9 Effective Ways to Boost Employee Skills at Your Company
Building a skilled workforce is crucial for any business looking to succeed. Upskilling, or training employees to develop new skills, can help your company stay competitive. Here’s a guide on why upskilling matters and practical strategies for fostering skill growth in your team.
Why Upskilling Matters
Upskilling is increasingly important to employees. A recent Gallup survey commissioned by Amazon revealed that nearly half of the respondents would consider switching jobs if a new employer offered better skill development opportunities.
Upskilling benefits both employees and employers. It boosts morale, improves employability, and helps employees feel valued. For companies, it increases productivity, reduces turnover, and saves on recruitment costs.
Ways to Boost Employee Skills
Investing in your team’s skills is one of the best ways to drive long-term success. Here are nine ways to get started:
1.? Allocate a Learning and Development Budget
Training requires investment, but the return—better-skilled employees who are less likely to leave—is well worth it. When setting your budget, assess which teams need training most, what skills are essential, and what resources are available. Use a spreadsheet to track expenses and factor in the cost of time spent in training rather than regular work.
2. Offer E-Learning Opportunities
E-learning is more popular than ever and can be a cost-effective way to deliver training to your entire team. Look into subscriptions to e-learning platforms where employees can access courses on demand, allowing them to learn at their own pace.
3. Prioritize Digital Literacy
Ensure your employees are comfortable with technology, especially if e-learning is a core part of your strategy. Provide training on essential digital tools, from computers to specific software, to avoid productivity dips caused by digital skill gaps.
4. Implement Job Shadowing and Mentoring
Job shadowing allows employees to learn hands-on by observing experienced colleagues. Mentorship goes a step further, offering ongoing career guidance and support. Pairing junior staff with seasoned mentors can be invaluable for professional growth.
5. Encourage Peer-to-Peer Learning
Peer learning fosters collaboration and knowledge-sharing among colleagues. Whether through team projects, study groups, or book clubs, peer-to-peer learning strengthens job skills and builds a supportive work culture.
6. Introduce Lunch-and-Learn Sessions
Lunch-and-learn sessions allow employees to share knowledge informally over lunch. This relaxed setting makes it easier to engage and learn from one another on topics like leadership, communication, and career development. For remote options, consider showing educational videos or listening to work-related podcasts.
7. Leverage Microlearning
Microlearning delivers short, focused training sessions designed to be quickly consumed, often in five minutes or less. This method helps with retention and works well for covering single topics through videos, quizzes, or infographics.
8. Offer Stretch Assignments
A stretch assignment pushes employees to take on new challenges, fostering growth and resilience. This could mean leading a project, organizing an event, or mentoring a colleague. Employees gain skills and confidence, and you build a team capable of stepping into new roles as needed.
9. Provide Training and Tuition Incentives
Covering the cost of courses or certifications shows employees that you’re invested in their growth. Some companies even offer tuition assistance for degree programs, which can attract talent, enhance engagement, and provide tax benefits.
Next Steps: Get Started with Talent Development LMS
If you’re looking to enhance skills at your company, consider Learning and Development, a course offered by HRCI on Talent Development LMS. In just a week, with a couple of hours each day, you can complete this course and learn how to assess training needs, design effective learning plans, and evaluate program success.
This course is part of the Human Resource Associate Professional Certificate series, which covers various HR competencies. If you’re focused on upskilling your team, Talent Development LMS for Business offers tailored solutions.
Talent Development LMS provides a range of solutions, including Talent Development Software , LMS for colleges , LMS for schools , LMS for corporations, and LMS for businesses, equipping organizations with the tools needed to build a culture of continuous learning. As the best LMS company in the UAE and a leading LMS services provider in Saudi Arabia , we’re committed to supporting organizations in their journey toward workforce development.