5 Ways to Help Your Employees Shift to a Continuous Learning Mindset
How do you make sure your workforce is fit for future purpose?
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Want to hear a scary fact? According to McKinsey Global Institute, virtually half of the work activities currently carried out by humans could be automated by technology that already exists. Yet, as AI and algorithms advance and the world of work evolves at such speed, we face a gap in the skills businesses need and those employees have—we’re not ready for the significant transition we are faced with. To get the most from our people and be ready to respond to an evolving economy at a moment’s notice, it’s clear that we need to rethink learning and development and focus on lifelong employability.
Below are five practical things you can do now to get your workforce ready for the future of work.
1. Gather all the necessary information
Conduct a base-level assessment of skills and create an inventory. Examine the future state of your industry and begin identifying what skills you have and what you need.
2. Define financial benefits
Investing in your employees’ lifelong employability may mean investing in continuous learning but will ultimately mean spending less on recruitment and severance costs.
3. Frame as an opportunity for everyone
Focus on lifelong employability rather than fixed skills or job roles, both employer and employee have the chance to benefit.
4. Invest in reskilling and upskilling
Show employees they are employable for life. Managers can work with employees to create career plans that help them identify needed skills and knowledge and chart a path to more and better opportunities.
5. Explore more immediate benefits
Keep your people agile with lifelong learning that includes a variety of short-term opportunities to grow and learn, including special projects, stretch assignments, mentoring or coaching
If you focus on creating a culture within your organization that supports lifelong learning it will allow you to have a workforce that’s agile and ready for the demands and challenges in the constantly evolving business landscape.