Anyone who has had a glimpse into the world of talent acquisition over the past several years knows how many changes it has endured which forced companies to be more agile than ever before. While these changes have lead to immense challenges for talent acquisition professionals and pushed them to stray from their normal strategies, the new ideas that have been brought to the TA table can be seen as a positive outcome.
One strategy that has been rising in popularity recently is upskilling, which is crucial for the retention of top performers, and retaining top performers is more important than ever to remain competitive amid an inconsistent hiring environment. Upskilling is defined as the process by which workers build on their existing skills through development opportunities and training programs. Upskilling provides a way to internally close skill or talent gaps within a company. And while upskilling gives both employees and employers an advantage under any circumstance, it’s particularly advantageous in today’s rapidly changing work environment.
Let’s take a deeper dive into upskilling to establish how you can provide these opportunities for your teams and how promoting upskilling throughout your workforce will benefit your organization.
In order for upskilling to work, an employee must be a self-advocate for the change, and they need to be backed with managerial support, too. And once both parties are on board, it’s time to identify the skills gaps within your organization. This first step is crucial for upskilling efforts to have a meaningful impact on the organization overall.
Next, you should create a customized learning plan for each individual. This might include sending them to workshops and conferences that are geared toward the skills they are striving to learn, or it could include investing in online training courses to get them certified in a certain skill. For example, if a software engineer wants to take courses to become certified to use a newly released software, you should enable them with the technological resources to obtain this certification.
It's also wise to provide mentorship for an employee who is learning a new skill. Having a mentorship program available for your employees throughout their upskilling journey will ensure that they remain motivated and have a knowledgeable individual to turn to if they need guidance or support.
Be sure to identify clear paths and milestones for performance measurement. This will ensure that both parties' goals are aligned, everyone stays on track, and the investments companies are making in upskilling are paying off. And lastly, reward your employees for their dedication and drive.
Now why should you take the time to incorporate upskilling into your organization? Here’s why it’s worth the investment:
If you’re an employee reading this and contemplating why you should spend your time learning a new skill for your job, here are some of the leading reasons:
To wrap things up, remember that upskilling is important to keep up with emerging technology, evolve with ever-changing business needs, stand out from the competition, and avoid unnecessary external hires. If your company has not embraced this initiative yet, it's time to take action and help your workforce reach new milestones.