There are two contrasting theories people debate over while describing the skill gap i.e. one, that it exists and another that the talent gap is just imaginary resulting out of over expectations. Before we dive into the methods of preventing skill gaps in an organization, let’s consider the fact that talent gaps do exist! In fact, the gap is getting wider due to the rise in digital technology. Both employers, as well as employees, are facing problems equally.
Employers are finding it difficult to hunt talents who can work for them and deliver the quality of work according to their expectations. Similarly, people already working in large organizations or looking for a job have a hard time meeting changing expectations.
Preventing talent gaps is not rocket science but only a matter of effective learning and remaining receptive to technological changes. People who are trainable, transferable and above all, employable, is all that an employer looks for.
The combined efforts of employee training while educating yourself with the latest business trends and technologies will help you detect and prevent any competency gaps from widening down the line.
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Analyze Skill Gaps
Everything starts with analysis. Recheck the skills your organization requires or will require in the future versus the skills today’s workforce possesses. Analyzing the skill gap or measuring the skill index is performed on an organizational level and majorly for a region or nationwide level. This system establishes scoring metrics which gives employees numeric scores on the basis of performance. The data in these reports are insightful for both employees and employers to gauge the room for improvement.
Organizations analyze skill gaps by recording their employee’s skills and competencies on a platform like Saviom’s Software. Such products not only act as a registry of employee’s qualifications, acquired skills, and competencies but also records their daily, weekly, and monthly performance. Hence, identifying the scope for improvement will work as the foundation for establishing the methods minimizing the skill gap.
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Practice Deliberate Learning
Organizations sponsoring a training program for their employees will not be effective until proactive participation is observed. Generally, amid the ongoing work schedules, organizing a corporate educational session while making sure work inflight isn’t disrupted, can be exhaustive for the employees. In this case, deliberate learning exercise can lead to the desired learning curve keeping the training session as effective as possible.
You can promote the deliberate learning method to keep yourself and your team well-versed with the upcoming technologies. Vocational training centers called boot camps that provide corporate training modules can be the answer. Although boot camps aim at training people to secure the desired job profile there are corporate training courses in abundance. The boot camp curriculum is designed according to SCORM education structure i.e. by compiling both MOOCs and Learning Management System(LMS) considering the industry needs.
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Stay Competitive
The divide between the right work and workers causes good skills to fall through the cracks, or for your business to miss out on increased profits. The point of staying clear of the skill gap is to keep improvising and performing better than your competitors. Moreover, understanding the market trends and keeping yourself updated on the happenings in your area of business is important.
Further, attending seminars and business exhibitions will help you to understand your client’s expectations and your dominance over your rivals. Staying competitive automatically boosts the innovation fueled by continuous learning and development.
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Hire Talented Minds
The key to continuous learning is the potential to understand and implement the knowledge as much as possible. The battle to reduce the skill gap is almost won when you have the talents working for you, thinking innovation for you, that also creates a productive environment for you.
When we say talented minds, it doesn’t necessarily mean to have the cream of the crop! You can emphasize on hiring the people who adapt to new technology quickly. More people receptive to accept the change you hire today will empower the organization to withstand the future of work.
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Promote Entrepreneurial Approach
Gone are the days when you relied on an organization for building up your career. Every job applicant-turned-employee knows that they alone are responsible for building their career and working their way up. You can lead by example by demonstrating to your staff the willingness to learn and implement what you’ve picked up. It promotes the entrepreneurial spirit by encouraging others to take the initiative towards self-learning and growth. You can even assign mentors to show junior and new recruits the ropes to speed up a mastery over a new designation.
Entrepreneurial approaches supported by leadership qualities can bring out your best to the table and get the same from others too. The act of delegation helps your subordinates develop a sense of involvement in work that prepares them to lead when you step back.
Continuous learning and growing into the job or any leadership role you perform will be sufficient to stay above the talent gap. Additionally, the methods stated in this blog will empower you to develop the potential to self learn new things on the go.
The long and short of it all is that periodically analyzing your skills clues you in on its future relevance and the appropriate measures to take,i.e. reskilling and upskilling. The shift to transformed education due to technological support has seen a rise in online courses tailored to fit into a working professional’s schedule. While some employers offer sabbaticals to high-performing staff for whom a job or promotion is guaranteed post-return, the prominence of MOOCs(Massive Open Online Course), self-learning and vocational training has nevertheless made it easier for individuals to pick the kind of skills they’d want to know more about!
