Things are changing in the workplace. Fast. Once upon a time, employees who wanted to upgrade their skills and improve their employment prospects would invest considerable time and personal finances in courses for professional and personal development. 

 

But in recent years, and especially since COVID-19, employers are finding it more and more challenging to attract and retain talented employees. This has led to the more sensible trend of training your employees in the skills you want your organization to have.

But if we do that, won’t they just leave?

Not according to a recent article by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). It references a 2021 Gallup survey where 66% of Gen Z workers ranked learning new skills in the top 3 most important perks when evaluating new job opportunities.

 

With 71% of workers in the survey indicating that they want employers to pay them for attending classes, and 65% expecting this to be done within working hours, it isn’t difficult to understand why the globalization of the workforce has led to what has been termed The Great Resignation. The good news? Employees are far less likely to leave organizations that invest in their future.

 

 

The trend is no different across the pond. One research work shows that an estimated 70% of the UK’s workforce is interested in upskilling in 2022. This statistic has prompted the British government to initiate a ‘Skills for Life’ campaign, encouraging employers to join the reskilling and upskilling revolution.

 

SHRM recommends designing training programs that are mutually beneficial to employer and employee by identifying skills gaps and then customizing learning and development (L&D) programs to fill those gaps.

So, what are the trends in professional upgrades these days? 

You can’t go wrong if you train your employees how to use Microsoft Office. The Microsoft Office suite, and Excel in particular, has only grown in relevance as jobs across all spectrums get more data-focused. Whether your team members get trained at basic or advanced levels (or somewhere in between), your organization only stands to benefit when they start working more efficiently with modern tools.

 

Project management is another highly sought-after skill. Wherever there are projects, there will be the need for qualified and skilled project management professionals. If you don’t train your rising stars in project management, they’ll seek that training elsewhere, leaving someone else to benefit from their talent and new-found qualifications.

 

Additionally, you stack the odds in your favor when you customize cybersecurity training for all your team members.

Any recommendations for soft skills training?

Non-technical training is an excellent way to keep your workforce up-to-date with trends and best practices from industry experts. It’s also a sure-fire way to keep your business ahead of the competition with workers who are equipped with the soft skills your customers expect. Some of the essentials include: 

• Communication Skills

• Delivering Excellent Customer Service

• Leadership 

• Business Writing 

 

How can I deploy employee training in my organization?

Implementing a training plan doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right learning management system (LMS), you can afford to track, assign, and design courses that you and your team can get excited about.

 

GoSkills is an online learning platform that helps anyone learn business skills to reach their personal and professional goals. With a GoSkills subscription, organizations and individuals have access to over 100 off-the-shelf courses consisting of bite-sized and interactive content.

For businesses, GoSkills provides a flexible online learning platform for training teams of any size. Business can seamlessly manage, track, and assign in-house and third-party content. It is the chosen Learning Management System (LMS) for over 600 businesses, including Fortune 500 companies and SMEs.