Focus Magazine - Fall 2013 - 11

GUEST EDITOR
Natasha Velikoselskiy

Focus on the New Learner

ilennials/Generation Y/
Generation Me (born between
1980 and 1995) have been a
subject of controversy over the past few
years, as they are beginning to enter the
workforce. Similar to Baby Boomers,
Generation Y-ers are a large generation,
twice as large as the preceding
Generation X. As soon as 2020, 50
percent of the global workforce will
consist of Generation Y, and by 2030,
they will constitute 75 percent.
With the undeniable majority soon
to be ruling the workforce, any training
professional who wants to be successful
and relevant a few years from now will
benefit from learning about Gen Y and
their point of view.
The great news for all of us is that
the newest addition to the workforce is
extremely learning-focused. They
crave continued development and
respond well to learning opportunities.
But, there is no doubt they will require
a different approach to learning and
development:

Create an Interactive
Classroom
Gen Y-ers are the ultimate multitaskers who have experienced
consistent sensory overload since early
childhood, thus long didactic sessions
will not work for them. Chunking of
the material is advisable, and high level
of interactivity is a must to keep them
present and engaged throughout the
learning experience, whether live or

virtually. Learner-focused practitioners
will need to transition from
“presenting” to “facilitation” to best
support these learners.
Discipline in the traditional sense is
not their choice. Gen Y-ers will be
using their phones and iPads during
learning sessions, but it is those same
“multi-tasking” abilities that may have
the facilitator wondering if the
participants are paying attention, that
may be a sign of outstanding learning
agility. The Millennials are wired to
process new information fast.

Expect to Be Challenged
The biggest pitfall for an
experienced trainer would be overrelying on one’s expertise and authority.
Authority and experience along the
lines of “I have been doing this for 20
years” is not compelling to the
Milennials and neither is a job title.
Unsurprisingly so, given the everaccelerating rate of change they
continuously experience and also the
many sources available to them for
instant answers on any topic. They are
the first generation that grew up with
the Internet at their fingertips and they
take for granted that information is
available instantly on demand. The
instructor/trainer is no longer the
primary source of knowledge, nor can
he/she compete with the collective
subject matter expertise freely available
at the touch of a button.
Additionally, this generation grew

up encouraged to ask questions,
challenge the traditional approach and
find their own answers. Their
questions, however challenging, are not
at all intended to throw the presenter
off, but are a sign of engagement and
an opportunity to co-create shared
knowledge. Approach the dialogue
with an open mind!

Be Technology Savvy
Gone are the days when the learner’s
options were between the live training
and boring pre-recorded sessions.
With the advent of the newest virtual
technologies and social media, learning
comes in many forms. And since
technology is Gen Y’s natural habitat, it
is a must for effective educators to be
well-versed in available technologies.

Create a Feedback-Rich
Environment
Millennials grew up shielded from
direct criticism throughout their
childhood and adolescent years.
Unsurprisingly, critical feedback can be
discouraging. They respond better to
positive reinforcement.
The only thing worse than negative
feedback is no feedback. Gen Y-ers are
used to the instant and continuous
availability of feedback and
communications in their everyday life.
Make your feedback readily available
and acknowledge the progress you
observe along the way. I

Natasha Velikoselskiy is senior manager, learning and development, Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. This article expresses the
personal views of the author and does not necessarily represent the opinions of her employer. Email Natasha at
Natasha.Velikoselskiy@otsuka-us.com.

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Focus Magazine - Fall 2013

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