Managers sometimes fear that if they train their employees, they will lose them. But that implies they would rather have untrained employees, which seems unlikely. They need to build a workforce that will be prepared for whatever the future may bring while seeing the value of remaining with their current employer and growing their career there. If you would like to build the workforce of the future, here are some strategies to try.
Looking to Set Up a Future-Proof Workforce Strategy? Here are 5 Steps to Take:
1. Identify Untapped Skills
You don’t always know the potential of your employees if they are pigeonholed in their current roles. They might have used skills in previous jobs or hobbies or volunteer work that they don’t get a chance to display on the job. You could have someone who works for you but has no idea they are a persuasive public speaker known for soliciting generous donations for a local non-profit. Or maybe they design, host and operate the website for a national association for their hobby. Consider whether you can nurture these in-demand skills to increase their value to the company and give them a chance to grow themselves professionally.
2. Be Ready to Adapt
No one knows what the future may bring. Therefore, there’s no way to know where to concentrate your efforts. Companies that survived and even thrived over the pandemic were the ones who were able to react quickly and pivot as circumstances changed. Employers were prepared to shift seamlessly to a work from home model. The brick-and-mortar stores that were able to service their customers online. The clothing manufacturers that adjusted their lines to rise to the occasion when masks were needed. These are the businesses that came out ahead.
3. Always be Training
None of these employers had a crystal ball to tell them a global pandemic was coming. What they had was a flexible workforce, a willingness to adapt to change, and an open mindset. They had the resources to train their workforce and employees willing to learn. When you invest in training, you’re building a talent pool ready to take on any challenge. It’s easier to draw from a well-trained internal workforce with advanced skills and backfill with new employees who may have fewer skills but plenty of potential. Training should be ongoing. Some organizations put a lot of thought and money into onboarding but fail to invest in training as they move up the ladder or as your business grows and economic conditions evolve. Training not only future-proofs your organization, it makes your employees feel valued, which improves engagement and morale.
4. Recognize And Develop Leaders
The best potential leaders may already be working for you but training them properly is essential. Just because someone has exceptional job skills, that doesn’t mean they can lead a team. Too often, the highest producing salesperson will be given the sales manager position and expected to hit the ground running without the training to succeed. This can cause resentment among the team and sets the new manager up for failure – a tough prospect for someone accustomed to be the best at their job and is now floundering.
5. Partner With The Panther Group
Panther can help employers attract top talent and offer advice to improve engagement and retention. As a workforce management partner, we offer flexible staffing solutions to help you adapt to a changing economy. As one of the most trusted engineering, accounting, and finance staffing firms, Panther can help you find professionals who will thrive in your organization and have a positive impact on your business. Contact us today.
We serve the following industries: Professional, Accounting & Finance, Engineering, Life Sciences, Information Technology, Federal.
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