Skills are one of the most valuable assets in the modern workplace environment. They help to improve the overall productivity of an organization, which results in better opportunities for the new-age workforce. Upskilling is an approach to develop new skills for the learners that may not be essential for the job, but can aid in improving their personal or professional lives. For instance, a sales employee can upskill by improving their negotiation abilities outside the workplace training environment. Organizations deploy robust Learning Management Systems (LMSs) to combine personalized learning and employee skill management to boost business productivity.
Upskilling is more than a buzzword in today’s modern scenario. It is considered a significant tool that helps to bridge the gaps associated with employee retention and engagement at the workplace. An effective way to do it is by catering to the customized learning needs and anticipating how these needs will impact the overall organizational success. Outlined below are the essential tips that make upskilling more effective with the use of an efficient LMS at the workplace:
1. Boost on-the-job skills
Apart from focusing on skills that are specifically chosen by learners, it is better to focus on the skills that employees will need on a regular basis. For instance, employees working with the customer support team may want to focus on their communication skills rather than working on their negotiation abilities. An LMS is used to send timely notifications to the learners so that they can list every task they perform and then develop their job-specific upskilling plan.
2. Impart a training culture
Corporate managers become training coaches to provide on-the-job learning experience at the point of need. An e-learning platform deployed at workplace helps the coaches to deliver courses which are accessible on personalized mobile devices, followed by giving instant feedback to the learners based on their individual performances.
3. Choose one skill at a time
Another significant way to promote upskilling is by tackling a single skill at a time. An LMS lists different skills from which learners can choose as per their individual needs. This helps the organizations to fill the gap by assessing learners’ existing abilities and align them with their business goals. Once the learners develop a specific skill, they can move to the next one and so on. Also, previously acquired skills are integrated with upcoming modules so that employees can apply what they have learned, resulting in increased retention rates.
4. Incorporate real-life examples to engage maximum learners
An online session or virtual presentation can simplify a complex topic to support upskilling. But, with the aid of online learning platforms, learners can access some real-life examples which are explained to them in the form of a story. It enables the learners to successfully apply a skill in the real world or meet characters who have mastered a specific skill, leading to increased employee motivation. So, rather than just reading a concept, employees get a complete overview of how these concepts can help them to meet their organizational goals.
With increasing use of robust LMSs for modern workforce training, upskilling is supported by organizations as a tool to enhance employee collaboration and retention. Today, a majority of companies follow the above discussed tips to deliver an effective upskilling e-learning strategy that provides the learners with relevant tools and resources to reach their true potential. So, upskilling not only benefits the bottom line of your organization, but also drives the overall happiness and progress of the employees.
