Five Times When You Must Use Upskilling Training to Manage Change 

Want to retain your most talented performers? Improve employee motivation and productivity? Enhance problem-solving? Upskilling training for your employees will accomplish all of these goals.

According to the (most recent) LinkedIn Learning 2022 Workplace Learning Report, employee development and training is a top priority for organizations. (It comes in second only to leadership development training initiatives.) As Learning and Development (L&D) teams are being tasked with a “great deal of involvement in helping their organization adapt to change” it is upskilling that is helping them do more with less.

Upskilling Opportunities

1. Systems Updates. When you implement new technology, you should be providing training on those systems. Any time there is an upgrade, or a change in role, or new adoption, you can provide training or on-the-job resources to provide guidance and support. Doing so will improve productivity and motivation almost immediately.
2. Process Changes. This category of upskilling is broadly applicable to cover any time your team will need to adjust to changes large or small that could impact their ability to successfully complete responsibilities. For example, if workflow changes require new steps, it can be useful to train on the process and the steps added. Other examples might include new compliance or safety measures implemented, new customer experience initiatives, new branding guidelines, or any changes implemented by new management or leadership. 
3. Succession and Leadership Planning. Yes, this falls under the category of upskilling. It makes sense to use training to enhance your internal talent pipeline of future management and leadership – beyond even the standard leadership training you offer. In this category is also lateral skills training, to provide opportunity for employees to grow and change roles within your company if they display a proficiency or desire.
4. Cross-Training. Whether your goal is to plan for staffing shortages, build in agility to manage change, or just want to help your employees gain confidence, cross-training through upskilling is the right choice. Giving employees insights into the skills needed by other teams, or even creating interdisciplinary teams, also creates a synergy and helps employees work together better.
5. To Improve Culture and Motivation. Employees at the start of their career crave learning opportunities and options for professional development. More experienced employees appreciate options for growth, the flexibility afforded them to change and grow, and opportunities to improve and advance. Whatever stage of their professional career, your employees will be motivated by learning availability because it makes them more valuable and shows your investment in them.

Conclusion

We’re all learning new skills, all of the time. It’s a requirement to grow and manage change. Your organization can harness the power of learning to retain employees, motivate your team, and improve your productivity with upskilling training.

If you could use more information on how to develop engaging, effective upskilling training please contact us.