Albert Galarza is the Global Vice President of Human Resources at TELUS International.
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There are many factors to consider when operating a business — but as is the case with most corporate endeavors, your efforts don't end when your business is up and running. In order to remain productive and sustain the high level of customer experience consumers have come to expect from your brand, your employees must be consistently performing at the top of their game.
One of the best ways to achieve this is by ensuring their skills are sharp and they are up to date with new technologies. Training, upskilling and development opportunities are a good way to improve employee retention and ensure you aren't caught flat-footed in the face of more sophisticated technologies and platforms.
While the cost of training can vary depending on industry and company size, it's typically far lower than costs associated with employee attrition, i.e., recruiting, hiring and onboarding, not to mention knowledge loss and productivity ramps. A Training magazine report found that in 2019, companies spent $1,286 on training per person. Just as it's more efficient and cost-effective to retain existing customers than acquire new ones, retaining your employees is an equally ideal approach — especially when specialized skills are so hard to come by.
What's more, today's employees value the opportunity to learn. According to customer data and marketing platform Clutch, nearly 90% of workers surveyed said they are "willing to adapt their skills for the changing workplace."
In part, that's because they know new skills can pay off. Clutch also found two-thirds of employees believe technology will create new opportunities for them. While it's true they're already busy with day-to-day tasks, your employees should be given the time and ability to augment their skill set so they can meet the changing needs of the contemporary tech enterprise.
Make Learning A Fun And Engaging Requirement
The benefits of improving your workforce's skills range from creating a more engaged, productive and efficient workforce to positively impacting your company's growth. As such, learning and development should be an integral component of your employees' job description.
That means making skill development accessible and a part of regular performance discussions — in other words, creating a culture of learning. By integrating the development of skills like coding and empathy into individual employee goals and enhancement programs, companies can support the prioritization of skill development. Provide them with the time they need to become proficient with new tools and technologies and offer free online libraries and ebook programs to facilitate their growth.
Over time, your team will see learning as part of their daily work. They'll come to understand that your measurement of success extends beyond traditional outputs.
Encourage Peer-To-Peer Education
While third-party training programs can be the right fit in many instances, there's also plenty to be learned from the knowledgeable employees within your virtual or physical workspace.
Internal workshops and seminars taught by peers serve valuable purposes, including team-building and skill-sharing. These can include virtual lunch-and-learn events, forums, and chat groups with team members from different areas of your business. This is a time for workers to share knowledge and best practices, which in turn can boost collaboration and build engagement across the organization.
According to an article published by Harvard Business Review, a good approach for helping employees learn a new skill is to follow the four stages of the learning loop: gain knowledge, practice, get feedback and reflect. Peer-to-peer learning compasses all of these steps. For example, hearing stories from peers can introduce others to the most effective strategy, while sharing ideas with co-workers about upcoming trends can prepare them for future scenarios. Storytelling with peers does not need to be a formal activity. Remember that encouraging coffee or a virtual lunch is an excellent method for peer-to-peer coaching.
Establish Skill Trials
Famed real estate developer Alex Spanos is attributed with saying, "The best way to learn is by doing." This is true in the digital CX industry as well. Practicing a new skill isn't just crucial to learn it, but also to retain it.
If at a novice stage, it's best to apply new skills in a controlled environment like a hackathon or innovation lab, where more experienced colleagues can oversee the work. Conducted in the spirit of education and innovation, these types of events can really boost collaboration and create a sense of belonging. Since there are no real-world consequences if a mistake is made, employees will feel more secure about putting their new knowledge into practice.
Skill development is about enhancing your workforce's skills to maintain an overall high caliber of expertise throughout the organization. If your employees' skills are sharp, your brand's competitive edge will be too.
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