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Skill based training for employees is rapidly becoming the preferred training method in successful organizations. For some companies, training is confined to disseminating basic knowledge about the product, processes, and policies. Such training tends to overlook the skills required to deliver optimum performance that drives significant business outcomes. For example, a lack of specific leadership skills can result in an ineffective team manager, leading to unmet goals and unsatisfactory outcomes. This instance clearly illustrates the value of driving skill based training to enhance your employee development initiatives.

What is skill based training?

Skill based training is an employee development strategy that focuses on providing employees with the specific abilities they need to perform their job effectively. Unlike traditional training methods that prioritize knowledge or theory, skill based training focuses on the practical application of specific skills.

This type of training can cover a wide range of skills, from technical abilities like coding or machinery operation, to soft skills like communication or leadership. The primary goal is to enable your employees to apply these skills directly to their work. This will enhance their performance and productivity, and in turn, drive your business outcomes.

Why is skill based training important?

The importance of skill based training in today’s fast-paced business environment cannot be overstated. With the need for new and improved skills constantly changing, continuous skill based training is the key to safeguarding employee stability and business growth. 

It’s a strategic investment that leads to substantial benefits for your organization and your workforce. In fact, a study by the American Society for Training and Development found that companies that offer comprehensive training programs have 218% higher income per employee. Additional benefits include:

  1. Increased productivity: By training your employees in the specific skills they need for their roles, they are better equipped to complete their tasks effectively.
  2. Employee retention: Employees often feel more engaged and valued when their employer invests in their development. This can lead to improved job satisfaction and higher retention rates.
  3. Quality improvement: With skills development training, employees can produce higher quality work, leading to improved products, services, and customer satisfaction.
  4. Adaptability: In a rapidly changing business environment, skills based training can help employees adapt to new technologies, processes, or market conditions. This ensures that the company remains competitive.
  5. Career development: For employees, skills based training can lead to personal growth and career advancement. It can open up new opportunities within the company or in the broader job market.
  6. Reduced supervision: Skilled employees often require less direct supervision, freeing up management to focus on strategic issues.

3 steps to implement skill based training for your employees

graphic showing the 3 steps to drive skill based training

Each role is unique with a different set of challenges, requiring special attention and in-depth skilling. Role-based skill building is a practical approach that helps disseminate appropriate information and skills for each role. Below 3 steps to take when focusing on skill building when training employees.

1. Skill identification – Focus on trending skills needed for each role 

Organizations often have a wide array of roles responsible for different processes. You must identify the necessary skills for each role and nurture those skills through skill based training.

For example, the skills needed by an SEO executive differ from what a financial analyst needs to perform their job efficiently. Moreover, the manager and the executive or assistant manager might need different skill building opportunities despite being on the same team. These employees need unique skills and unique skill based training programs.

So it is pivotal to identify and benchmark skills for each role. A skill building suite, like Disprz, can help identify and map functional, leadership, and meta-skills for various roles in the company. Defining skills for each role will also help the employee take the next step to accelerate career growth. It’s important to give employees a clear picture of the skills they possess and the skill gaps and building they need to move to the next level. 

2. Skill assessment – Find out the skill gaps and proficiency level for each skill 

In a hybrid era where employees toggle between remote and in-office working, skill gap analysis becomes crucial. A skill gap analysis helps identify the skill an employee needs but doesn’t have to perform a task efficiently. The list of skills created earlier by identifying and benchmarking skills for each role can be used here to find the skill gap.

With the help of skill assessment in the Disprz skilling suite, it is possible to find the proficiency level for each skill. For instance, a manager assesses an employee for a certain skill and rates him 3 out of 10. The employee also rates himself three in self-assessment. So, the skill score for the specific skill will be three. The low score indicates that the employee needs more training to increase his proficiency in that particular skill. Hence through skill score, it is possible to determine which skills are missing and which skills need targeted training to be enhanced for better productivity. 

3. Skill building – Develop an effective journey

Once the skill gap is identified, the next step would be to develop those skills through an effective employee training program. It is important to plan the entire skilling journey. Choosing the right skilling tool can simplify the process of providing skill based training to the employees. For instance, instead of sharing various resources over an email with the learners, the L&D can create a drip journey using a skilling tool.

The duration of the skilling journey can be more than five days, and multiple learning modules can be added in a single day based on the requirement. 

The entire skill based training journey can also be personalized using an AI-powered LXP. Based on the skills and interests, the AI will recommend relevant content to the employee. So the learners can constantly learn and upskill themselves to be future-ready. This personalized training method also drives employee engagement for better completion and retention rates.

Skill based training allows your employees to develop the vital skills needed to perform and excel in the digital-first world. Moreover, the right skills are a necessity in a hybrid work model. With real-time upskilling and reskilling opportunities, the hybrid workforce can address unforeseen challenges with confidence.

Be sure that your L&D programs focus on end-to-end skill development. Cutting-edge technology like Disprz not only helps identify the right skills needed for different job roles but also assesses the current levels, drives personalized learning, and makes available insightful analytics that links back skilling to business performance. 

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