Companies that immediately engage in employee growth and potential learning opportunities – from the moment that individual is hired – will greatly impact future employee performance and dedication. The Workplace Learning report garnered insights from 500 learning and development professionals and found that 80% of executives believe developing employees is a top priority. The report also found that 90% of executives agree there’s a skills gap in the UK workforce – a gap that training and development can greatly bridge.
Here are a few effective strategies for developing workplace talent:
1) Target soft skills The latest LinkedIn Workplace Learning report found that training for soft skills was the number one priority for talent development. Driving this, is a surge of industry change, automation, and technological advancements. The modern workplace requires adaptable, critical thinkers that can communicate effectively.
2) Personalise employee development Previously, training programmes approached workplace development with a “one size fits all” mentality. This technique, however, is counteractive to a growing, diversified workplace. Employees need to be analysed and acknowledged in terms of their specific skills, technological fluency, and approach to learning. When developing a programme, businesses should think of employees as consumers.
3) Digital learning Ensuring employees make time for learning is the number one challenge talent development faces. Employers need to reduce any resistance to learning by engaging talent through the existing platforms they chose to spend their time on. Training should be delivered through multiple platforms, dynamic in its accessibility (mobile and on-demand), personalised, and offer ongoing support.
4) Create a strategic development plan According to Forbes, 82% of middle-skills jobs need digital abilities, and over seven million job opportunities require a level of coding skills. As the skills gap continues to widen, employers need to take the initiative in teaching and upskilling employees. The steps involved in creating a development plan begin with establishing business goals. Employers and development professionals should ask themselves what business factors and objectives do we hope to impact through training,?24 Leaders also need to decide what skills are needed within the business, again aligning it to the overall objectives. The development plan itself needs to incorporate various stages for effective tracking, that analyses the before, during, and after.
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