Millennials became the largest generation in the workforce in 2015, according to the Pew Research Center, and now one out of every three American workers is a millennial. As a training leader, if you have not developed specific programs to effectively and efficiently onboard, train and retain millennial employees, you are putting your company at risk. Here are some tips based on the experience of Penn Station East Coast Subs.

Update training materials and procedures with technology.

Millennials learn differently than members of previous generations. While previous generations learned through textbooks, this generation responds well to videos and learning management systems (LMSs). Businesses that implement technologies like videos and online quizzes will develop happier, better trained employees.

For example, Penn Station is attempting to eliminate printed training manuals by investing heavily in its proprietary point of sale (POS) system, which uses engaging training videos and interactive quizzes. Instead of paper printouts, there are PowerPoint slides in the POS for training information not covered in a video.

Millennial employees tend to learn more quickly by watching videos than by reading a training manual. At Penn Station, new employees are now completing training in about half the time – two weeks instead of one month – because they can watch three-minute videos instead of reading several pages. They are also absorbing and retaining the information better. If they need to check a detail, videos give them an opportunity to quickly and conveniently revisit a topic in far less time, making them more willing to focus on their development. In the year and a half since Penn Station implemented the training videos, test scores on the various stations have improved significantly.

In addition to videos, interactive training materials are useful with millennials. Millennials tend to prefer being active in their learning. For example, for training on food safety, Penn Station is developing a tool that displays a photo of a prep station on the screen of the POS system. Employees click on everything that is wrong in the photo. When they answer correctly, a box pops up explaining why they are right. This interactivity is far more effective with millennials than writing a paragraph or answering fill-in-the-blank questions about food safety.

Implement online assessments.

Millennials are used to taking tests and quizzes online, and businesses can use that experience to create more interesting ways to verify their knowledge. Using gamification to make tests more fun is a great way to improve training. An online test can tabulate the score in real time in the corner of the screen, allowing employees to track their progress like they would in a video game.

LMSs give managers a way to oversee their employees and instantly check where they are in their development process. They can also improve the quality of the people doing the training. Not every employee is a great trainer, but online training through videos and quizzes makes every trainer better.

Define career paths.

While many businesses lament the influx of millennial employees, it is actually an incredible opportunity. Instead of trying to change millennials, build on their strengths, and help them find a path to a long-term career in your business. Millennials are our future leaders, and their talents, if channeled appropriately, position them well to take industry to new heights.

Engaging millennials goes beyond technology. They also want to see a career path for success. For example, Penn Station franchisees present the My Penn Path program to new employees at orientation. It shows how they can move from entry-level crew member to crew leader, assistant manager and even general manager. The program, which is incorporated in the POS system so it can be viewed digitally, outlines the personality traits and skills needed for each step. It also helps employees track their progress by displaying the training modules they need to complete to be considered for a promotion.

It’s hard to retain any entry-level employee, and millennial employees are especially known for high turnover. By using methods that are familiar and interesting to millennials, you will not only retain them, but you will also have better employees. To stay competitive, you must invest in your greatest asset – your people – and today, that includes millennials.