“Within the next five years, up to half of all employees will require some level of reskilling to perform effectively in their professions,” according to the World Economic Forum, “while around 100 million new occupations are expected to arise.”
However, even for those that offer equal access to courses from prestigious institutions and organisations, there is a dilemma as companies dip their toes into the realm of LMS – Learning Management Systems and LXP – Learning Experience Platforms.
A learning culture is failing to take hold. Engagement plummets after the excitement of the first two-to-four-weeks, when all the bells and whistles are shown. It’s challenging to grab the attention of senior managers even if they have the previously unachievable Harvard degree attached to their names. Many businesses who have spent considerable sums of money on “grey” but “premium branded” one-size-fits-all upskilling have discovered this to be true.
If any of this seems familiar, you just checked the box, as do most businesses. You’re not on your own.
Don’t get me wrong: upskilling in some form is important to our ability to continue working as humans. According to Facts and Factors, the global e-learning industry is expected to reach $374 billion by 2024, showing that the business is growing. And I’m sure none of us have missed the recent news that Walmart and a slew of other major US corporations are footing the bill for every single employee’s college education.
McKinsey has further defined the term “upskilling”, noting that any organisation should consider three levels. The first is redeployment, which occurs when a current role is terminated and a new one is required. Consider an inside sales lead who used to make phone calls but now relies on digital online marketing to produce in-bound leads on a large scale. Reskilling is the following phase, which comprises learning new skills for a new or expanding role.
Consider the case of an executive assistant who needs to retrain and learn how to run drip communication campaigns using HubSpot. The fourth alternative is upskilling, which comprises a person attaining a higher level of competency to perform more effectively. Consider putting your IT manager through some agile training.
Upskilling in some form is important to our ability to continue working as humans.
When it comes to upskilling, one size does not fit all, therefore here are some things to consider:
1. Do you know where your employee falls on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which prioritises human needs physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem (self-esteem and confidence), and self-actualisation?Do you believe a higher-esteemed employee would be a better fit for your high-profile certification courses? Do you believe that cohort learning, and mentorship are a better fit for an employee who values belonging? How engaged are your bottom-of-the-pyramid employees in learning? They’re just trying to make-ends-meet with no idea how or when they’ll rise to a higher pay structure.
2. The way things are presented to a user/consumer/learner is called choice architecture. We believe that the more courses we provide, the more likely our employees are to learn by finding what they are looking for. You are mistaken. Have you heard of the famous Jam Experiment, which was undertaken in 2000 by Columbia and Stanford University psychologists Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper?
On some days, a local grocery store would display 24 vs. 6 on the same shelf. Can you tell me which days have the most sales?The finding was that having more options piqued people’s interest, but they were less likely to purchase a jar of jam than when there were only six options. They were ten times more inclined to purchase with fewer selections. According to the study, when we have too many options, we are less inclined to act. This, however, is not the case for all of us.
Now take a look at your LMS system and the options available to your staff and consider how the serving size differs for those who like smaller meal options versus those who learn at a buffet.
A certificate of completion isn’t a good sign of learning agility since learning that doesn’t result in behavior change is a waste of time.
3. In terms of how long it takes your employee to put what they’ve learned into practice and make it routine, should you upskill a 30-day learner in the same way you would an eight-month learner?
Here’s something that isn’t always expressed aloud but should be. If your company is through a major shift, can you afford to wait eight months for an employee to blossom? It is critical to develop agility. A certificate of completion isn’t a good sign of learning agility since learning that doesn’t result in behavior change is a waste of time.
All the aforementioned are important factors to consider before upskilling a team. Keep in mind that, in the end, businesses should put upskill first.
Sallyann Della Casa, founder of Gleac.com
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By Sallyann Della Casa
More of this topic
Why equally upskilling your employees is a mistake
Why leaders need to take another look at how they upskill their teams
“Within the next five years, up to half of all employees will require some level of reskilling to perform effectively in their professions,” according to the World Economic Forum, “while around 100 million new occupations are expected to arise.”
However, even for those that offer equal access to courses from prestigious institutions and organisations, there is a dilemma as companies dip their toes into the realm of LMS – Learning Management Systems and LXP – Learning Experience Platforms.
A learning culture is failing to take hold. Engagement plummets after the excitement of the first two-to-four-weeks, when all the bells and whistles are shown. It’s challenging to grab the attention of senior managers even if they have the previously unachievable Harvard degree attached to their names. Many businesses who have spent considerable sums of money on “grey” but “premium branded” one-size-fits-all upskilling have discovered this to be true.
If any of this seems familiar, you just checked the box, as do most businesses. You’re not on your own.
Don’t get me wrong: upskilling in some form is important to our ability to continue working as humans. According to Facts and Factors, the global e-learning industry is expected to reach $374 billion by 2024, showing that the business is growing. And I’m sure none of us have missed the recent news that Walmart and a slew of other major US corporations are footing the bill for every single employee’s college education.
McKinsey has further defined the term “upskilling”, noting that any organisation should consider three levels. The first is redeployment, which occurs when a current role is terminated and a new one is required. Consider an inside sales lead who used to make phone calls but now relies on digital online marketing to produce in-bound leads on a large scale. Reskilling is the following phase, which comprises learning new skills for a new or expanding role.
Consider the case of an executive assistant who needs to retrain and learn how to run drip communication campaigns using HubSpot. The fourth alternative is upskilling, which comprises a person attaining a higher level of competency to perform more effectively. Consider putting your IT manager through some agile training.
When it comes to upskilling, one size does not fit all, therefore here are some things to consider:
1. Do you know where your employee falls on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which prioritises human needs physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem (self-esteem and confidence), and self-actualisation?Do you believe a higher-esteemed employee would be a better fit for your high-profile certification courses? Do you believe that cohort learning, and mentorship are a better fit for an employee who values belonging? How engaged are your bottom-of-the-pyramid employees in learning? They’re just trying to make-ends-meet with no idea how or when they’ll rise to a higher pay structure.
2. The way things are presented to a user/consumer/learner is called choice architecture. We believe that the more courses we provide, the more likely our employees are to learn by finding what they are looking for. You are mistaken. Have you heard of the famous Jam Experiment, which was undertaken in 2000 by Columbia and Stanford University psychologists Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper?
On some days, a local grocery store would display 24 vs. 6 on the same shelf. Can you tell me which days have the most sales?The finding was that having more options piqued people’s interest, but they were less likely to purchase a jar of jam than when there were only six options. They were ten times more inclined to purchase with fewer selections. According to the study, when we have too many options, we are less inclined to act. This, however, is not the case for all of us.
Now take a look at your LMS system and the options available to your staff and consider how the serving size differs for those who like smaller meal options versus those who learn at a buffet.
3. In terms of how long it takes your employee to put what they’ve learned into practice and make it routine, should you upskill a 30-day learner in the same way you would an eight-month learner?
Here’s something that isn’t always expressed aloud but should be. If your company is through a major shift, can you afford to wait eight months for an employee to blossom? It is critical to develop agility. A certificate of completion isn’t a good sign of learning agility since learning that doesn’t result in behavior change is a waste of time.
All the aforementioned are important factors to consider before upskilling a team. Keep in mind that, in the end, businesses should put upskill first.
Sallyann Della Casa, founder of Gleac.com
Follow us on
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