Dive Brief:
- What does Gen Z want from training and how can business deliver? According to Kahoot's annual EdTrends Report for Corporate Trainers, trainers will need to respond to the demands of these learners in the landscape they're accustomed to — smart phones and social media — in order to build their knowledge.
- A majority of trainers (62%) say Gen Z prefers mobile apps for learning; 48% say online learning tools are favored. Using videos came in at 39% and social media at 34%. On-the-job training is preferred by 42% of respondents and offered by 49% of companies.
- There's a disconnect in some areas: 61% of the almost 400 respondents say they're being taught with traditional methods, such as classroom settings, while only 37% say that classroom is their preferred method to learn. Highest placed in Gen Z preferences for learning is gamification with almost half (48%) saying that is their preference, yet only 23% of companies report using game-based learning to train.
Dive Insight:
Meeting the needs of a multigenerational workforce has challenged businesses as today's companies can see up to five generations on the job simultaneously. Delivering training for each can create quite the juggling act, but providing it for Gen Z — all 67 million of them who will be entering the job market in the coming years — in a form that speaks their language will be critical.
Members of Gen Z don't remember life before smartphones or the internet, which may influence their set of learning priorities. Though managers have expressed concerns that Gen Z will present challenges concerning communication and training, it draws motivation from risk taking and failure. And as a generation raised on video games, gamification in learning could make a perfect fit.
