Why You Should Upskill Your Employees

Upskilling your existing employees helps them to gain new knowledge and develop new skills.

While some employers may think of this as a commodity, upskilling your employees is crucial to the future success of your business.

Here are some of the reasons why upskilling your workforce is the way forward.

Improve staff retention and talent acquisition

Employers who invest in upskilling their staff retain their employees for much longer and have significantly lower levels of employee turnover. This is because employees who feel valued by their employers show higher levels of job satisfaction and company loyalty.
You will also find that employers who emphasise staff training and development are much more appealing to job hunters – giving you a much better chance of attracting the best talent for your organisation.

Bridge skills gaps

As your organisation evolves and grows, so will the requirements of the job role. Upskilling is a great way to bridge any skills gaps your employees have so that your business can get the absolute best out of them. Short courses are the perfect way to develop and improve your employees’ skills in areas like Customer Service, Digital and First Aid.  

Keep your business competitive

Depending on the industry you’re in, the rules and best practices may regularly change. To ensure your business can continue to compete with others you’ll need to help your employees stay up to date with the latest changes. Apprenticeships can be the perfect way to ensure your employees have the best knowledge of their industry and the skills needed to succeed.

When employees have up-to-date knowledge and confidence in what they’re doing, they’ll deliver great results for your customers which is, ultimately, what keeps your business growing.

Improve staff morale and productivity

Employees who have regular training are often more confident in their roles which leads to higher self-esteem and productivity. In addition, if employees are regularly learning new skills, they’ll be more comfortable with change and also transitioning to new ways of working - reducing any lost productivity during the adjustment period.

Support senior management

By upskilling staff, you give them the ability to carry out tasks they may not have previously been able to do. This removes a lot of burden from senior management allowing them to focus on the big picture of moving your business forward.

Develop future managers

Upskilling staff not only helps you improve performance right now, but it also helps you prepare for the future by developing the knowledge and skills of employees who will one day become managers and business leaders. Throughout the training and development process, you may also identify new skills that can help your business grow.

Reduce costs

It is said to cost one and a half times their salary to replace an employee so by retaining staff and upskilling them for promotions, you reduce the costs associated with employee turnover. Plus with better productivity and results for customers, you’ll be more cost-efficient than ever before.

Upskilling is simply a way to train your employees so that they can become better equipped at doing what they do best. We can help you develop your employees through apprenticeships and short courses.

Find out more about upskilling employees or call 03333 222 666 to speak to one of our advisors.