How to Build a Future-Ready Workforce?

Work has constantly been changing for some years, transformed by demographic shifts, shifts in the job nature, and technological advancement. However, the pandemic accelerated the change, and companies are worried about how to prepare for the entrepreneurial future. Further, according to the World Economic Forum, organizations face a 'reskilling emergency.' The WEF says that more than a billion people need to get reskilled within a decade.

Companies have tried to endure the change using technology. Chatbots, robotics, and artificial intelligence are now part of their organizations. However, technology is not enough for being able to adapt to a world that is changing quickly. Workers will soon need new skills and capabilities. Companies can either invest lots of money to hire new talents or compete with a workforce with massive skill gaps. There is also another option: to build a future-ready workforce.

Everything changes. For a company to sustain itself through the changing landscape, it must have a future-ready workforce. The employees must be able to adapt to new technologies. And they must be able to accept the unique cultures that come with it.

According to HCl, the shortages in the external skills of 60 % of companies will slow down their progress. Additionally, 62% currently have skill gaps in their companies. In another survey by Deloitte, 74% of the companies say that within 12-18 months, they must reskill their employees to survive. Employees must understand the importance of reskilling. About 90% of the employees say that they should update their skills regularly.

Human Capital Institute (HCI) has recently reported that a company can overcome a lack of employees and market volatility through formal learning and development programs.

These programs should consider the following points :

• • Organizational Skill gaps: The skills that you need to be more efficient
• • Attracting new talents: A training program can attract new talents. Competent employees always want to improve.
• • Employee engagement: Current employees will feel that the companies care about them. It will also make them able to take on more challenging projects.

What exactly is a future-ready workforce?

The workforce does not comprise just traditional employees. They include contractors, freelancers, and machines; it is a hybrid workforce. And an organization must come to terms with it to be future-ready.

A future-ready workforce always wants to learn. The learning process integrates itself into the workflow. It is not on-the-job training anymore; it is a part of the job. The daily responsibility of a future-ready workforce includes learning new skills. They continuously learn new skills when required.

Ways to build a future-ready workforce :

• Identifying the skill gaps

  The effort to redesign the workforce must be by considering the organization's strategies and goals. Ask the following questions:

  • Are the needed skills present in the company?
  • Can we develop new skills for the future?
  • Can we outsource the necessary skills?
  • Would we be able to outsource the skill required in the future?

  Then understand the work of the organization. You should understand the tasks performed, the people who serve them, and where they perform them. To analyze the data, companies can use AI tools.

• Training for soft skills

  Skills such as leadership, communication, and listening are essential for an organization. However, these appear to be very rare. An organization should train its employees in these soft skills. Especially, people who are in higher positions need these skills. For example, 82% of the skills for senior leaders must be soft skills. These skills are essential for changing and adapting.

• Internal skill development

  The most efficient way to future-proof a company is to train current employees instead of hiring skilled ones. The recruitment process is expensive, for a fraction of the money spent on recruiting you could train existing employees. It also helps boost the employees' morale, consequently making them more productive.

• Combining multiple training methods

  Popular training methods are training programs with a structured syllabus, professional coaches, and giving tools to employees to learn themselves. Usually, companies use only one of the methods. However, combining all of them would yield great results. Each method would strengthen the results of the other. Employees could apply knowledge gained from the training program with the tips of a professional coach. And interested employees can further learn and advance their careers using the learning tools provided by the company.

In Conclusion

The world is highly competitive for industries. The nature of work is rapidly changing. Therefore, the only way to sustain is to build a future-ready workforce. This workforce continuously tries to learn and adapt to new technology. The learning process gets integrated into their daily responsibilities. To create a future-ready company, first, you need to identify your company's current skills. Then, you need to understand what skills you need for the future. You should focus more on soft skills. These are scarce, as people can gain technical skills through solitary learning. To gain soft skills like listening and communication skills, you need others. Finally, create a training plan that you can integrate with employees' daily responsibilities. That means part of the job of the employees would be to learn. You can use Learning Management Systems (LMS) for such a well-thought-out plan.

Gyrus Learning Management System offers many innovative learning features. You can use Gyrus Aims LMS schedule, train, and monitor your training programs. Additionally, it gives you the tool to assess, evaluate, and certify employee training. It also has a rating system that will rate your employee according to their performance. Finally, you can use the LMS to add or remove training content as and when required.

Further, Gyrus LMS provides tools to collect feedback necessary for improving the content. You can even use Gyrus LMS to analyze gaps in your company's skills. Then, you can prepare content accordingly. Additionally, you can identify employees that particularly need training. In conclusion, you can build a future-ready workforce with Gyrus.