goals and choosing a learning management platform, organizations typically get stuck when they have to choose specific activities that will support their goals. That’s why we’ve put together 8 personalized training activities to help you get the most out of your training while engaging younger employees.
8 personalized learning activities to include in your training program
1. Determination of individual goals
We cannot begin to discuss personalized learning unless your learning goals are different. Not all employees have the same knowledge gaps or aspirations for their professional development. This means you need to take the time to guide each of your employees, especially those in the early stages of their careers, to choose the learning path that best suits their personal interests and goals. This will also help you improve engagement with your training material.
2. Mentoring
Pairing a Gen Z employee with a more seasoned colleague can be very beneficial to their advancement and integration into the company. Specifically, the newest addition can use the help of his experienced teammate to figure out his position in the organization, identify his weaknesses and goals for the future, as well as get an in-depth introduction to how things work. At the same time, this interaction can make established employees more open and help them change deeply held beliefs.
3. Cross-Training
The challenges of previous years have shown us that agility is of the utmost importance. Gen Z employees themselves are well aware that they should not focus on set career paths, but “collect” various skills that will allow them to be flexible in the future. Encourage your employees’ desire to learn by engaging them in cross-training activities. Enable them to collaborate with colleagues from different departments to gain a deeper understanding of processes and workflows within the company. This will improve collaboration and camaraderie among your employees.
4. Experiential learning activities
Hands-on experience is an essential activity in your personalized training program, as it can deliver remarkable learning outcomes for your employees. By practicing in real conditions, employees can learn new skills faster and reduce the number of mistakes on the job. However, it is not always possible for organizations to implement hands-on employee training without interfering with day-to-day operations. Here, technology can be combined with experiential learning so you can recreate real-life scenarios using immersive learning. Some tools that can be used for this purpose include 360° videos, AR or VR, simulations and serious games.
5. Learning through videos
Gen Z’s love for videos is more than evident. The large number of video-based social platforms they use is your cue to use storytelling videos as a supplement to your training material. Videos make complex concepts more digestible for students, increase knowledge retention, and the better they are, the more engaged they are. Especially for your Gen Z employees—who are accustomed to snappy, high-quality content—you should consider hiring professionals to ensure the output is compelling and short enough to fit their shrinking attention spans.
6. Gamification
How could we not include gamification activities in a training program designed for the gamer generation? Gen Z employees are familiar with game features like mini-games, leaderboards, and badges, which means they’ll be especially easy to incorporate into your training program. Collecting points for completed achievements, which they can then share with their colleagues, will give your employees extra incentive to complete the training. Additionally, gamification elements help maintain a digital archive of your employee’s learning journey that they can use to track their progress.
7. Exchange of Feedback
Taking a significant amount of responsibility for your learning journey requires a constant and honest exchange of feedback. Your employees need to be aware of their progress and remaining knowledge gaps in order to take the necessary steps forward. Feedback can and should come from supervisors, mentors, team members or even colleagues from different departments. Maintaining an open line of communication and constructive feedback allows employees to identify bad habits, reinforce good ones, and support their development as effectively as possible.
8. Self-assessment
The final personalized learning activity that your employee training program must include is ways for students to track their progress. Of course, employees can benefit from external feedback, but it is also important to spend time reflecting on what they have achieved and what remains. This process will allow your employees to gain a deeper understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the purpose of the training and its correlation to their goals. As a result, they will be more motivated to continue and take more responsibility for their performance.
Conclusion
Creating a training program that fits the unique needs of Gen Z employees is critical to your organization’s success. And if you remember to look at your employees as individuals and not as a whole, you will achieve your goals much more easily. In addition, the contribution of technology in personalized learning activities should not be overlooked, as it can engage your employees, ensure accessibility and help simulate training in real-world situations.
