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According to a recent ASTD-i4cp research report, Millennial employees are in need of leadership development- and are asking for it, too.
With 1 million Millennials entering the workforce each year and nearly 40 percent of the U.S. workforce expected to be comprised of Millennials by 2020, according to U.S. Census data, employers must be prepared to support these young employees as they move into leadership roles.
But are Millennials-sometimes dismissed as the entitled "trophy generation"-truly ready to lead? And if they aren't fully prepared, what are organizations doing about it?
Introduction to the research
In the recent study Leadership Development for Millennials: Why It Matters, ASTD, in partnership with the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), examines how organizations are preparing the Millennial generation to manage and lead effectively now and into the future. Among the questions the March 2013 report explores:
* Is development of Millennials a priority of most organizations?
* Are Millennials entering the workforce with sufficient skills?
* Have organizations made adjustments to training and development specifically for this generation (or do they plan to)?
* Do organizations have specific developmental competencies for Millennials that address hard and soft skills?
Of the 592 business and learning professionals who participated in the survey for this report, the largest group self-identified as being members of the Baby Boomer generation (45 percent), followed by Gen X (36 percent), Millennials (17 percent), and the Silent Generation (2 percent).
Learning as a talent and business strategy
One of the main themes emerging from the study is that learning and development is nothing short of critical to attracting and retaining Millennial employees.
"Learning in the broad sense is the number one thing that Millennials look for in a place of employment," says Tammy Erickson, founder and CEO of Tammy Erickson Associates, and an...