Why is everyone talking about… skills gaps?

Are your employees feeling insecure about their abilities? According to some of the latest data from e-learning platform Skillsoft, around 41% of employees across the globe report feeling a lack of job security due to their own skills gaps. And 75% feel their organisations’ L&D programmes aren’t helping nearly enough. 

While the future will always feel unfamiliar, it’s interesting to note that the top skills gaps emerging involve leadership and AI. That's no surprise, as the emergence of AI and the critical role of strong leadership have been massive trends all throughout this year. It’s also telling that the lack of skills around them reveal that organisations have struggled in their response to them. 

The bigger issue is the lack of support employees may be feeling from their own organisations. Of those critical of their L&D programmes, large chunks felt that a lack of time (42%), learning formats (30%) and leadership support (26%) got in the way of addressing these gaps. Employees may feel less confident in both their own skills and their organisation’s ability to nurture them.

As Pavan Bilkhoo, Director of HR Transformation at LACE Partners, told People Management: “Leaders play a critical role in closing skills gaps within their organisations. In addition to identifying needed skills and removing barriers to entry, they must also champion upskilling as an integral part of daily work. As the pace of work continues to accelerate, reskilling is no longer optional – it’s a necessity.”

But insecurity won’t be helped by piling on more training. “It’s not about adding more tools to the toolbox. Focus more on what really matters to employees, candidates and talent you want to attract and retain… Invest in advanced tools, such as AI-enabled skills management and talent marketplace platform, etc., to help employees own their skills and career development journey,” explains Lily Mok, a Gartner VP analyst.

We’d take this data as a great opportunity for your HR team to revisit and potentially revitalise your L&D programmes for the year ahead. 

Here are a few steps you can take with that in mind: 

• Prioritise personalised learning paths: Employees benefit most from learning opportunities tailored to their own career progression. You should start by understanding which skills your organisation wants to make a unique priority (and do it in consultation with your workforce). 

• Enhance leadership training: Given that leadership skills are their own significant gap, consider investing in comprehensive leadership development programmes. You could even start with our Personio Masterclass on great leadership. 

• Improve accessibility and flexibility: Address the common issue of time constraints by offering flexible learning formats. This could include microlearning modules, on-demand webinars and mobile-friendly content that employees can engage with at their own pace.

• Foster a culture of continuous learning: Encourage a mindset where learning is seen as an ongoing journey rather than a one-off event. This can be achieved by recognising and rewarding continuous development efforts and integrating learning into day-to-day work.

• How to close your skills gaps in 7 simple steps

• Skills mapping guide for HR professionals

• Should your HR team invest in upskilling training?

That's all for this week's edition of Personio Pulse: This Week in HR. Check back next week as we continue to dissect the latest trends impacting the ways we work. 

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