News Europe

Could re-skilling be the key to long term retention?

When talking about skills for employees, the focus is often on new hires and what they can bring to the company. The reality is that in a few years time, those skills could be outdated. New skills, particularly in technology move so fast that after a few years of employment, the skills gap can appear even with new employees. So, what is the solution to keep up in each industry and retain both longstanding and new hires? 

First things first, what do we mean when talking about re-skilling and who is responsible? Online hr publication, Workforce says that most big companies are already focusing on reskilling due to the knock-on effect for recruiting. They say “With demand for talent at an all-time high, companies can’t expect to pluck these skills ready-made from the talent pool. They will have to create them in-house by providing employees with constant access to training, and incentives to continuously reskill”. By doing this, companies can successfully build a culture where Hr and employees can work hand in hand for employability. The truth is, in order to retain hires workers need to be interested and engaged in their own employability but also have the support of their company to facilitate this. Global recruitment insights experts Bullhorn profess “Reskilling—sometimes referred to as retraining and upskilling—is the process of helping workers turn outmoded skills into ones that are highly applicable to the modern world. By investing in online courses, training academies, and apprenticeship programs, recruitment agencies can transform the careers and lives of candidates, all while filling positions through the creation of newly-qualified talent pools”. They suggest looking into the hidden talent pools available at your fingertips. Such as returning mothers and candidates with special needs being traditionally overlooked, but a fantastic source of talent and investment to close the skills gap.

The world of employment moves so quickly that in order to stay current, both employers and employees need to be motivated for change. New technology creates new opportunities and removes others. The key is to use this skills shortage as an opportunity to retain current employees and introduce new skills to your current workforce. Rather than viewing this issue as a problem, look at it as an opportunity to make training part of your company culture that shows employees you are willing to invest in their long term careers. This gives staff the opportunity to develop their skills while helping the company grow.

Recruiting adaptable staff is one way to set your company up to have employees who will be able to acclimatise to changes. International graduates are a group with a unique global skill set that has prepared them to be flexible in their approach to learning. For access to Gradlink’s CV database and the top UK educated international graduates for FREE, register today.