by Laura Belyea, COO at Talivest
Sit back and take a minute to think about your grandparents, extended family or perhaps even your parent’s careers. Were they in the same industry for their entire careers? Did they move positions frequently and maintain the skills needed to perform well? Or did they have to go back to get more schooling or training in order to advance to a higher position?
More often than not, previous generations were afforded the benefit of a lifelong career in one trade or industry. If someone retired from–let’s say office management–that worker more often than not had been an office manager for 30 or more years before retirement.
New reports show millennial workers will be required to reskill anywhere from 15 – 20 times throughout their careers in order to remain relevant and employable. The new norm will be for an employee to constantly be on the lookout to upskill and reskill to remain a key player in their industry.
Now, the question is how do you handle this new trend from an HR perspective? How can you keep your workforce intact, happy and productive while employees are looking to acquire new skills? The role the employer plays is vital to ensuring that this need is met and employees remain happy at work all the while still meeting business needs. Remember, human capital is vital for your business; the people behind your company push it to drive and succeed. You need an engaged and happy workforce for success.
Another added plus of reskilling is that it improves employee morale. Employees who are struggling in their roles can feel that they are underachieving, underperforming, and unsupported. Employees who don’t grow professionally underperform. This does not bode well for your bottom line. Training and reskilling opportunities will increase morale, offer job security and job satisfaction, making employees more likely to contribute to organizational success.
One vital tip for success that I want to pass along is: reflect on your company’s relationship with current workplace culture. When a new employee comes on board, is standard training offered to welcome and accumulate them to your company’s vision, mission and values? What about beyond the first few months? Do you offer annual training? Do you establish learning plans for employees?
Take a step back and reflect on your company’s learning culture. To keep up to date and remain an engaging employer, organizations need to present themselves to employees as a company that has a continuous learning policy and not just not a ‘we’ll train you if you ask’ approach.
Millennial employees want to know they have the opportunity to learn and be exposed to new trends in their industries. They want to remain competitive and knowledgeable and that works well for your business. Harness that and you will surely see the difference in your workplace.
About the author
Laura’s role is to successfully support the growth and strategy for Talivest, as well as provide product support with her expertise within the HR industry. Previously posts were director of HR & operations in Telefonica, Elizabeth Arden and ICON
