Do your employees believe that the company has a plan in place to help them to acquire new skills?

By Michael W. Hill, Mobius Vendor Partners Executive Consultant, Birkman Professional

How important is it for you to know what your employees want? The professional service organization Mercer reports that their latest research shows that 91 percent of employees are actively seeking to learn new skills, but 98 percent of HR leaders still report notable skill shortages in their companies.

Upskilling is when employees are acquiring new skills or improving their existing skills. Research from the MIT Sloan School of Management showed that an employer’s year-long soft skills training program led to a roughly 250 percent return on investment within eight months.

Reskilling is when employees learn totally new skill sets. Employers can benefit from both! Both the organization and the employees need to take a hard look at what is needed and proceed accordingly.

Forward thinking organizations need to provide ways for the employees to increase their performance. Training programs, workshops and online learning are just a few ways some companies are using to increase employee performance.

Employers should set clear goals and expectations for their employees in terms of upskilling and reskilling. This can involve identifying key skills and competencies required for their role or industry and providing guidance on how to acquire or improve these skills. Employers can also set performance goals related to upskilling and reskilling, and track progress toward these goals over time.

To further encourage upskilling and reskilling, employers can offer incentives such as bonuses, promotions, or additional vacation time for employees who successfully acquire new skills or certifications. This can provide a tangible reward for employees who invest time and effort into improving their skills and can also motivate others to do the same.

Employers can also support career development by providing opportunities for employees to explore new roles or career paths within the organization. This can involve providing mentorship and coaching and offering job shadowing or secondment opportunities. By supporting career development, employers can demonstrate their commitment to the long-term success and growth of their employees.

This can ultimately benefit the organization by increasing productivity, innovation, and employee retention.

A successful plan should provide opportunities that meet your employees’ individual aspirations. Think employee engagement. Next, your plan should address your company’s long-term strategy and growth goals. Which of your employees’ skills need to be developed or acquired? Lastly, leadership roles will undoubtedly open, so your plan should address leadership training.

The answer to the solution to your company’s position needs to be well thought out. Maybe a survey would help? You might be making some assumptions that are just not correct!  Some of your employees may currently be looking for employment elsewhere because you have failed to give them the training they are looking for! You don’t know until you ask!

You may want our help.

At Mobius’ Employee Experience – EX Consulting Employee Experience – Mobius Vendor Partners (mobiusvp.com) – we have the software to survey your employees so you can make the best decision for your company and respond to your employees’ needs. Contact us to get started.