Many teams across various industries are facing the mammoth task of rethinking their approach to business and employees are taking on a lot more responsibility as a result.
In order to emerge stronger from the global crisis, companies need to start thinking about reskilling and upskilling their workforce now. Human Capital leaders are facing the task of adapting their teams’ roles and skills to address the post-pandemic way of working.
Prior to COVID rearing its nasty head, industries were getting disrupted by new technologies and the skills employees would need to reimagine their role in the workplace. As the pandemic slowly recedes, one might expect remote working to fade as well, however, it’s starting to emerge that more and more companies are considering the long-term online/offline working model after employees demonstrated the success of remote working.
However, it is now incumbent on leadership to drive their workforce to new heights, to stem the tide of COVID and address the lurking challenges that existed before the pandemic struck.
How can companies overcome the challenge of skills’ deficits in their workforce?
- Craft a talent strategy that develops employees’ digital and critical capabilities – now is the time for companies to focus on their learning budgets and commit to upskilling and reskilling.
- Identify the skills your business needs in order to recover and map the role that your team plays in this.
- Focus on upskilling teams that will drive a disproportionate amount of value for your business – aspects like digital, cognitive, emotional and resilience are key.
- Launch tailored learning journeys to close the critical skills required for your business – consider the critical activities that your core workforce will need to undertake and the skills required to do so.
- Start now, test and repeat – companies who have launched successful reskilling programmes are better equipped to address skill gaps or implement new business models because their teams are prepared. The secret is to start sooner, rather than later.
- Protect your learning budgets at all costs – use your budget to make skill building a strategic tool for adapting to the new normal and leverage the ready-made learning journeys offered by qualified service providers who can demonstrate prior success. Also understanding within South Africa that many incentives exist that can drastically reduce training expenditure
Contact the team at Summit about how we can help you identify and address your team’s learning journey that speaks to the current climate and beyond. We work with you to develop a robust approach, no frills or time-wasting.