One fact everyone can agree on is that the workforce has changed. During the past couple of years alone, we have witnessed a global pandemic and a war and seen new global trends emerge, such as an unprecedented talent shortage.
We are also seeing digital and physical worlds merge, creating opportunities for new products and services, such as cloud applications, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI), which will change how businesses operate.
Your organization must leverage new technologies to streamline existing processes and implement intelligent automation systems to remain competitive. However, if your organization is like most, your staff lacks the skills to adapt to these changes. This is why organizations such as Google, Verizon, Amazon, and Marriot International have invested billions to launch workforce training programs to upskill and reskill employees.
Upskilling provides employees with training and development opportunities to improve their current skills and abilities and learn new skills. Reskilling involves teaching team members an entirely new skill set.
The goal of both is to help employees advance their careers and prepare them to take on more challenging roles—a big priority for organizations. The Future of Jobs Report, recently released by the World Economic Forum, states that over half of all employees will need to be reskilled by 2025.
This is why personalized workforce training programs that cultivate skills that are in demand will become essential to organizational success, and enterprises will rethink how they manage workforce development.
Using Skills Maps to Chart the Workforce
Skills maps help Human Resources (HR) and Learning and Development (L&D) leaders create a visual representation so they can identify current skill gaps and forecast skillsets their organizations will need in the future.
Most organizations have already experienced large-scale technology disruption due to the Great Resignation. So, they understand the importance of charting the skills needed for current and future job roles and building a talent pipeline.
Skills Testing to Facilitate Workforce Development
Evaluating employees’ skills is not easy. In fact, it is a common problem that hinders the development and implementation of workforce training programs. HR and training leaders in top organizations use industry-leading skills testing software such as the eSkill Talent Assessment PlatformTM. They can compile qualitative and quantitative data for skills maps and define the skills needed for job roles and the level of proficiency for each.
Personalized Training and Development Programs
HR and learning/development teams are redefining workforce development best practices by creating personalized training and development programs. By analyzing staff skillsets, business leaders can identify employees who are ready to move into newly created jobs and roles with revamped requirements. They can easily see which skills each employee has mastered and where additional training is needed. This enables them to develop an individualized training program for each employee, which trains them on the skills the organization needs.
Implementing the eSkill Talent Assessment PlatformTM makes customized training a reality
by building on workers’ current knowledge and avoiding the “one-size-fits-all” approach. Organizations also reduce the time and money spent on hiring and workforce training programs. Many organizations have reduced recruiting, and employee development costs by 70% and time-to-hire/promote by 60% using eSkill.
Build a Skills-Based Talent Pool
Organizations are shifting to flexible workforce strategies that focus on in-demand skills development instead of training for fixed roles. So, HR and training professionals are applying the principles of the gig economy internally to outmaneuver shifts in the economy and changes in market demand.
Business leaders faced a lot of challenges while dealing with a global pandemic. They saw how important it was to adopt hiring and training practices that are agile and responsive to rapid shifts in talent needs.
Creating a skills-based talent pool or internal marketplace enables organizations to:
New Workforce Development Best Practices
HR and learning/development professionals must radically transform workforce development practices to keep pace with business demands. This means assessing and mapping internal skills, projecting future needs, personalizing employee development, and leveraging on-demand training programs.
Workforce development professionals know that skills are essential for immediate business efforts and provide the framework for mid- and long-term, data-driven workforce strategies. When the Internet emerged as a viable training tool, organizations quickly adopted eLearning to reduce the cost of traditional in-person training. However, they have learned that offering employees access to a library full of courses does not ensure they will retain what they learn.
People’s patience and attention span have decreased due to the popularity of digital media platforms like YouTube. So, companies have implemented learning platforms that personalize the experience by delivering the exact knowledge or skills training the employee needs—a trend that will continue.
On-the-job training and learning by doing allow employees to apply new skills and knowledge to solve real challenges immediately. It is effective because employees and managers do not see it as a disruption. Employees are not forced to waste time on “irrelevant training,” such as reviewing material they already know and completing “one-size-fits-all” courses that do not pertain to their job.
According to the Association of Talent Development (ASTD), employee productivity is 200% higher at companies that offer on-the-job training programs, and organizations that enable employees to learn on the job attract over 70% more applications for open positions.
Interested in Using Skills Assessments for Workforce Development?
Measuring employees’ existing skills and knowledge with skills assessments is key to developing an effective internal workforce development program.
Do you want to learn how skills assessments can help you take workforce training programs to the next level? Contact us to request a demo.