With rapid changes in technology transforming workplaces across sectors, managers and entry-level staff alike are feeling the need to update their skills. Even in professions untouched by new technologies, learning new skills is essential for producing quality work.
However, rather than leaving upskilling and reskilling responsibilities entirely to employees, businesses should strive to support these processes. Doing so can help improve both employee recruitment and retention, helping you cultivate a more productive, engaged, and loyal workforce.
In this guide, we’ll explore exactly what upskilling and reskilling are before diving into tips for facilitating them at your workplace.
Upskilling vs. Reskilling
Upskilling is training to learn new skills or enhance current skills related to an employee’s role. For example, a bookkeeper who typically uses spreadsheets might learn to use software such as QuickBooks.
Reskilling is learning new skills to change careers. For example, a teacher might take accounting classes to become a bookkeeper.
Both upskilling and reskilling fall under the umbrella of professional development opportunities, which, as Astron Solutions’ guide to total rewards compensation explains, are compensation perks. This means that while upskilling and reskilling opportunities do not have a specific monetary value, they are still significant benefits that can help businesses attract and retain employees. In particular, these perks are essential to businesses that support internal hiring and are committed to creating career advancement paths for their employees.
Training Your Workforce
Courses
Professional development courses are often the go-to method for upskilling and reskilling. Depending on the program, employees who complete dedicated courses will likely receive a certificate confirming their training and potentially opening doors to new opportunities.
To provide your employees with professional courses, either seek out existing external courses or develop specific in-house training programs.
If you’re relying on a third-party training program, such as educational courses provided through a professional association, be sure to vet the course before recommending it to employees or purchasing access on their behalf. For courses your business develops, you will need learning management and engagement software to deliver your training materials, as well as the time and resources needed to create training materials.
External Consultants
Take a direct approach to professional development by bringing in an external consultant to support upskilling and reskilling. HR consultants can provide a range of services related to employee training, including:
- Employee coaching. Arrange training for individual employees, plan workshops for specific departments, or host entire company coaching sessions to get your team up to speed. For example, you might bring in a consultant to talk to your marketing team about strategic AI use, or your consultant might provide leadership coaching for a select few employees looking to move into managerial roles.
- Executive coaching. Since they dictate your business’s direction, upskilling and reskilling can potentially be even more important for executives than rank-and-file employees. HR consultants can lead training sessions to help executives refine their leadership and communication skills and improve their ability to innovate and overcome obstacles.
- Training materials. Accessible training materials help your entire team keep their skills up-to-date. For example, after a workshop, a consultant might provide your organization with cheat sheets, workbooks, or other materials you can share with future employees. This helps new hires who join your business after previous training sessions to benefit from your consultant’s workshops.
Before hiring a consultant, assess their specialties and how they align with your business’s needs. For example, if your employees need to reskill, you will likely need profession-specific training, whereas employees looking to improve soft skills that benefit all positions can likely benefit from working with an external consultant.
Rotation Training
Rotation training is a unique skills development program that involves employees training with multiple departments. For example, new hires might rotate between your marketing, sales, customer service, and product development teams to give them a full understanding of your business.
Rotation training is particularly effective for reskilling, as it shows employees the range of roles available to them at your business and the skills they need to succeed in each position.
Additionally, eCardWidget’s guide to employee motivation emphasizes how employees will feel more connected to their work when they can see how it fits into the larger picture. Rotation training broadens employees’ perspectives, leading them to value their co-workers more while also helping them identify which roles make the most sense for them.
Conference Attendance
Conferences are opportunities for professionals across your entire sector to come together to share knowledge, discuss industry developments, and improve their skills. For professions that rely on teams to be at the cutting edge of new technologies, trends, and processes, conferences are essential knowledge-gathering opportunities.
Research conferences related to your business and determine if sending employees would be worth the investment. Conference attendance supports employees’ specific upskilling and professional development, but it can also benefit the rest of your team. For example, you might send a few employees to a conference on how AI is disrupting your sector, then ask them to create a presentation for the rest of your team on AI best practices.
Job Shadowing and Mentorships
For employees looking to upskill or reskill, direct contact with individuals in the roles they want to move into is invaluable. Job shadowing and mentorship opportunities provide employees with hands-on experience, while also helping them develop relationships with their senior co-workers.
To create an effective mentoring program, experiment with these strategies:
- Create a mentorship framework. Mentorships should be formal processes with a set timeframe and end goal. For example, new employees may have an official mentor for the first six months of their employment. They can still approach their mentor with questions after this period, but they will no longer have structured meetings or check-ins.
- Appoint reliable team members. When assigning mentors, ask for volunteers and appoint trusted senior staff. Consider which of your staff are not only good at their jobs but have the communication, leadership, and listening skills that would make them effective teachers and advocates for new hires.
- Consider reverse mentoring. If your executives or senior staff are interested in upskilling, they may benefit from reverse mentoring, wherein they work with new employees and follow their lead. This approach gives leadership a fresh insight into how new staff are functioning, as well as hands-on experience with the everyday tasks they may provide direction for but rarely do themselves.
Mentorships can help with both upskilling and reskilling. For upskilling, new employees would shadow experienced team members, while reskilling would involve working with a mentor in another department to help ease the transition.
Upskilling and reskilling give your team and your business the tools they need to succeed in a rapidly changing work environment. Consider how your industry is changing and which resources your team will benefit from to start providing focused professional development opportunities that engage and retain employees.
