The creator of the modern management theory, Peter Drucker, pointed out that “learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast with change”. He could not be more correct, especially with how quickly trends are developing.
In an age when technology evolves at a dizzying speed, the only way a modern company can stay afloat is to embrace the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution. The best way to achieve this is to help employees gain new skills that they can use to adapt to the constant market and business changes. After all, it is more practical and less expensive to invest in an existing employee’s career development than to go through the hassle of finding new talent.
Upskilling workers fills skill gaps, enabling employees to perform their tasks more effectively. It keeps the workforce up to date with current business trends and industry developments and keeps them engaged and connected with the company. More importantly, upskilling empowers workers, leading to high employee retention rates and increased productivity.
Here are some ways companies are upskilling from the top down, beginning with managers to the HR staff to employees and the recruiting team.
Leadership Development for Managers
Some companies overlook the necessity of training the leaders – the managers, who, in most cases, facilitate the career development path of employees. Not only this. Managers are responsible for motivating the workforce by strengthening their connection to the company through an effective employee engagement programme. They also serve as role models, especially to aspiring leaders, and provide an optimistic outlook within the organisation.
But there is no universal formula for managing a company nor a one-size-fits-all engagement programme that works for everyone. While most managers are highly capable of handling teams, some may need to streamline their leadership skills because the business landscape is constantly evolving. And this is where leadership development comes in. Leadership development is crucial to all companies because it helps operations function more smoothly and improves the workplace culture.
An outstanding management skill set enables managers to navigate through the challenges of an uncertain and unpredictable environment. It also helps them gain a deeper perspective of the situation and identify the potentials of their employees. From this, they can create a more dynamic and profitable business strategy.
There are several courses on leadership skills development, both online and in-person. Managers, old or new, should consider undergoing such training to refresh their knowledge and keep them abreast with current management trends.
Psychological First Aid for HR
The Human Resource department is primarily responsible for the holistic well-being of the workforce. It should be able to provide the appropriate mental support to employees, especially during upsetting times.
Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a programme that guides people on how to provide and deliver psychosocial care after traumatic events, such as disasters, accidents, and pandemics. Its main aim is to help the patient recover mentally and emotionally from distress. It also promotes resiliency and enhances the coping mechanism of patients through counselling, comforting, supporting, and giving accurate information. The process encourages emotional and mental healing and reduces the risk of mental conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
People working in dangerous and distressing environments often need emotional and mental support. But they are not the only ones. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees worry about the uncertainty of the future. Some feel isolated because of the remote work setup. Add to this the millions of workers who lost their jobs due to the lockdown and the economic collapse.
A course on Psychological First Aid will teach employees how to successfully cope with stress, anxiety, worry, and fear. The training is particularly indispensable for the HR staff due to the demanding nature of their job. HR is responsible for determining why employees fail to adhere to company policies and display problematic behaviors, including absenteeism, tardiness, and low performance. Worse, the burden of telling employees about their suspension or retrenchment typically falls on HR. Yet, its most tough task is maintaining morale and high productivity despite unexpected changes and uncertainty. Despite the constant shifts in the business landscape, HR must provide sufficient and suitable emotional and mental support to workers whenever needed.
Lastly, developing healthy coping mechanisms to fight work-related stress is a valuable skill. Companies should consider this aspect when they think about upskilling their staff, starting with the HR department.
Growth Mindset for Employees
A growth mindset believes that people can nurture their intelligence, talents, and skills through hard work, continuous learning, and ongoing self-improvement. The opposite of this is a fixed mindset, which claims talent and intelligence are fixed and inherent.
Adopting a growth mindset brings many benefits to the company. Among these are higher motivation, better performance across a broader range of tasks, less stress and anxiety, healthy working relationships, and increased overall productivity. Employees with a growth mindset focus on developing their skills instead of stressing over their shortcomings. They dedicate themselves to gaining knowledge and sharpening their critical thinking and decision-making skills. They embrace challenges and consider mistakes as part of growth and learning.
How do you cultivate a growth mindset among your employees? The first and most vital step is to create an environment where employees are free to share their ideas without judgment. Doing so encourages them to believe in themselves and be more comfortable taking risks in achieving bigger goals. Foster a culture of curiosity and be ready to offer diverse learning opportunities. Consider failure and setback as a challenge, not an obstacle. Acknowledge good performance and give regular and constructive feedback.
Upskilling employees by teaching them a new technical skill or a management course helps them develop a growth mindset but some companies are looking for growth mindset in the HR jobs advertised in Edinburgh, Manchester, London and other major UK cities with companies looking to expand quickly. On the surface, investing in professional development may seem costly, but it leads to increased profitability in the long run.
Recruitment Development for the Recruitment Team
Recruiting can be a hassle. The process is not only time-consuming and exhausting. It can also be expensive, especially if done wrong. However, recruitment is an essential part of a company’s growth. To ensure a smooth hiring process, the team must have a strategy for pooling qualified candidates, filling job positions, and avoiding unnecessary costs due to poor decisions.
To create an effective recruitment plan, the team must analyse the company’s staffing needs and identify skill gaps that existing workers cannot fill. It should determine the requirements for each vacancy, build a budget for the hiring expenses, and establish an efficient candidate selection procedure. Furthermore, the team should adjust their plan according to shifting market trends and advancing technology. Even after completing a recruitment plan, the team must continue improving its strategy to achieve the best possible outcome. There are plenty of recruitment courses available online to help guide the team in the right direction.
There are several tips that the team can apply in making a successful hiring plan. However, training is still necessary to hone one’s recruitment skills.
Tom McLoughlin is a Director of the recruitment marketing specialists, Growth Recruits, Based in the UK. Tom has amassed experience from his many years in digital marketing and has an in-depth knowledge of the recruitment industry and the marketing that is required to succeed.
