Virtual meetings and collaboration tools were thrust into the spotlight due to the pandemic, forcing employees unfamiliar with these platforms to learn new skills to complete their tasks. However, businesses quickly understood that additional vital skills were required to sustain business continuity across a remote workforce and equip employees to weather and prosper through the next crisis. Well, here is where the concept of employee upskilling comes in.

Even as headcounts were frozen or reduced, the capacity to adapt and approach work differently became critical to maintaining productivity and service levels. While many employees quickly adjusted to working remotely, others struggled. Those with trouble needed digital skills training and courses that promoted innovation and creativity in problem-solving and decision-making. According to companies, greater mental flexibility and the ability to modify working methods on the fly are more robust indicators of success in the face of unanticipated interruptions. Read more: corporate learning

Companies will need to concentrate on employee upskilling if they are to recover and develop until 2021

According to a recent PwC poll of HR executives, employee upskilling directly connects to three of the top four priorities for HR executives. More than 40% of respondents said their companies should speed up the adoption of digital tools, while 37% said they need to invest in solutions that help virtual teams innovate and collaborate. About a third of HR executives want to provide employees with opportunities to learn new skills.

Companies are rethinking how they empower employees to become sharper thinkers because of the pandemic’s lessons. Organizations must train their employees to use new digital tools, comprehend and apply agile program management, and build the soft skills needed for leadership and change management to succeed during difficult times.

How remote work sparked ideas for automation

The pandemic pushed operational and behavioral changes, exposing previously hidden pain points associated with an under-skilled workforce. When asked about the most lasting trends to emerge from the pandemic, 78 percent of CEOs said remote collaboration, while 76 percent said automation, accommodative management, and so on.

Many of us have reexamined how we use our time and what influences our productivity because of this dramatic and unexpected era of change. Automation has become a popular alternative to time-consuming jobs for many people. Workers who spent a significant amount of time on repetitive tasks, such as preparing reports and developing digital marketing strategies, became more conscious of the need for data automation technologies during the pandemic. We can find these requirements in a variety of functional areas and sectors.

Instead of depending on shared services to develop specialized technologies, supply chain and logistics group workers should use agile project management skills or automation. To coordinate staffing schedules with the busiest shopping times, a retailer can use data visualization tools to assess unanticipated changes in in-store sales and traffic patterns. You may utilize the same data to help cut labor expenses, shorten checkout lines, and enhance consumer satisfaction. Read more: open source learning management system

Using grit, as well as employee upskilling, to achieve long-term success

Executive leadership teams are emphasizing flexibility and dynamic workforce planning as they develop their post-pandemic business models. These plans consider health, economic, and societal factors and explicit employee feedback on working.

According to executives, investments in digital tools can also help foster resilience and deepen an organization’s commitment to agility and continuous learning. Integrate the innovations you created during the global crisis into your company’s leading practices and activities going forward. Continue to explore new approaches to foster a learning culture that leads to scalable innovation. You may accomplish all of this through employee upskilling.

Employee upskilling can also assist businesses in developing a diverse workforce with greater grit, resilience, and determination to deal with unanticipated problems. This approach entails honing the ability to respond quickly and creatively to unforeseen circumstances.

People with intellectual nimbleness and the capacity to interpret facts in new ways can make better judgments, solve complex problems with greater confidence, and bring more creativity to their work and personal life. Employees can learn new digital skills that will help them better their current job while also preparing them to expand and grow into other roles in the future.

Employee Upskilling: How does it play a crucial role in enhancing employee satisfaction?

Employee upskilling can also lead to a more enjoyable work environment. According to a PwC survey from 2021, more than three-quarters of workers are willing to learn new skills or entirely retrain to stay competitive and succeed in their jobs. Only 40% of workers reported they could upgrade their skills throughout the pandemic, highlighting the increased necessity for more training alternatives.

More than one-third of respondents said they would be ready for a wage reduction to learn new skills. It was the most crucial element in deciding whether to take a new job, behind money and perks. Recruiters should articulate and quantify employee upskilling options, highlighted in offer packages, and demonstrated as a differentiator and fundamental piece of the overall value proposition.

Conclusion: How to get ready for business disruption in the future?

The pandemic gave the case for employee upskilling a new sense of urgency by exposing flaws that could pose a systemic risk to growth, competitiveness, and the ability to react when the next upheaval arises. Companies that fail to respond quickly and decisively are risking falling behind.

Managers may assist their staff in putting their new abilities to use by approaching problems analytically, proactively identifying new initiatives that will allow them to exercise critical thinking, and assessing productivity gains. Taking the time to celebrate successes helps illustrate why this effort is vital and helps to establish direct links between personal accomplishments and business growth objectives.

More digital literacy and mental flexibility among employees may help transform the business at scale, foster a culture of continuous learning, and position the company to be more competitive when the next upheaval arrives.