These are challenging times for business. Recruiting continues to be hampered by The Great Resignation. Meanwhile, a sizeable number of employees who aren’t leaving their jobs are scaling back their engagement at work in a phenomenon known as “quiet quitting.” In addition to coping with this talent acquisition crisis, 90 percent of businesses say their industry has gotten more competitive over the past three years, according to a study by the business intelligence organization Crayon.

But that practice is a proven strategy with a new name: “upskilling.” Upskilling refers to a specific type of employee development that builds on and expands what employees already know.

The Benefits of Upskilling

Companies that build upskilling into their training and development programs can expect benefits like these.

• It gives an organization a competitive edge by closing skill gaps among employees.
• It saves the cost of hiring new employees who have the necessary skills to keep up with the competition.
• The opportunity for professional growth keeps employees engaged and productive.
• As a result, employee retention increases.

Upskilling Can Take a Variety of Forms

Depending on your company’s needs, including the skills you want to nurture among your employees, you can reach your goals through any of the following approaches – or use a combination that makes sense for your development program.

• Virtual and online courses – What used to be considered cutting edge has become an industry standard, and webinars, interactive training modules, and other online tools are more the rule than the exception. This approach has the added benefit of enabling remote, on-demand instruction.
• Mentoring – As convenient as online learning is, there’s nothing like hands-on instruction from your company’s subject matter experts to build skills. Even the act of shadowing skilled veterans can provide meaningful knowledge boosts.
• “Lunch-and-learns” – Scheduling training opportunities over the lunch hour benefits employees who might not otherwise have time to participate. Plus, the casual nature of these sessions provides a relaxed environment conducive to learning.
• Microlearning – If free time is even more scarce, you might choose the option of 5–10-minute learning sessions punctuated by quick quizzes. These sessions are surprisingly powerful: Research from the productivity website Thrive My Way indicates that:
  • 80% of employees prefer microlearning over traditional coursework.
  • 70–80% of microlearning modules are completed, compared to a completion rate of 20-30% for traditional programs.
  • Microlearning increases retention of learned material rates by 25% to 60%.

Arrow Offers the Resources Your Company Needs

We are staffing, recruiting, and HR specialists. You know where your organization excels and what it takes to make your business successful. At Arrow Staffing Services, we know how to identify talent, create a flexible workforce, and deliver customizable Human Resources solutions. Contact us today to learn more about what we offer.