What issues does HR encounter when trying to upskill their people?

In today's uncertain times, it's more important than ever for organizations to remain flexible in their practices

What issues does HR encounter when trying to upskill their people?

In today’s uncertain times, it’s more important than ever for organizations to remain flexible in their practices.

Managing talent, fostering development and placing onus on individualised learning are factors in employee retention – not to mention organisational success. And while many employers may want to upskill their people, translating that into action can be tricky.

HRD Canada spoke to Jeanne Schad, talent solutions & strategy practice leader at Randstad RiseSmart – and sponsor of our upcoming webinar Talent mobility: upskilling, redeployment, and outplacement strategies. She explained the potential pitfalls that employers fall into when trying to develop their teams.

“There are a couple different issues that may arise,” prefaced Schad.

“Firstly, employers need to consider exactly how to upskill their teams. What skills do people need to learn? And then, they should look at how they apply the new skills in the context of the company.

“The easiest of these issues for them to solve is the first - how to upskill. And that's usually where most companies start. They solve this by providing access to a learning management system or one of the extensive Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC).

However, as Schad explained, people don’t know exactly what they’re supposed to learn – or why. Will these new initiatives be helpful in securing a promotion?

What are those skills that employees should be perfecting? And whose responsibility is it to foster this learning? Is it up to the organization? HR? The individual employees themselves? Providing employees with clear goals and expectations should also be a key part of this equation.

“At RiseSmart, our point of view is that when you allow the employee to explore and discover on their own, they will bring skills to the company that you never imagined they would ,” continued Schad.

HR should also be challenged in regards to clear learning goals and securing development paths for their employees.

“We use technology to allow people to explore their personal/ career development as widely and as deeply as they want – to introduce them to relevant course content that interest them and, critically, not limit them or their imagination,” added Schad.

To hear more on the best ways to manager your people, sign up to RiseSmart’s upcoming webinar here.


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