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The United States is in the middle of a significant skills gap—a few years
ago, as many as 68 percent of employers currently had open positions that
they couldn’t find skilled employees to fill, but the gap has widened even
further since.
Too many open positions can directly affect your company’s bottom line, as
your workforce won’t be fully staffed and, therefore, not work as
productively as it could with a full staff.
Regular internal skills gap analyses will help your workforce evolve with
today’s ever-changing needs.
Job Trainings
Once your company has identified the skills gap, address it with employer-
led training and development. New hires will complete these trainings to fill
the gaps in their skill sets.
16.But what is a skills gap, and how do you know if there’s one at your
company?
17.Here’s everything you need to know about identifying skill gaps and
helping your employees develop the right skills.
20.As many jobs become automated or obsolete, there are just as many roles
opening up that call for new skills. To continue growing, employers need to
address the skills gap in their organizations. Otherwise, they may risk
losing their teams.
21.A skills gap is when your current workforce’s skill set doesn't align
with the skills they need to do their jobs.
22.
Many companies assume that hard technology skills are their primary skills gap. But, employees may
also be lacking in soft skills that they need to do their jobs well.
COVID-19 made leaders even more aware of how important it is to build capacity in their
employees. Now, 78% of leaders say that skill-building is crucial to long-term growth . Only 59%
of leaders said the same thing before the pandemic.
Now more than ever, leaders see a widening skill gap in their organizations. 43% of industry leaders
see that their company needs to address a skills gap immediately to keep up.
Recognizing the gaps in your employees’ skill sets can help you prepare for the future. Building those
skills in your workforce positions your company for innovation and agility .
Many companies see even more benefits to building current employee skills.
Addressing your skills gap makes your company more likely to deliver on its strategy. Plus, investing in
skill development increases employee performance and satisfaction .
25.By the time many companies realize they have a skills gap, they could be
in dire need of support. Assessing your skills gap helps you recognize the
capabilities your teams need to thrive.
26.
27.A skills gap analysis template lets you see where you need to expand your
team’s skills right away.
29.Even if you don’t see glaring skill gaps, a skills gap analysis can reveal
new growth opportunities. Soft skills like good communication can play a
major role in team performance.
30.A gap analysis template can make it easier to assess soft skills.
32.Improving your teams’ soft skills primes them for leadership . Then, you
don’t have to hire managers who don’t know your business to manage
employees who do.
37.In some cases, employees have skills they don’t use because they don't
need them for their current job. Other times, employees can fail to see their
skill gaps. Looking at your teams’ gap in skills helps you offer development
opportunities employees value .
38.Often, employers assume that it’s an employee’s job to expand their skills.
In reality, it pays for employers to invest in their employees’ development.
Upgrading employees' skills and keeping them interested and growing
should be seen as a collaborative effort, every day, not just in one-off
training programs.
39.Reskilling programs and training are great ways to expand your teams’
capabilities. These programs let employees repurpose their skills and
apply their expertise in new ways.
44.A skills gap analysis template helps you see which skills your team needs
to master. Reviewing their current skills helps you find the best training to
close the gap.
45.
46.Evaluating both hard and soft skills can show the best ways to address
your teams’ need for growth.
47.Start by defining the skills that are most valuable to your organization now
and in the near term.
48.Next, consider what skills your company may need in the next 5-10 years.
This can be incredibly hard to predict. Don't try to be too precise but look
for general areas or categories of skills, such as data literacy or geriatric
needs, that are relevant to the company's long-term strategy and align with
broader external trends. Talk to managers and talent professionals to see
what skills they look for in a new hire and what trends they are seeing.
49.Use these skills to fill your gap analysis template. Then, work with HR
to create 360-degree assessments that measure the abilities of your
employees.
50.Once you've evaluated your teams, you can find support or development
opportunities that benefit the most people.
51.Managing the skill gap is about more than creating one online course and
requiring employees to take it. Using a variety of different types of training
is more effective than solely focusing on one. Even more important is
designing work and the work environment to enable employees to grow
and develop themselves every day. Consider alternative forms of
development and support. According to Deloitte, valuable soft skills
or capabilities may be best cultivated through a culture of coaching at the
team level.
52.For example, McKinsey found that 46% of businesses say expert coaching
is an impactful way to train their teams. Coaching is a powerful tool to
strengthen soft skills and encourage self-improvement. Plus, a coach can
provide daily accountability and support while employees learn hard skills.
53.
56.Once an employee learns a new skill, let them practice their skills with a
new project. Pairing them up with someone who has the skill already can
help them learn and develop faster.
57.Keep in mind that this is a new skill for them, and remember to review their
performance fairly to encourage development.
58. 3 examples of employers
addressing the skills gap
59.Companies successfully fill their skills gaps in many different ways. But,
they all focus on offering strong training support and opportunities for
workers to learn the skills the business needs.
60.Different skills require different types of learning. Finding the best way to
teach new skills can increase the success of your learning and
development programs.
62. Tesco
63.When COVID-19 hit the UK, supermarket chain Tesco needed new staff to
manage the uptick in online orders. So, they developed a great way to train
new employees and put more people to work.
65.By offering a training program, Tesco expanded its hiring pool while
helping workers develop new skills.
66. Abbott
67.Many companies search for candidates with experience in a specific role.
Abbott aims to create well-rounded employees, so they train new hires in
every central area of their business instead.
68. Abbott designed a development program for recent graduates that shows
them how the business operates. Abbott employees work in six different
departments over 2 to 3 years.
73.The Sales and Marketing Leadership Program prepares team members for
leadership positions. This program teaches key management skills and
empowers employees to step into new opportunities.
76.But, there’s no need to worry. Once you discover where your skill gaps are,
there are many ways to upskill your current employees.
77.With the right training and support, your business and employees can
thrive.
78.BetterUp coaching can help your employees develop a growth mindset and
expand their skills. Request a demo today to see how coaching can take
your employees’ skills to new heights.
There is some debate on the severity and scope of this skills gap,
yet it has the potential to cause some real issues. We explore what
exactly it is, which industries are lacking certain skills, and how you
can keep on top of your personal development for your career.
For individuals
The skills mismatch means that some people don’t have the
right skills for the jobs available. For example, some figures show
that in the UK, around 40% of UK workers don’t have the right
qualifications for their current jobs. This means that some people
are underqualified, and some are overqualified.
For businesses
For businesses, the skill gap is also problematic. They’re finding that
talent pools are limited in certain areas/professions, meaning that
roles are taking longer to fill. This lack of qualified personnel also
has several impacts on businesses. It can cause:
A loss of productivity
A higher rate of staff turnover
Lower levels of morale
Lower-quality work
An inability to expand the business
A loss of revenue
Clearly, these are all potentially damaging effects that arise from a
mismatch of skills. It can ultimately mean that companies aren’t able
to fulfil the demands of their customers, whether it’s in delivering
products or services.
For industries
When these problems are extrapolated out across entire industries,
the issues become even more evident. Talent shortages could be
widespread, and as well as a lack of role-specific personnel, there
may also be a lack of skilled managers to train those who are
coming through. On the other hand, we may even end up in a
situation where some industries have a high number of low-skilled
people applying for a small number of low-skilled jobs.
As we’ll explore, in the UK at least, there are clear signs that there
are industries where there is a shortage of qualified professionals.
What’s more, some data suggests that although levels of education
are higher, basic skills like numeracy and literacy may be lagging
behind.
With these advances, the types of job roles and skills that
employers need are changing, and there aren’t always the people to
fill them. A 2018 Deloitte study suggested that in the US
manufacturing industry alone, the skills gap could see around 2.4
million roles unfilled between 2018 and 2028.
Education
One of the areas where there are problems emerging is in
education. The overall level of education in the UK is high – a recent
OECD report shows there are more graduates than non-graduates
in the job market. However, employers are seeing gaps in areas
such as basic literacy, numeracy, and IT skills.
Despite this lack of relevant knowledge, there isn’t a lot being done
to promote further learning and upskilling. Some figures suggest
that just 24% of UK workers have spent time reskilling over the last
two years.
Training
Some schools of thought suggest that the skills gap isn’t just down
to individuals and the education system. In previous generations,
employers would hire graduates or untrained newcomers and train
them to do the job. Nowadays, with the gig economy and pressure
for instant results, many companies are seeking those who are job-
ready. Experience is valued more than potential, and expectations
and requirements often reflect this.
There are additional challenges here too. For example, fewer
people are starting apprenticeships in the UK. This could be
because funding for them (and adult learning in general) has fallen
45% since 2009-10.
Some of the roles with the most skill shortages highlighted by the
Project Luminate report include:
Nurses
Programmers and software developers
HR and industrial relations officers
IT user support technicians
Business sales executives
Engineers
Design and development engineers
Web designers
Chartered accountants
Teachers
As you can see, even this short selection represents a varied range
of positions. What’s more, studies show that a similar set of
professions are experiencing a shortage in the US.
Hard skills
Hard skills are the taught skills that are required to do a particular
job. They’re the measurable abilities that employers can easily
define and find:
Soft skills
Soft skills are the productive personality traits that make for good
employees. They’re harder to teach, but no less sought-after by
employers. When it comes to a skills gap, some of the most in-
demand soft skills include:
Hiring
With a full analysis in place, companies can start to hire people with
the right kinds of skills. Rather than employing for roles with a
narrow scope, they can focus on the areas they currently have
weaknesses in, improving the overall skill pool.
Skill building
Perhaps the most effective way of bridging the skills gap is for
employers to offer reskilling and upskilling programs. These help
existing employees train in the skills where the organisation is
lacking. This type of knowledge building helps both the company
and the individual.
Skill assessment
The first thing that can help is to self-analyse your existing skills.
You need to work out what your personal strengths and
weaknesses are, and how these might impact your career. A good
place to start is to compare your current skills to those outlined in
job postings that you’re interested in. Here, you can see whether
there are any gaps in your knowledge.
Gain experience
One of the best ways to work on and demonstrate your skills is to
find relevant experience. Although this may sometimes seem
difficult (experience requires a job, jobs require experience), there
are several methods you can try. Freelancing as a side gig can help
you build your expertise, as can things like internships and
apprenticeships. Even volunteering can help you work on a variety
of skills.