The growing skills gap in the workplace has the potential to cause mass organisational upheaval. How can employers address the issue head on?
The workplace of 2024 is an exciting place to be. Whether it is the shift in dynamics caused by the arrival of Gen Z workers, the increased interest in employee wellbeing, or the transformation of the workplace brought about by digitalisation, it’s fair to say that how we work has, in many ways, changed for the better.
But, it is also fair to say that advancement always brings its challenges and certainly we are seeing those too, such as the growing discontent around AI, potential job loss and the subject of this particular piece – the widening workforce skills gap. Defined as a separation between the skills that a company needs versus the ones its employees actually have, the skills gap is ironically partly a consequence of many of the aspects that work in its favour.
For example, while the technological advancement of the working environment has led to significant development for organisations and their stakeholders, it has also created a workforce that may not have all of the tech skills needed to remain competitive in a thriving marketplace. Additionally, by failing to address a lack of skills, employers risk losing talented employees who worry that their growth is stagnating.
So, how can organisations work to bridge the growing, problematic skills divide?
Know your limitations
As we move into 2025, there are a number of ways in which the skills gap will be evident. It may be that the individual will lack the necessary skill, the organisation may lack the resources to teach a specific skill or there may be a generational divide that needs to be addressed.
Companies should assess the level of skill across the organisation, determine what skills are necessary, identify who and who does not have them and establish a clear pathway towards upskilling and development.
Skills gap assessments are an ideal way for a company to collect data on a large scale that can then be used to strategise and implement employee-focused skills development programmes. Any skills-related data should also be used during the hiring process, to ensure that incoming professionals fit the criteria and are aligned with the organisation’s future plans.
Abandon the stereotypes
By fostering stereotypes and buying into harmful assumptions, particularly in relation to age, organisations can unintentionally widen skill gaps, as it deters people with different experiences from sharing what they know.
If you create an environment in which employees, regardless of their age, are encouraged to silo themselves and only communicate or work cohesively with people of a similar background, then you ensure that skills are neither cross-functional nor a part of company culture.
Just because someone is older or younger does not mean that their skillset or their capacity to learn is pre-fixed and unchangeable. Opportunities within an organisation should be equal, fairly distributed and everyone should be encouraged to engage.
In fact, initiatives that favour people who may otherwise be at a disadvantage, such as internships, returnships and reverse mentorship opportunities, often wield impressive results for companies and the individual employee.
Just ask
Companies often depend on observation and analytics to gauge the level of skill within the workforce, but they forget that sometimes the simplest way to get to the root of a problem is to just ask the people at the centre about what’s going wrong and how can it be fixed.
By arranging one-on-one assessments, speaking with employees and encouraging open and honest feedback, employers will have insider knowledge as to the exact skills that are missing and the preferred ways in which employees would choose to upskill, reskill and further develop their talents.
Getting information from the horse’s mouth, while not being the quickest system, is a trustworthy one that would be suited to smaller companies and would be a great indicator that you have faith in your employees and are invested in their growth.
Embrace change
Working life is changing and so too are the attitudes that govern workplace behaviour and loyalty. If companies want to encourage highly skilled people to accept positions they need to be open to more flexible forms of workplace engagement, such as remote and hybrid working, paid internships, returnships and hours that suit semi-retired professionals. Not only will this add to your existing teams, but often people in these types of employment come with a range of skills and the eagerness to make an impact.
Ultimately, bridging the skills gap is going to take time, energy and financial investment, but the cost of failing to address the issue will always surpass the cost of implementing a strong, employee-focused strategy.
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