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4 reasons to focus on upskilling employees and how to build a strategy

4 reasons to focus on upskilling employees and how to build a strategy

Upskilling is more than a buzzword. It’s a golden strategy for brands that are serious about helping their companies and existing employees grow personally and professionally. In fact, companies worldwide spend an average of $1,270 per team member on learning and development, and it’s easy to see why.

From nurturing employee talent to boosting the organization’s value, upskilling through development programs contributes to productivity and efficiency at the corporate level.

If you’re a training leader looking to upskill your teams this year and beyond, we’ve got the guide for you. Here, you’ll learn what exactly upskilling is, why it matters, and how to create your own upskilling strategy.

What does upskilling employees mean?

Upskilling means teaching an employee additional skills that they can readily apply in their professional roles. “Hard skills” describe a specific practice, like coding. “Soft skills” describe essential practices like listening or empathy that help people interact more effectively. Critical thinking skills are a prime example of an area that can be developed through upskilling.

In terms of upskilling through employee training, you might want to help people enhance their communication skills so that they can collaborate better with others. On the other hand, you might want to help your team members specialize in more refined roles or fields within your company.

In either case, it’s important to remember that employees train and develop at their own pace. That means you may need to set specific expectations for each employee depending on their individual role and existing level of knowledge. This approach to upskilling is a key aspect of employee development, ensuring that training programs align with both career aspirations and organizational objectives.


CYPHER is U.S. News’ Top LMS for Personalized Skills Development

Benefits of upskilling

Upskilling offers numerous benefits for both employees and organizations. By investing in upskilling programs, companies can:

  • Enhance employee engagement and motivation: When employees see that their company is invested in their growth, they feel more valued and motivated to contribute their best work.
  • Improve productivity and performance: Employees equipped with new skills can perform their tasks more efficiently and effectively, leading to better overall performance.
  • Fill skills gaps and address talent shortages: Upskilling helps bridge the gap between the current skill sets of employees and the skills needed to meet future business demands.
  • Increase employee retention and reduce turnover rates: Employees are more likely to stay with a company that offers opportunities for growth and development.
  • Foster a culture of continuous learning and development: Encouraging continuous learning helps create an environment where employees are always looking to improve and innovate.
  • Stay competitive in a rapidly changing job market: By continuously developing their workforce, companies can stay ahead of industry trends and maintain a competitive edge.

Why is employee upskilling important?

Creating an upskilling program is crucial so that your employees can take action toward their personal and professional development. Upskilling also generates higher employee satisfaction, as it enhances their skills and career growth, contributing to lower turnover rates and increased loyalty.

But before we get into how to develop an upskilling program, let’s take a quick look at four of the top benefits of upskilling and why you should take it seriously.

1. Stay competitive

The competition to find top talent is constantly increasing, and modern job markets can be unpredictable. Incorporating upskilling and acquiring new skill sets into the hiring process is crucial for companies looking to remain competitive when attracting and selecting talent.

If you peruse through job postings, you’ll notice that most organizations are looking for employees with innovative and specialized skills. As a company, build upon these skills to become an enticing workplace that attracts top performers.

2. Retain more employees

Upskilling plays a key role in preventing high employee turnover and increasing employee retention. Employees want to gain relevant skills and not hit their “job ceiling” too quickly. They prioritize their personal growth and will stay longer with a company that offers upskilling opportunities.

3. Increase your business value

Investing in your company’s talent can help you retain talented employees and position your organization as a skilled, educated entity that not only runs like a well-oiled machine but is also passionate about growing and evolving. In addition to strengthening your workforce, these two pillars can also be instrumental if you’re looking for investors or potential partnerships.

4. Set your employees up for success through continuous learning

Helping your employees nurture their talent development through upskilling and reskilling and learning new skills is essential to setting them up to succeed in their current and future roles. In fact, that’s what continuing education is all about.

Whether they stay with you for decades or leave in just a few years, nurturing an employee’s career progression doesn’t just benefit them. Your business and your team culture can reap the rewards, too.

From boosting employee engagement to widening your organization’s expertise, having upskilled employees can help your business grow and move closer toward its long-term goals.

How to create an upskilling program strategy

Now that we’ve shared what upskilling is and why it matters, let’s take a brief look at how to create an upskilling strategy for your learning and development goals.

1. Identify both business and individual employee goals

Start by identifying your business goals. What goals hinge on your employees’ contribution? Practically, this could look like:

  • Better marketing performance
  • Higher sales and revenue numbers
  • Improved customer service experiences
  • More concrete results based on hard skills

Once you’ve defined these objectives, host a meeting or send a questionnaire asking your employees to share their own career development goals. Be sure to also ask how your organization can help them meet their goals.

2. Pinpoint current business and employee strengths and skills

Highlight your business’ and employees’ current strengths and skills. Before you start growing, it’s important to recognize your starting point.

Note any specific ways your business can use its skills and strengths to help employees meet their goals — and then do the opposite. Jot down specific ways your team members can use their talent to help your organization reach its goals.

3. Conduct a skills gaps analysis

Host a power hour brainstorming session with your team to go over the goals, strengths, and skills you noted in steps one and two. Then work together to “mind the gap” by looking for opportunities to upskill and highlighting any skills gaps.

Conducting a skill gap analysis is crucial for evaluating the current skills of your workforce against the skills needed for future business needs. In other words, identify which skills and strengths are currently missing from the organization as a whole.

  • How does the company need to level up?
  • In what areas do your employees need to grow to help your organization meet its goals?

Next, identify which tools you’ll need to help your company and employees evolve. For instance, if you run a marketing agency and one of your goals is to streamline your copywriting processes, then your team may benefit from investing in AI writing tools, like paraphrase generators

Or, if you’re the head of education technology at a language academy and your goal is to shorten IT resolution times, then your school might see value in upgrading to remote support software.

Whatever the case may be, choose tools that have the best chance of helping you and your employees get closer to your goals.

4. Choose the right employees for upskilling

Choosing the right employees for upskilling is crucial to ensure the success of the program. Here are some factors to consider:

  • Identify employees with a strong desire to learn and grow: Look for individuals who are proactive about their development and show a keen interest in acquiring new skills.
  • Assess employees’ current skills and identify areas for improvement: Conduct a thorough evaluation of each employee’s existing skills to determine where upskilling can have the most impact.
  • Consider employees’ career aspirations and development goals: Align upskilling opportunities with the career paths and goals of your employees to ensure they are motivated and engaged.
  • Evaluate employees’ potential for growth and advancement: Focus on employees who have shown potential for taking on more responsibilities and advancing within the company.
  • Involve managers and supervisors in the selection process: Ensure that the selection of employees for upskilling aligns with the overall business objectives and the specific needs of different departments.

5. Create a plan to make it happen

Finally, choose how you’ll structure and implement your development plans.

Perhaps your employees would learn best from workshops or group coaching sessions. Or maybe a physical or virtual classroom setting would be more appropriate. If you’re fully remote, online training programs might be your best bet.

After you’ve settled on a cohesive learning structure that works for everyone, solidify a team training schedule and choose your facilitators. Then, give your team a heads-up and get ready for the upskilling to begin!

Developing new skills

By investing in comprehensive training programs, mentorship opportunities, and on-the-job learning experiences, you can help your employees develop new skills that enhance their performance and adapt to evolving business needs.

When employees feel empowered to grow and learn, they are more likely to contribute innovative ideas and solutions, making your organization more agile and competitive.

Encourage continuous learning

Creating a culture of continuous learning is essential for upskilling employees effectively. This means fostering an environment where learning and development are highly valued and actively encouraged. Provide ample opportunities for training and development, whether through workshops, online courses, or seminars.

Encourage employee feedback to understand their learning needs and preferences better. By promoting continuous learning, you ensure that your team remains equipped with the latest skills and knowledge that can help your company stay ahead of the competition. A strong company culture that prioritizes learning not only enhances employee engagement but also drives overall business success.

Leveraging technology and resources

Leveraging technology and resources is crucial for effective upskilling. Utilize online training platforms, mobile learning apps, and other digital tools to provide your employees with easy access to learning resources.

CYPHER Learning makes it easy and fast to create and deliver premium AI-powered course content, while preserving time and resources.

Modern LMS platforms offer flexible and personalized learning experiences that can be tailored to individual needs. Additionally, consider partnering with industry experts and training providers to offer specialized training and development opportunities. By tapping into these external tools, you can provide your team with the specific skills they need to excel in their roles and contribute to your organization’s growth.

How to design more effective training programs

Productive and people-centric training programs are essential for successful upskilling. Here are some characteristics of effective training programs:

  • Align with business objectives and goals: Ensure that the training programs are designed to meet the specific needs and goals of the organization.
  • Address specific skills gaps and needs: Focus on the areas where there are clear skills gaps and where upskilling can have the most significant impact.
  • Offer a mix of theoretical and practical training: Combine classroom learning with hands-on experience to ensure that employees can apply what they have learned in real-world scenarios.
  • Provide opportunities for hands-on experience and application: Encourage employees to practice new skills on the job to reinforce their learning.
  • Incorporate feedback and assessment mechanisms: Regularly assess the progress of employees and provide feedback to help them improve.
  • Offer ongoing support and resources for continued learning and development: Ensure that employees have access to resources and support even after the initial training program is completed.

How to start measuring the success of your upskilling

To ensure your upskilling program is achieving its intended goals, it’s essential to measure its success. Start by setting clear metrics that align with your program’s objectives. Track key indicators such as employee engagement, retention, and productivity over time.

Regularly review these metrics to assess the impact of your upskilling initiatives and make necessary adjustments. By measuring success, you can demonstrate the value of your upskilling program and ensure it continues to meet the evolving needs of your business and employees.

Establish clear and relevant metrics

Setting clear metrics is vital for evaluating the effectiveness of your upskilling program. Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect your program’s goals and objectives. For instance, you can track the following metrics:

  • Employee engagement and satisfaction
  • Employee retention and turnover rates
  • Employee productivity and performance
  • Skills gaps and training needs
  • Return on investment (ROI) and cost savings

Regularly reviewing and analyzing these KPIs will help you identify areas for improvement and ensure that your training initiatives are aligned with both employee and organizational goals. This approach not only enhances employee satisfaction and retention but also drives overall business success.

Overcoming challenges in upskilling

Upskilling can be tough (and slightly hard to measure), but there are strategies to overcome common obstacles facing teams and enterprises. Here are some practical tips:

  • Address resistance to change by communicating the benefits of upskilling: Clearly explain how upskilling can benefit both the employees and the organization to gain their buy-in.
  • Provide ongoing support and resources to ensure continued learning and development: Offer continuous support to help employees apply their new skills and continue their development.
  • Encourage employee feedback and involvement in the upskilling process: Involve employees in the planning and implementation of upskilling programs to ensure they are engaged and invested in the process.
  • Address skills gaps and talent shortages by investing in upskilling programs: Focus on upskilling as a solution to bridge skills gaps and address talent shortages within the organization.

By following these strategies, you can overcome the challenges associated with upskilling and create a successful program that benefits both your employees and your organization.

Upskilling employees now and in the future

Upskilling is a must if you’re interested in staying competitive, keeping top talent, increasing your company’s value, and setting your employees up for success.

Addressing skill gaps is essential for future growth and sustainability, as it ensures that your workforce is equipped to meet new demands and adapt to industry changes.


Boost your company’s growth and your employees’ skills with CYPHER today! Schedule a personalized demo now.