There are a plethora of benefits to upskilling employees. By investing in your staff’s professional development, you are investing in your company’s success. However, it is important to be sure you are offering the right kind of opportunities for your team and ensure you are making the most of your upskilling program. Here is how to determine whether you’re providing the right upskilling opportunities for your employees.
Why Upskilling is Important
Upskilling is the term used when you invest in the further learning and education of your staff. This can take many forms. In some companies, employees take courses to help them expand their skillset. Others focus their upskilling on internal relationships and provide mentorship programs to help their employees learn on the job.
Investing in your employees in this way is important for a number of reasons. First, when your staff begins to feel stagnant in their position, they may get bored. Productivity will go down, and engagement will suffer as well. When you invest in upskilling them through training or mentorship programs, morale and productivity will go up.
On top of that, when you invest in your staff, you are investing in the success of your organization as a whole. The more well-rounded they become, the more they bring to the table in terms of skills and innovation. Not to mention, they’ll be more engaged and see a future with your company, decreasing turnover.
While upskilling is important, you need to be sure you are providing the right kind of programs for your employees. Here are some things to consider when you are assessing your upskilling opportunities.
Are You Filling Skills Gaps?
Identify the skills gaps in your current team. Do your upskilling opportunities address these needs? For instance, if you have found that your team is great at performing everyday tasks but could use some fine-tuning in leadership and communication, focus on this in what upskilling you offer.
What Are Your Employees Asking For?
It is a good idea to get feedback from your employees about what they would like to see in the upskilling programs you offer. Of course, much of the program will be geared towards improving their skillset for your organization, but they want to grow professionally as well. Putting out a simple survey asking what your employees would like to get out of their upskilling programs can help you get an idea of what they’d be interested in. Your program should be a good mix of what you need and what they’d like to do more of.
Is It Growing With the Industry?
Think about how your industry is changing and what new skills are needed to be successful. Does your current upskilling program address those needs? For example, many industries have needed to learn more digital skills to keep up with competitors in their industry. You will want to identify and address any skills your team needs to continue growing within the industry as a whole.
Contact GoSource Today to Learn More
GoSource offers human resources consulting services that can help you identify appropriate upskilling opportunities to provide your employees. Contact us to learn more about our consultation services.
