Boosting Functionality Improvement In 2021
Strengthening skills development in 2021
Prioritizing employee learning and development has never been more important, not just on a professional level but also in terms of personal development, mental health and wellbeing, and overall career and path advancement. Even as the global pandemic is forced upon us, digital learning is becoming increasingly important in global organizations to address the skills shortage, fill the growing skill gaps and reshape the development of skills to meet the learning needs of the new normal.
The World Economic Forum points out that the world is in a qualification limbo as over a billion roles and jobs have been disrupted and changed as a result of advances in technology. However, the pandemic has only confirmed the already burgeoning doubts about job security and the burning need for large-scale retraining and further training. Today, the need and the expectation are clear: both employees and managers need to continue their education in order to remain relevant and competitive.
Learning mindsets to overcome continuing education challenges
According to Gartner, 70% of employees say they don’t have the skills needed to do their job effectively. While skill readiness is a key factor to consider when determining whether and how employees keep pace with changing skill needs, L&D and HR executives must play a big role in promoting skill readiness from the start through 2021.
However, despite the harsh warnings, employees still struggle to accept continuous learning as a must while companies fail to meet their quota. And one of the main reasons that this happens again and again is that employees and managers are not trained in “learning ability”.
Recognizing learning itself as a key skill, L&D and HR can structure their programs in such a way that both immediate and long-term results are achieved, not only for the company but also for the individual. And this is where the learning mentality comes into play. While L&D and HR can offer top notch training programs, it is up to the learners to foster a continuous learning mindset in order to reap the benefits.
A change in the learning mentality can be achieved by connecting employees directly with market needs, hiring a new candidate by assessing the level of qualification, identifying areas of further training and at the same time linking the personal goals of the employees with those of the company.
Also touted by McKinsey & Co. as deliberate learners, employees who excel at work by developing new skills tend to be more successful at realizing their potential and adding greater value to their company.
Strengthening skills development in 2021
It has become increasingly clear that in order to survive and compete in today’s evolving business environment, skill development needs to be addressed urgently from a business perspective, rather than something that could or could ultimately lead to business implications.
In addition, companies seeking growth and improved performance in the new normal need to focus on developing not just digital skills, but human skills as well. Digital transformation around the world has given a new meaning to skill development that reflects the human side of communication, wellbeing, leadership, and improved relationships. Behavioral skills will be the key to achieving this synergy as skills such as empathy, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, etc., used by employees at different skill levels, add the desired value and maintain the human side in the digital world.
Here are some ways to develop employee skills in 2021:
- Redesign skill development to take advantage of personalized learning, just-in-time learning, relevant content, and result-oriented learning
- Merge skills development with business strategy to have an increased focus on analyzing training needs and the essential future skills and abilities at all levels
- Promote positive behavior change by providing training on human skills, including creativity, innovation, problem solving, emotional intelligence, and more
- Rethink HIPOs and leadership development pipelines to meet the learning needs of millennial workers
Bring away
As we continue to navigate our way through the pandemic and post-pandemic worlds and prepare for whatever the next normal might be, unlocking the learning mentality and building human skills will continue to be top priorities to keep performance and productivity with to maximize higher chances of success.
