Upskilling—Key Strategy for Success
Our world is moving extremely fast, and many leaders are facing the fact that their current employees, while they may have been performing well in the past, now need new and enhanced skill sets.
There are two ways to solve this problem. One is to hire a lot of new employees who have the skills you need and potentially let a lot of people go. But consider conducting a gap analysis to determine what skills are missing in your current workforce and finding ways to help employees obtain those needed skills. That’s called upskilling which is a much less painful and potentially positive strategy.
Upskilling is different from reskilling which is defined as “replacing an employee’s current outdated skills with new skills that meet the needs of the changing market.” Reskilling often requires an employee be sent back to college or a trade school to earn a degree or certification in a different field from their current position.
Upskilling is really a form of continuous learning in an organization. Organizations facilitate skill development by providing training programs and development opportunities that can expand an employee’s abilities and minimize performance gaps.
Upskilling has a lot of benefits for both the organization and the employee. We know from extensive research that one of the most important things people look for at work is a chance to increase their skill set. So, creating upskilling opportunities can have a positive impact on recruitment, engagement, and retention.
There are many ways of creating upskilling opportunities and many of them don’t cost a lot of money. Consider:
Mentoring programs—a no cost strategy with potentially significant impact. This is especially true when asking younger employees to mentor older colleagues in the use of technology.
Stretch assignments—a no cost strategy where employees take on added responsibility with coaching or mentoring assistance provided.
Access to podcasts, books, articles, webinars, training programs at local universities or other online resources. Some organizations create a library of continuous learning options for staff members to make it easy for them to find what will work for their lifestyle.
Job-sharing programs where employees can gain new skills while working on a new project or in a new department.
Virtual or in person training programs facilitated by outside consultants or by the organization’s subject matter experts.
· Microlearning opportunities where training is presented in short bursts and delivered on mobile devices.
In addition to the benefits mentioned above, upskilling can positively impact employee morale. It has the added benefit of creating the kind of culture where today’s employees want to work and where they thrive. Being known as an organization that supports continuous learning and invests in the development of its employees will set you apart from your competition for the best talent available.
For more information on upskilling and microlearning and much more, check out our latest book, The Decisive Manager.