Workplaces are in constant evolution. What worked for a company a few years ago may not be the best thing for them now, let alone for their future. Innovation is required to keep companies relevant and ahead of the curve. And innovation does not happen by keeping your workforce from evolving. 

It happens because you are constantly motivating and evolving your workforce with new knowledge and experience. That’s the idea behind upskilling and reskilling. These strategies ensure your workforce is not only ready for the jobs of tomorrow but that they feel empowered to help the company grow and reach new heights. 

There couldn’t be a more important time for employers and employees to understand what upskilling and reskilling can look like in action. It’s no secret the US is still facing a labor shortage. Focus and care need to be paid to attracting the right candidate for a job. This also means retaining your current staff. For businesses, employee development is a smart way to create teams ready for the roles of tomorrow. 

What is Upskilling?

Forbes summarizes upskilling as “training your employees about new technologies or improved systems to help them advance in their current position.” So if you are a manager or organizational leader, training must be a priority (even when deadlines or budgets feel like obstacles). 

There is constant competition out there from other businesses that are already prioritizing employee development. Especially with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence, cultivating a workforce that is both up-to-date, and ahead-of-date, is critical.

Often, upskilling includes training employees to understand new operating systems. For light industrial workers, it might be a matter of training on the latest shipping procedures or on new fabrication or production machinery.

For office workers, upskilling might mean training on cutting-edge software for accounting or scheduling purposes. These steps allow companies to take already excelling employees and provide them with knowledge for future excellence. 

How is Reskilling Different? 

With reskilling, instead of a company training an employee to be better skilled with current systems, it’s about a completely new skill set. This can include everything from adding a new element to their current job or training them for a completely new position. 

Reskilling has twofold benefits. One, it keeps the company from looking for outside help by promoting and training from within the workforce. This reduces spending and time invested in hiring and training.

Reskilling also provides the employee with new knowledge and skills that will not only help them with their work within the company but for their entire career. By incorporating reskilling, companies can seek out motivated workers from within who would be willing to take on a new skill set or even a new job. 

You might say, then: Doesn’t that leave a hole in the position where they were before? Physically, yes it does. However, this is where upskilling and reskilling come together. 

If you have taken the time to upskill your team in their current roles, with their new knowledge, they can incorporate the position vacated by a reskilled employee. Or if you find yourself ready to grow, you can work with your staffing agency to bring in new talent with a complementary skill set to round out the team. 

Empowering the Workforce

So how exactly do upskilling or reskilling empower team members? These strategies show employees their company is willing to invest in them. All too often, workers can feel like just another cog in the wheel. But that’s not the case with companies that strive to empower their employees through upskilling and reskilling. 

By investing in employees, your company fosters employee retention. Workers who feel valued and know their company has their back are exponentially more likely to stay on. And that influences company culture as a whole.

For potential employees, upskilling and reskilling are also a boon. Companies that promote their employee development programs build a reputation for being invested in their employees’ futures. That helps draw in talented candidates who are excited to take on new skills. What could be more empowering than that? 

At Masiello Employment Services, we’re all about building an engaged and resilient workforce with you. We are constantly filling our candidate pool with talent to match the roles that matter. And we can help make your next match by promoting your upskilling and reskilling initiatives to attract potential employees. So give us a call at (603) 358 100 and take your team in the right direction!