Is it worth training Millennials and Gen Z, who are likely to move on quickly?

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The idea of a ‘one-company-for-life’ employee has faded into the past.

Employers are increasingly being forced into weighing up the value of providing training for workers amid a generational shift in the time younger recruits spend with a single firm.

Survey data suggests those born between 1981 and 1996 (known as Millennials) are likely to shift job every two to three years, dropping to just one year for those born after 1996 (Generation Z) – 93% of both groups not only changing role, but changing company too.

Forwarders told The Loadstar the increasingly transient nature of the workforce was creating headaches for recruitment and employee retention, with training opportunities seen as a key means for keeping hold of staff.

Justo Marmol, CEO of Translog Overseas, said: “I believe one hundred years ago in the world of work we experienced the industrial revolution, 20 years ago the technological revolution, and now we are experiencing the social revolution.”

But with this trend as much down to a cultural shift as employee satisfaction, and with training costs measured in the thousands, bosses are struggling to justify the cost of the latter.

This is particularly true for some smaller forwarders, who told The Loadstar that while training helped retain staff, the costs were too great for them to cover, leading many to focus their hiring practices towards “high-value” recruits.

CEO of forwarder Marinair Pavlos Poutos believed that, for those who could afford it, there were still benefits to be had in providing training, even without security around employee retention.

He said: “Just because a company trains its staff doesn’t mean those people will stay for ever. And that’s okay. Today’s workforce is not afraid to move on, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t committed.

“Most are simply looking for more opportunities to grow, to feel fulfilled, and be respected. In my opinion, not training people is the bigger risk.

“You may end up with low performance, low motivation, or staff who stay, but don’t truly contribute.”

Mr Marmol and Mr Poutos both suggested that to attract the right people, forwarders needed to offer more than a salary – they needed to show that their company was “a place where people can grow, develop skills, and feel part of something”.

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