A lack of workers equipped with the skills they need is restricting growth in businesses across the country – but there is a solution.
Organisations can futureproof their talent acquisition strategy by upskilling and reskilling their workforces.
Reed Talent Solutions’ recruit, train, deploy solution provides a proactive model to identify new talent and ensure employee potential is optimised.
Our survey of 1,000 hiring managers, conducted in June last year, found 77% believed it was either very, or somewhat likely, that a lack of access to workers equipped with the skill sets they need will restrict growth within their businesses in the next three years.
It also revealed 80% think there is a significant gap between the skills held by their workforce and those needed to meet their business goals.
But by adopting upskilling and reskilling as core strategies within your organisation, you can plot a course towards greater retention, higher employee satisfaction, and more potential for growth.
What is upskilling and reskilling?
Upskilling and upskill training are the provision of training programmes and development opportunities, with the end goal of expanding employee’s skillsets.
Companies which upskill staff allow them to advance in their jobs, find different roles, and to improve their knowledge and expertise by completing skill development courses, certifications, or mentorships.
Reskilling involves employees learning new skills outside of their existing function. These skills are often aimed at allowing them to set out on a different path or make a significant change in their role.
Upskilling and reskilling are similar. Both processes allow employees to expand their knowledge and skillsets, but the end goals differ. Upskill training helps employees to progress within their roles or a specific area of a business, whereas reskilling results in lateral movement within an organisation and will see people moving to a new role within their company.
What are the benefits of upskilling, reskilling, and continuous learning?
Upskilling and reskilling help organisations to create a more sustainable workplace, enabling employees to respond more quickly to market changes, embedding strategic planning into a business, and allowing greater potential for innovation and growth.
Employees want to continue to grow, learn, and develop, which means high-quality continuous learning is vital. Not only does it help people to progress within an organisation, but upskilling and reskilling will attract talented workers who are keen to learn.
This then leads to a culture of learning within a business. Upskilling and reskilling become a priority and not simply HR buzzwords. As such, upskill training will be recognised as part of a company’s employee value proposition, giving businesses greater competitiveness when it comes to attracting top talent.
Organisations which upskill staff will find that their workforce is more adaptable and open to working with new technology and fresh ideas. These employees will also be more likely to stay at a business for longer, passing on their expertise and continuing to learn new skills. In this way, upskilling and reskilling boosts employee satisfaction and retention, as well as the potential for innovation and growth.
Ultimately, through upskill training and reskilling, a business’ strategic planning and long-term thinking will increase its ability to futureproof its talent acquisition strategy.
Recruit, train, deploy as an upskilling framework
Reed Talent Solutions’ recruit, train, deploy solution provides a comprehensive approach to upskilling and reskilling.
Upskill training is a guaranteed way to confront extreme skills shortages, while reskilling allows companies to tap into new sources of talent. Recruit, train, deploy seamlessly integrates recruitment, training, and deployment processes to help businesses achieve long-term objectives.
Reed Talent Solutions works to understand what skills gaps a company has, designing a bespoke solution to deliver the skilled talent you require through upskilling and reskilling.
Recruit, train, deploy works by delivering targeted attraction and sourcing to find new talent, reducing the time to recruit and increasing candidate engagement throughout the process. Our experts then design and deliver tailored upskilling and reskilling training programmes to address specific skills gaps. Reed Talent Solutions can then onboard and deploy a skilled and diverse talent pool of ‘role-ready’ employees.
To learn more about out recruit, train, deploy solution visit the dedicated page on our website.
