As companies become more digitalized, employees need different skills. In a new study by Gartner, respondents said that 70% of employees have not mastered the skills they need for their jobs today, and 80% of employees do not have the skills needed for their current and future roles.
“More than two-thirds of business leaders believe that if their company does not become significantly digitalized by 2020, it will no longer be competitive," said Brian Kropp, group vice president of Gartner’s HR practice. The most effective way for HR leaders to help employees keep pace with shifting skill needs is by building connected learners, the group says.
Garner offers some suggestion for organizations to boost employee development:
-- Skills Identification: Instead of trying to keep up with leader requests, leading companies are capturing the skills shifts in the market and determining the most pressing skill needs for employees across the organization.
-- Employee Motivation: Rather than just communicating skills requirements, employees need to understand how they can personally grow by developing the skills the organization needs.
-- Learning Solutions: Providing self-service development options can overwhelm employees; leading organizations are brokering quality development experiences to accelerate new skill development.
According to Gartner research, building connected learners, as opposed to continuous, increases employee skills preparedness by 28% to 39% across the three main areas of employee development. Additionally, employees who are connected learners are eight times more likely to be high performers.
“In order to remain competitive in an increasingly digital world, companies must transform the skills of their workforce, both on a macro level by determining the skills their market and clients are calling for, and on a micro level, by showing employees the personal benefit to upskilling and offering experiences for them to do so,” said Sari Wilde, vice president of Gartner’s HR practice.
