#HRmust-know: How to Identify the Best Candidates for Reskilling and Upskilling?

As a result of the digital revolution, new professions needing specialization in technologies like Big Data and Artificial Intelligence are booming at a rate that the employment market can’t keep up with. Companies are offering staff training to optimize their performance (upskilling) or to utilize them for a different position (reskilling) in an attempt to fill this gap. Not only that individuals are given the abilities that corporations require when they reskill, but it also supports managers in keeping up with the ever-changing hiring demands. Unfortunately, many businesses do not provide managers with the guide they need to discover suitable internal candidates to reskill and upskill.  Read this article if you’re one of these managers and don’t know where to begin.

Firstly, what is the difference between upskilling and reskilling? 
Although upskilling and reskilling are terms used to describe the process of learning new skills, there’s an important difference between the two you need to keep in mind. Upskilling entails learning new skills that complement and supplement one’s existing skill set. Reskilling entails learning new skills to replace old ones that are no longer relevant in today’s or tomorrow’s workplace.  

Secondly, why are reskilling and upskilling your workforce so important? 
When you hire new employees, you not only have to prepare them for their specific roles, but also teach them about company processes, software, and protocol as well. Meanwhile, your existing employees are already familiar with all of these areas and do not need to be retrained, saving you money right from the start. Moreover, training isn’t the only part of hiring new employees that costs money: recruiting, interviewing, background check, and other activities are also costly. After all is said and done, there is no guarantee that your newly hired talents will be successful in their jobs or that they will not leave for a better opportunity. By reskilling and upskilling, these investments will be well-reduced. 

In addition, reskilling and upskilling your workforce helps to retain qualified staff. It is not always easy to discover talented staff. Thus retaining current staff in your firm is preferable than having their talents move to other organizations. Reskilling top employees keeps them in your organization and simply increases their value by providing them with more skills to contribute to your company.

Thirdly, what characteristics distinguish a suitable candidate for upskilling and reskilling? 

• Select the self-starters 

Close your eyes and imagine your company lineup. Which teammates take the initiative on projects? Go out of the way to learn new skills? Set goals that will help the organization grow? Those are the individuals you should keep in your organization. They’ve already demonstrated a desire to offer more value, and it’s up to you to capitalize on that driver and assist them in their development. 

• Choose employees who are good at managing time 

Employees in reskilling and upskilling programs must also strike a balance between the demands of acquiring new skills and the day-to-day obligations of their work. After all, reskilling and upskilling is not about giving up present obligations in the sake of a higher position. 

Besides, do not force your staff to learn if they are not willing to. Having solid time-management skills is one thing, and actively wanting to learn new skills is another entirely. That being said, don’t push individuals to reskill if they are not interested in doing so in the first place. Call on those who raise a hand and say, “I consider this as a valuable component of my professional development”.

Continuous employee training can improve your company’s reputation and brand image as an employer. The company will be much more appealing to industry professionals, and it will be much easier to attract new talents. Contact Talentnet if you want to find someone who can support your employees to be in readiness with future skills and competencies of the future-to-be talent models through reskilling or upskilling programs. Our senior consultants with grounded expertise to tailor best-fit reskilling and upskilling strategies for your organization are ready to assist!