October 01, 2024,Singapore : HARDSKILLS, the global corporate training platform used by Fortune 500 companies such as Deloitte, Nestle and PwC to train teams in the hard-to-learn soft skills said its new product, LAUNCH, cuts time-to-productivity of Gen Z new hires to just six weeks, from the global norm of 3-6 months.
Getting to productivity fast enables Gen Z talent to create an immediate impact, feel empowered, and confidently launch their first jobs. It allows employers to engage, retain, and benefit from this critical demographic of digital natives.
As AI disintermediates entry-level roles typically offered to first-time workforce entrants, there’s an urgency to support Gen Z with the professional skills that make all the difference – whether it’s communication, problem-solving or adapting to a new workplace culture.
“The Gen Z effect is a historic workforce shift companies and governments cannot ignore,” says Anthony Hayward, co-founder & CEO of HARDSKILLS.
LAUNCH is onboarding training that addresses Gen Z’s need for purpose, engagement at work and opportunities to learn and grow.
Used by Fortune 500 clients since June 2024, results show that more than 90% of those trained were able to navigate the crucial first months of work successfully, felt empowered and more connected to their companies.
At almost 30%* of the global workforce, and a faster rate of entry into the labor market than any other generation, Gen Z is a historically outsized proportion of the global workforce compared to Millennials, Gen X or Boomers when they first entered employment. According to UNESCO, over 40 million college graduates worldwide are entering the workforce for the first time in 2024.
“We rolled out LAUNCH in response to clients asking us to solve how they fast-track Gen Z new hires to productivity, so they acquire the skills to become confident and contributing team players ready to be purposeful agents of AI transformation. Most corporate onboarding experiences are out-of-date, boring, and heavily skewed toward compliance and corporate dos and don’ts,” said Hayward.
LAUNCH is winning the hearts and minds of Gen Z through an immersive and highly interactive onboarding experience that meets them where they are on the digital highway. It trains 12 superpowers focused on interpersonal skills and productivity accelerators that are especially meaningful for a generation whose development was deeply impacted by the pandemic and now, AI.
To cater to personalized and immersive learning, HARDSKILLS integrated its AI-powered course characters to act as personal trainers or learning buddies, so Gen Z learners deepen skill fluency by practicing skills and getting immediate feedback.
“HARDSKILLS’ human-like AI personal trainer was amazing, it felt like I was talking to a human. The dialogue was accurate and insightful. The detailed feedback gave valuable insight for my professional growth,” said a learner employed by a Fortune 500 IT and professional services firm.