It’s a trendy buzzword that should be the bedrock of your retention strategy: Upskilling.
What does it mean? Upskilling is a fancy way of saying “training the employees you have for the technology and skills you’ll rely on in the future.” It’s the concept of taking the team you have and giving them access to training and education to help them not only gain new skills, but keep up with newer employees and future-proof their jobs.
Here’s how upskilling your employees is essential and why it benefits your company as much as your team.
1. New skills means job security — and competitiveness for your company.
Providing training on new skills, offering workshops and access to information on new technology and software, helps your employees keep their resumes up-to-date and gives them access to information they’ll need to stay competitive in the job market. But it also means they’ll be on equal footing with new employees just out of school and it means their abilities won’t be outdated as new programs and software become available. They’ll be changing, and keeping up with, the times. As an employer, you’ll be confident that your team knows the latest tools and can keep up with your competitors. A well-trained team with institutional knowledge and new information can be unstoppable!
2. Upskilling keeps boredom at bay.
One of the leading causes of employees looking for a new job elsewhere is a feeling that their abilities and skills are going stale because they’re not being challenged or learning something new. Offering your employees access to new skills, to new training, to the opportunity to learn new things, can be quite enticing! This can mitigate retention and the loss of institutional knowledge while keeping your ambitious employees happy under your roof.
3. Investing in your employees means investing in your company’s future.
If you want employees to learn new skills, make it clear that this access to education and training is something they can access without having to stay late at work, or, if that’s the only way it fits into your schedule, it’s training for which they will be compensated. Prioritize it to show how important it is to you. Let them know you’re offering these new educational opportunities because you believe it will help them in the long run, in addition to keeping your company competitive. If possible, offer incentives to those employees who choose to take on the training to encourage more of your team to sign up. The larger percentage of your staff who keeps up with training, the better positioned your company will be in your industry without having to lose and rehire staff.
4. Be a leader in your industry.
If you encourage and provide the opportunity for your employees to expand their skills while on the job. In that case, you’ll boost your reputation as a company that wants to keep employees engaged, fully trained and up-to-date with the latest technology and software. You’ll also be representing a company that invests in its employees, and sees the value in providing training instead of pushing out older employees who have embraced the future and new trends without compromising loyalty. Job seekers want to know they can grow and learn in their current position, or that their next employer will want to help them keep their skills sharp as they progress. It’s a win-win!
Upskilling might be trendy. The idea of treating your employees well and honoring their commitment is timeless. Giving your current employees the chance to learn new skills to help them keep their jobs as the world around them changes is forward-looking and smart. Incorporate training and education opportunities and watch the interest in your company grow!
Upskill Your Employees Today
If you’re looking for new ways to upskill employees, or if the time has come to add new talent to your team, it’s time to call Davis Staffing. We’re ready to help you find great new candidates who already have the skills you’re looking for and they’re ready to start working right away. Contact Davis Staffing today and let’s get going!
