What is Upskilling & Why Should My Business Be Doing It

Upskilling can be loosely defined as filling in skills gaps and teaching new skills to your entire workforce. Rather than simply training them on a new piece of software or a new customer service script, upskilling gives workers a more complete skill set that they can rely on both now and in the future.

Upskilling generally focuses on hard and soft skills, helping you develop flexible teams that can rapidly pivot and ultimately boost your bottom line. Here are a few reasons to invest in upskilling.

Enhanced Productivity

The stronger your team’s skills, the more efficiently they can perform their work. They’ll also be better equipped to develop creative ideas, take on more challenging duties, and better manage their time. Boosting productivity through upskilling not only means better profits but also means a happier and more engaged workforce.

Improved Confidence

When employees are sure of their skills, they tend to become more confident overall. They’re more likely to speak up, proactively seek solutions to emerging issues, and trust their own abilities to make tough decisions. Education and learning are key, whether it’s soft skills program, CNC programming, or managing automation. Boosting confidence is especially important for traditionally marginalized workers, including women, racial minorities, and introverts.

Engaged Workers

Employees want to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves. They also want to feel valued by the company. Upskilling helps fill both of these needs. It shows your employees that you care about their growth and development while also building a sense of belonging. It can help teams bond while also making workers feel more connected to the larger organization. This can be done with cross-training your team members on skills needed within their team, group, or division. This helps provide operational security for the company as well as new skills and motivation for your team.

Stronger Flexibility

If COVID-19 taught us anything, it’s that everything can change on a dime. Investing in upskilling helps you build an agile, confident, and flexible team ready to take on unexpected challenges. Whether management changes or new technologies lead to rapidly increasing automation, upskilled team members are in an excellent position to rise to the occasion.

Developing Future Managers

Not only can upskilling help your team in the short term, but it can also put your company in a strong position for the future. It’s always a smart idea to promote from within, but this means getting your current team members ready for those future promotions. Upskilling lets you build strong management skills in your employees now so that they can climb the ladder as positions become available.

Ready to hire?

If you need new light industrial team members in Illinois, Indiana, or Wisconsin, learn how SURESTAFF can help.