How businesses can upskill their workforce 

The UK workforce is facing a hiring crisis – how can upskilling help to promote a positive company culture that will help with retention and recruitment?

Upskilling refers to the process of learning new skills and improving existing ones to meet the changing needs of your business. It is becoming increasingly important as, according to LinkedIn, 43% of UK C-suite executives are focused on upskilling and reskilling due to continuing workforce and hiring challenges. 

Upskilling helps businesses to promote a positive company culture that encourages employee retention, reduces turnover and allows businesses to explore new areas and take on new projects and there are a number of strategies business leaders can use.

• Identity skills gaps: assess the current skill set of your employees to identify the areas where additional training is required. This can be done through various methods such as conducting surveys, analysing employee performance reviews or seeking feedback from managers.
• Develop a training programme: once the gaps have been identified, businesses need to develop a training programme that addresses them. This should be tailored to the specific needs of the employees and should focus on improving the skills required to meet the business’s goals. Training can be in the form of classroom sessions, online courses, or on-the-job training.
• Encourage a culture of learning: upskilling is an ongoing process, and businesses need to encourage a learning culture. Provide employees with opportunities to learn and grow – organise workshops, seminars or conferences to expose employees to new ideas and trends in their industry and encourage employees to attend online courses or pursue further education.
• Provide feedback and coaching: Feedback should be constructive and specific and should focus on areas where improvement is needed. Coaching can be done by assigning mentors or coaches to employees, who can provide them with guidance and support.
• Reward and recognition: upskilling requires a lot of effort and dedication from employees, and businesses need to recognise and reward those efforts. Rewards can be in the form of bonuses, promotions, or even certificates of achievement. Recognising and rewarding employees for their upskilling efforts can motivate them to continue learning and growing.