The pandemic has changed businesses forever, with digital transformation becoming a norm. Companies are dealing with corresponding skills shift as they require employees with the right capabilities to handle the new systems. At the same time, employees also need to have better social and emotional skills to deal with the aftermath of the pandemic. When visible gaps are around, business leaders and managers understand the immediate urgency to develop employee skills.
Reskilling is a better alternative to hiring new talent because you will have to spend less. Moreover, you can skip the waiting time for making new employees blend within the organization. But you cannot take a random approach to reskilling as it may only waste time and money. A strategic approach can set up the initiative for success. Here are some ideas businesses should use for driving employee reskilling in 2021.
Include talent development in the broader strategy
Talent development with reskilling should no longer be a standalone process for businesses. Rather, you must include it within the broader business strategy. The HR team needs to play a key role in this context. Assign them the task of creating the existing skills baseline and identifying the ones your business needs to deliver on its future objectives. Define and implement a workforce planning process that focuses on covering the skill gaps as soon as possible. Establish timelines and budgets for the process so that you can keep everything under control.
Align professional development with current needs
Right now, organizations need to embrace minimalism with everything they do so that they can keep costs under control. Integrating professional development into ongoing business and individual needs is the best approach. Pick learning programs that match the current organizational requirements and industry trends. Ensure that new skills in people add value to the company in one way or the other. For example, six sigma tools and training make a smart add-on for any business as they can improve productivity and minimize waste. Anything that does not offer value right now can wait for later because it will only add to your burden.
Link reskilling to recruitment
As businesses reopen in the new normal, they will need to recruit fresh talent. It is crucial to attracting the best talent in the industry to gain a competitive advantage. Linking your reskilling strategy to recruitment is a good idea. You can advertise continuous growth and development as the elements of your workplace culture. The millennial workforce wants to work with businesses that think beyond financial compensation. Moreover, continuous learning is one of the main career goals for them. Invest in reskilling your existing employees, and you have the opportunity to build a smarter team in the future.
Employee reskilling is the need of the hour for organizations in the new normal. Every organization should have a strategic plan to empower its employees with trending and relevant skills. But it is crucial to pick the right skills, timelines, and budgets to ensure the best benefits from the initiative.
