Reskilling Your Way To Success: A Brief Guide
Employees are becoming increasingly worried about the future of their positions in the job market, as the landscape seems to be undergoing constant changes. For this reason, upskilling and reskilling are rapidly rising in popularity as tools to help businesses cultivate the skills they need to remain successful. However, building a training program that will add value to your workforce is no easy feat. It takes careful research, planning, and consistency. In this article, we explore the 7 steps that can guarantee that you will create a successful reskilling program that will boost your organization.
How To Create An Effective Reskilling Program For Your Employees
1. Identify Your Organization's Weaknesses
The first step is identifying your current strengths and weaknesses. This will help you form a point of reference against which you can compare your future progress. Perform a thorough analysis within your organization, which will reveal which skills your employees already possess and which they need to work on to boost their performance and efficiency. During this process, you might even identify new skills and positions your organization might need based on industry trends and predictions. Being proactive at this point in time will set you apart from competitors in years to come.
2. Set Measurable Goals
Once you know what you are working with and what the needs of your employees and organization are, it's time to decide your metrics. Relying on data is essential when creating a successful reskilling program, as it allows you to measure its effectiveness accurately at every step of the process. Remember to come up with metrics that not only gauge the effect on profitability and revenue but also on employee satisfaction and engagement. Using all this information, you can set measurable goals that will be clear and easy to keep up with and monitor for everyone.
3. Involve Employees
When creating a reskilling program, it's essential that you get input from your employees. Discuss what their goals are and where they see themselves professionally in the future. This will help you narrow the list of skills for training, as well as give you a better understanding of their learning preferences. For example, do they want training material to be accompanied by videos or podcasts? How do they feel about mobile learning? Not to mention that, by involving your team in the design process of the reskilling program, you can easily demonstrate its benefits and motivate them to participate once it rolls out.
4. Evaluate Existing Training Tools
It is possible that you already have a number of training courses and programs at your disposal. But are they suitable for the reskilling strategy you have in mind? The value of a training option is determined by the impact it has on your business's efficiency and employee development. Therefore, take the time to assess each one of your existing tools based on metrics, employee feedback, content relevancy, and any other factor that you deem important. This way, you will have a solid foundation to decide which ones you should keep, modify, or scrap completely.
5. Research Training Options
There are various reskilling techniques you can use to enrich your employees' knowledge bases and boost their performance. From mentorship to self-training, the options are abundant. All you have to do is figure out what your employees prefer and what your organization is able and willing to offer. For example, do you have a communications platform that is suitable to support cross-department training? What is the time frame available for each employee? Do you have the budget to bring in an instructor or gamify the process? These questions, among others, will ultimately show you which options are best suited for your organization.
6. Create Your Program Internally Or Outsource It
Another important question you need to ask yourself when preparing to build a reskilling strategy is whether you're going to do it internally or with the help of an outsourcing partner. This greatly depends on the capabilities of your organization. If you don't have a development team that can take on the design, or if you simply don't have the time for it, then it might be better to choose outsourcing. Besides, an external provider will most likely have the necessary expertise to guarantee the success of your reskilling program, leaving you with plenty of time to deal with other matters.
7. Monitor Progress And Adjust Accordingly
The final step is launching the reskilling program and collecting data on its performance and the reception it gets from your employees. This is the time to use the metrics and goals that you set during the first steps of the process and compare the results every few months. Analyze the information you have gathered to figure out if the targeted skills have been developed and employee performance has improved. Depending on the results, you can make big or small adjustments to optimize the learning experience and achieve your intended goals more efficiently.
Adapt To The Learning Mindset
Contrary to popular belief, to create a successful reskilling program you must treat it as much more than a one-off event. For your organization to truly reap its full effects, you must cultivate a culture of continuous learning and development. This way, you will not only motivate employees to complete more training courses but also prompt them to find learning opportunities in their everyday lives. You can also check out our Top Content Providers For Upskilling And Reskilling Employees list to find the right skill-building expert for your L&D program.
