3 steps to developing your skills strategy - for today, tomorrow and the future
While it’s easy to assume the pandemic is responsible for the current, well-documented global skills shortage, the truth is new and emerging technologies were already impacting the skills needed by our workforce. The pandemic, which caused a previously unthinkable and almost overnight shift to working from home, only exposed the cracks.
In fact, back in 2017, a McKinsey Global Institute report, Jobs lost, jobs gained: Workforce transitions in a time of automation found about 33 percent of activities involved in around 60 percent of occupations could be automated.
Basically, the writing was on the wall in 2017. The pandemic just moved the needle from ‘future’ to ‘immediate’ need.
Businesses reluctant to adapt will be left behind. It’s as simple as that. But in order to future-proof your business, you not only need to look at the skills you need today, but also plan for tomorrow and far into the future.
Skills for now: build operational skills
To successfully plan for the future, you need to set yourself up today. Long term business goals are only met when today’s strategies are implemented and carried out. Meeting your immediate business needs is the foundation upon which your business future is built. And it’s likely you’ve already got more opportunities to build skills than you realise.
Current training programs – face-to-face training, eLearning (or a bit of both) should be equipping employees with all the skills they currently need. And it’s here you have the opportunity to uncover existing skill gaps affecting your business today and tomorrow. Training facilitators or employees themselves can help identify where things are not working and how to fix them.
Upskilling - there’s also the opportunity to upskill current employees through substantial training programmes, micro training or refresher courses. Regular training allows employees to keep their skills sharp as well as prepare them for a time when your business is ready to make a concerted push to the next level, which is future planning.
Social and collaborative – Millennials, who currently make up 75 percent of the working population, are tech-savvy and want to work in social and collaborative workplaces. Using social elements as part of your training, employees are exposed to a variety of people who can teach them, and, in turn, they can teach. Sharing expertise helps empower employees by making them more in control of their own learning, development and career paths.
Skills for tomorrow: future skills planning and talent management
A recent NAB Behavioural Insight Report noted one in four Australians are currently thinking about leaving their current job. That’s 25 percent - if that doesn’t send a shiver up the spine of every HR manager in the country, then nothing will.
Empower your HR team – how are you attracting and retaining talent? Are your recruitment and onboarding processes slick, agile and mobile friendly? Is your HR team empowered with the ability to choose the best people, without having to leap through a series of outdated hoops?
According to the Hays Salary Guide Australia 2021, 64 percent of employers note the current global skills shortage will have an impact on their operations. This means empowering your HR team to attract the best talent, by automating their HR processes and letting them get on with their jobs, is one thing you can do to plan for your business's future.
Hybrid and remote working – post-pandemic, it’s clear that hybrid and remote working are here to stay. For most industries, people can work just as efficiently and effectively from their home office spaces as they can from a central office crowded with people. Has your organisation adapted to this?
Career touchpoints – check in with your people. Ensure their training is up to date and they have the chance to upskill if they chose. Don’t let your good people defect to the opposition because you didn’t maintain tangible career touchpoints.
Skills for the long-term: personalised skills development
Now you’re keeping on top of your recruitment and onboarding processes, your talent pipeline should be strong.
Invest in your people - people want to work for a business that supports and invests in them, not one that lets them languish or tries to hold them back.
Personalise skills development – what do your employees want from their careers? Some people want to stay where they are, some want to scale the corporate ladder while others want to move sideways, exploring positions perhaps more aligned to their own interests and strengths. Strengths you’ve hopefully helped develop.
Worried you’ll upskill your employees and they’ll leave? It does happen but it’s also a great reason to involve the person in their own training and development, so they feel valued and appreciated, and their skills acknowledged and invested in.
The relationship between a business and employee is a two-way partnership - recognising this will benefit you today, tomorrow and well into the future.
For more tips and tricks on developing your own future-proofing strategy, download our e-book A successful talent and skills strategy.
