Cheryl Christopher Meola’s research while affiliated with East Carolina University and other places

Purpose – Organizations are striving to stay abreast of the transitions occurring from the influx of Millennials into the workforce. Managers are having trouble building relationships with Millennial employees and understanding what motivates them to be effective workers. Trainings focussed on helping managers work with Millennials can increase retention rates for organizations, saving money as well as building loyalty and buy-in to organizational goals and values. Equine assisted learning (EAL) programs are an effective training tool that many organizations are currently using to bridge this gap between older managers and Millennial employees. These programs would all fulfill the requirements Millennials seek in on-the-job soft skills training. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review was conducted on ongoing research and use of EAL in the field of management training and development. Findings – Current research shows that EAL promotes competency development in leadership, communication, body language awareness, relationship building, and teamwork building. Originality/value – EAL is an up-and-coming management training trend that is available on a wider basis than ever before. There is a greater evidence-based research base that is continuing to grow as well in this field.