According to the Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends report, 53% of those surveyed in the technology, media and telecommunications industries feel that the majority of their workforce will need to adapt their skillset in the coming years. The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2025, up to 97 million new jobs could be created, meaning workers will likely need to obtain new skills to fill those roles. Changing needs in the workplace can create gaps between what employees know and what they need to know.
Upskilling and reskilling focus on retraining an employee to help them succeed in the workplace. Upskilling involves the employee learning new skills to be more effective in their current role, while reskilling involves the employee learning new skills to move into a different role.
Depending on your organization’s needs, both may be necessary. These ideas can help your organization succeed in both employee upskilling and reskilling.
Develop career paths
A good first step is determining what skills may be necessary for your team members in the future. Form a research committee with leadership, training staff and employee representatives from different areas of the organization to brainstorm what specific skills each role is likely to need down the road. From there, develop detailed career path descriptions that illustrate what an “ideal” team member might look like for each role. These career path descriptions can then be used in hiring and training.
Create employee growth plans
Once you have a clear picture of the skills that will be needed in the future, you can begin identifying gaps between the skills your employees currently possess and the skills they’ll need. During one-on-ones or performance reviews, discuss the career path descriptions with your staff members and work together to set goals for the skills they’d like to focus on learning. Each growth plan can be individualized based on the employees’ current skillsets, their personal goals and the goals of the organization.
After your meeting, give a staff thank-you gift, like a tech case or wireless charging pad, to show you appreciate their contributions.
Establish mentorships
Mentorships can be an effective way to retrain employees. Pair newer employees with more seasoned staff. Or have employees with different roles team up to maximize opportunities for learning. Also, don’t overlook recent grads just entering the workforce. They may possess valuable skills in technology, social media or viral marketing.
Be sure to show gratitude to employees who agree to be mentors with a staff thank-you gift, like a knit scarf or cookie box.
Foster a learning culture
Put a focus on learning, and make it a part of your team’s day-to-day experience. Ideas for building a learning culture could include:
- Designate times for employees to come together as a team to read articles, listen to presentations or share ideas that are relevant to the industry.
- Set weekly, monthly or yearly professional development goals.
- Designate time during each workday for learning.
- Encourage team members to attend conferences or take classes to learn new skills.
- Congratulate and reward team members who meet learning goals with staff thank-you gifts, such as a Commemorative Coin or crystal paperweight.
Adapt to a changing work landscape with employee upskilling and reskilling
By defining clear career paths, developing employee growth plans and fostering a culture of learning, your organization can utilize employee upskilling and reskilling to help get ready for the future. To learn more about preparing employees for what’s next, read our article on upskilling.
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