Think of the creatures that have survived all kinds of extinctions from the early ages to the present. Do you think power is what brought them to this day? Scientists disagree with the concept of power and choose to say “The fittest”.
The fittest ones move on.
Your employees may have their own unique abilities to adapt to any situation. But it is one of your responsibilities to develop their skills and make them stronger.
Upskilling is the practice of teaching employees new skills to better perform the duties of their current job occupations. Reskilling means teaching employees a new set of skills in order to perform a different job function within the same company. Both are valuable tools for professional development and workforce retention, regardless of industry.
Remember the damage that employee turnover does to companies. According to Gallup, the cost of replacing an employee can be twice as high as the employee’s annual salary.
According to SHRM’s skills gap research, 83 per cent of HR professionals have recruiting difficulties. And 75 per cent of those surveyed said there was a shortage of skills in candidates for job openings. Organizations can’t find the talent they need so they need to turn inward and develop it themselves.
We summarized the importance and benefits of upskilling in 5 articles:
1- Morale and motivation: Your investments in skill development (upskilling) enable employees to plan for the future. Building plans mean dreaming and setting goals. That’s what you do when you’re in high spirits!
2- Retention: Investments in employee skills are not just a matter of learning and development issue. It also shows that you recognize and appreciate them. Employees who feel appreciated and thrive are more likely to be permanent.
3- Customer happiness: Happy employees win even happier customers. Employees who have been invested are happy. And this means, employees with better skill levels are significantly more successful at solving customers’ problems.
4- Talented candidates: Who can describe you the best? Of course your employees! Cheerful, engaged employees become stronger brand advocates. No advertisement you will make can be stronger than the reference of your existing employees.
5- Change and transformation: We are changing and this will continue. The business community has acted with immutable truths for too long, but that’s no longer the case. You can’t keep up with change without improving the skills of your employees. Digital transformation is a good example of this. If you think you can digitally transform on your own, think again. And imagine what you will turn into!