As we make our way through the second half of this year, it’s the perfect time to take a step back and assess your progress toward your goals. For business owners, this means evaluating how effectively you’re upskilling your employees. While investing in employee development may seem costly and time-consuming, it’s essential to the long-term success of any company. Providing opportunities for growth and learning improves employee retention and leads to increased productivity and a more competitive edge. There are many benefits to upskilling your employees. Here are some ideas to implement upskilling in your organization:

Offer Internal Job Shadowing or Interning Opportunities

One of the most effective ways to upskill employees is through internal job shadowing or interning in a new department. This approach allows employees to learn about different departments within the company and gain new skills and perspectives. By doing so, employees can better understand the company’s operations from a macro-level and work collaboratively towards shared goals. Business owners can encourage this by creating a program that allows employees to spend a designated amount of time in a different department each quarter.

Encourage Employees to Find Interesting Ongoing Learning Opportunities

Another effective way to upskill employees is by encouraging them to seek out their own ongoing learning opportunities and submit them for approval. Business owners can incentivize this by allowing employees to submit their findings for approval and potentially pay for the course or program on the employee’s behalf. By providing employees with autonomy in their development, they can tailor learning to their interests and needs, leading to a more engaged and motivated workforce. Upskilling is a great way to attract and retain top talent.

Create an Onboarding Program That Helps New Employees Get Up to Speed Quickly

One of the most crucial investments a company can make in employee development is through a robust onboarding program. Effective onboarding can help new employees get up to speed more quickly, leading to increased productivity and a higher quality of work. Business owners can invest in this by creating a comprehensive onboarding process that includes training on company culture, job-specific skills, and ongoing development opportunities.

Offer Professional Development and Training Courses for Existing Staff

Offering professional development and training courses for existing staff is a critical component of upskilling employees. Business owners can partner with industry professionals or use learning management software to provide online training courses to employees. By doing so, employees can gain new skills and move up the career ladder, while the company benefits from a more knowledgeable and competent workforce.

Provide Access to Career Coaching and Mentoring Sessions

Another way to upskill employees is by providing access to career coaching and mentoring sessions. These sessions can help employees identify their strengths and weaknesses and create personalized development plans to maximize their potential. Additionally, mentorship can provide employees with valuable guidance and feedback that will help them grow within their roles and make more significant contributions to the company.

Create a Company Survey for Staff to Indicate Trainers They’d Like to Learn From

To ensure employees receive the training they need, business owners can conduct a company-wide survey to gather feedback on specific skills employees would like to learn, or trainers they’d like to learn from. This approach ensures that training is relevant to employees and gives them a voice in the process. You can also use this information to identify trends in employee development needs and make strategic decisions about future training investments.

Encourage Team Members to Attend Outside Workshops and Events

Encourage your team members to attend outside workshops and events. Whether it’s attending a conference or networking event, employees can gain valuable insights and knowledge from others in the industry. This helps employees stay current with industry trends, provides a fresh perspective on their work, and inspires new ideas.

Interested in Additional Information?

Investing in employee development is essential to the long-term success of any company. By taking a mid-year check-in and evaluating your current employee development strategies, you can identify areas for improvement and make strategic investments in upskilling your employees. Contact Chris Kelly at [email protected] for guidance on effectively upskilling your employees to give your company a competitive edge in the marketplace.