The Assessment Network, the Investors in People Centre for the East of England, discusses why a holistic approach to skills development makes sense both for employees and the business.
The phrase ‘skills gap’ has long been bandied about in relation to the UK workforce. Skills shortages are cited as a contributor to poor productivity and sluggish business growth. So, what can businesses do to ensure that employees have the right skills, experience and knowledge to drive the organisation forward?
Traditionally, when faced with a gap in expertise, companies have looked externally to try and fill the role. Recruiting talented employees is a costly exercise, however, and businesses are increasingly finding that the right people just aren’t out there.
As a result, we are seeing a rapidly growing awareness that better development of existing employees is crucial in tackling the problem.
At The Assessment Network, our experience shows us that there are vital steps that any organisation can take to ensure it has a firm handle on the educational and development needs of its people, and that these are mapped firmly against the objectives of the overall business.
· Take a step back and analyse your organisational goals in the context of the skills that your team will need to reach them. Analyse strengths and weaknesses, identify the gaps and put plans in place to address any areas of potential shortfall.
· Ensure development plans form a key part of each person’s role. Stick to this commitment as your organisation grows so that current employees and potential recruits can see that development is a key part of your offer to them. It’s vital to implement structured, accessible training and development programmes at all levels. These should respond to employees’ needs but also be made available to staff that may not be so vocal in requesting skills development for themselves. Training should also be viewed as an investment for the role that an individual will move on to do within an organisation rather than just plugging a skills gap related to their current job.
· Identify and monitor employee potential within your organisation. It’s important to think creatively about what an individual can offer in the longer term, given the right level of training and experience, and to plan how you can help them achieve that potential.
· Don’t confuse ability with experience when seeking to fill vacancies. Talent is the crucial factor, and with the right support employees can develop any specific skills needed for a particular role. Consider how your team members, whatever their role or prior experience, could play their part in providing the skills you are looking for. This is particularly relevant to people returning to the workforce after a break or those who have decided to join an organisation as a result of a career change. It’s best to focus on transferable skills and to remain open-minded during the recruitment process.
· Put robust succession planning processes into place to minimise the impact of any staff departures in future. This should involve training and mentoring to ensure that staff are ready to move up the organisation should their managers decide to move on.
· Don’t be afraid to look outside for fresh blood. If you can’t develop the skills you need with your current employees, support your business plan by looking beyond the current organisation.
Of course there is no one size fits all approach and employers need to consider what works best for their business. However, all organisations rely on a skilled and flexible workforce to be successful and it’s vital that managers invest time and money into developing their people. Not only will this help to combat a shortfall in skills where this impacts on the organisation’
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For more information on the Investors in People business improvement framework or advice on improving the skills of your workforce, please contact The Assessment Network at www.tan.org.uk or tel: 01480 479222
Or visit www.investorsinpeople.co.uk
