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Tag: Employee Training

  • Molloy University launches ‘Talent Solutions’ program | Long Island Business News

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    THE BLUEPRINT:

    • introduces to support workforce needs

    • Offers over 300 flexible courses, badges and certificates

    • Employers can create custom training programs with Molloy

    • Talent solutions summit set for Sept. 30 at Rockville Centre campus

    To support on Long Island, Molloy University is launching its Talent Solutions program, an employer-focused initiative designed to provide customized education strategies to upskill workers and improve employee retention.

    The university is hosting a talent solutions summit, with academic and business leaders, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the Larini Room of the Public Square Building on its Rockville Centre campus.

    “This is about listening to Long Island employers first and then building right-sized, right-now learning together with our partners,” James Lentini, president of Molloy University, said in a news release about the program.

    “From short, targeted badges to stackable certificates and, ultimately, degrees, Molloy Talent Solutions is built to be responsive and resilient for Long Island’s evolving economy,” he added.

    The program is designed to provide flexible education and training options that align with the needs of both employers and learners. It offers micro-badges, certificates, noncredit training and pathways that can lead to degree completion, aiming to bridge the gap between traditional blue-collar and white-collar workforce development.

    Developed with , which works with colleges and universities, the program includes an initial catalog of approximately 300 courses and custom modules. Topics include supply chain fundamentals, business communication, healthcare skills such as phlebotomy and pharmaceutical production, as well as biotech and laboratory competencies. Employers can choose from existing course offerings or work with Molloy to develop customized training tailored to specific workforce needs. Credentials earned through the program can be applied toward degree programs at Molloy.

    Panelists will include leaders such as Matt Cohen from the Long Island Association, Jamie Moore from Ignite Long Island, Rosalie Drago from Haugland Group, union representation, Molloy academic leadership, and a representative from Core Education. It will be moderated by Ed Thompson of Molloy University.

     


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    Adina Genn

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  • The Skills Gap Is Rapidly Widening — Here's What We Must Do To Close It. | Entrepreneur

    The Skills Gap Is Rapidly Widening — Here's What We Must Do To Close It. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Employers and other leaders, along with most employees, know all too well that it’s a challenging time to be a worker. With the adoption of artificial intelligence and social media marketing particularly, the nature of productivity and what it means to be a skilled worker is transforming. Simply being attentive and hardworking used to pass muster, but today there is a plethora of digital skills that individuals must possess to be competitive. In fact, a 2022 report, “How Skills Are Disrupting Work: The Transformational Power of Fast Growing, In-Demand Skills” detailed that need for employees with skills in AI/machine learning, cloud computing, social media and product management was the highest ever in that year — and growing rapidly.

    The trouble is — an ever-widening skills gap prevents a large percentage of the unemployed and underemployed from being qualified for such jobs. For instance, that same report stated that over its preceding five years, the average U.S. employee had to either replace or upgrade 37% of skills in order to carry out the duties of their position. A 2023 study conducted by my own organization, Amazon Web Services (along with Gallup), found that 68% of employers in the United Kingdom are struggling to find staff members with the necessary digital knowledge. A more troubling figure still is that just 11% of workers in the U.K. possess the skills needed to obtain and retain these higher-tech jobs.

    When it comes to this skills gap, small and medium-size businesses find themselves in a unique position. While some leaders might feel daunted as they try to keep up with better-resourced and larger competitors, there are also advantages to being smaller and nimble. They can pivot quickly, testing out new pilot programs that arm smaller staffs with more certifications and training.

    Related: Are You In A Dead-End Job? Here Are The Tell-Tale Signs

    How upskilling creates revenue

    Largely trained in a time before AI and machine learning took over the conversation, today’s workers are also struggling with the effects of the pandemic. How can they keep up? One answer is “reskilling” (aka “upskilling”), in which employees set out to learn new skills either on their own or with the help of work-based programs. And not surprisingly, employers offering high-quality learning and development programs benefit from such an investment.

    Owners will be cheered to note that this doesn’t have to represent a massive time commitment: Training for specific tasks associated with higher digital skills can take as little as an hour, and offer an immediate return. To be most effective, however, such instruction needs to be outcome-driven, and approachable. For example, Amazon Web Services offers free training in many areas (including basic generative AI solutions) that’s designed to be easy for non-technical people to follow.

    Offering such opportunities doesn’t just mean more talented workers: That same Amazon Web Services study showed that revenue for companies engaged in training of this type was 168% higher than those with lower levels of digital skill advancement. Better still, employees with intermediate digital skills stand to earn 40% more annually than those with basic digital skills, while those in the advanced bracket earn a whopping 65% more. A 2023 white paper by authors representing MIT, Stanford University and the National Bureau of Economic Research confirmed this — that the promise of generative AI benefits less experienced workers the most. The goal is to level the playing field, allowing those with less experience to gain skills faster — upending inequality in productivity.

    Related: How to Keep Employees Engaged and Productive in the Age of AI

    Smaller organizations usually have smaller workforces, which means that the value of every employee (as a percentage of overall productivity) is much higher in a small and medium-size business than in a larger company. Similarly, the benefits of an upskilling program will ripple faster in smaller organizations, whether that means having more highly skilled managers in place or simply spreading the word about upskilling’s benefits.

    Lastly, such programs can go a long way towards recruiting talent. Smaller enterprises, pretty much inevitably, will wind up duking it out with much larger and resource-rich ones with which they simply can’t compete when it comes to salaries. In a PwC study on HR and recruiting, however, 51% of respondents reported a willingness to give up higher salaries for personal flexibility and training opportunities.

    Related: Employees With Advanced Digital Skills Contribute $507.9 Billion To India’s GDP: AWS Report

    Investing in the future

    At first blush, the cost of helping your workforce garner needed skills might seem hefty — even out of reach for some — but they don’t have to be. There are many free resources available to help train staff in cloud computing and other areas. For example, the Amazon Web Services Skill Builder offers free on-demand labs and hands-on learning for a variety of skill levels.

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    Claire Gribbin

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  • 3 Ways to Upskill Your Team with Continuous Training | Entrepreneur

    3 Ways to Upskill Your Team with Continuous Training | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    There are many tried-and-true formulas for business success, but a strong staff of skilled workers is the foundation of every successful business. That’s why one of the most difficult issues for any business owner is employee turnover. The most recent Work Institute study found that employee turnover cost businesses over $700 billion in 2021. There’s a heavy price to be paid for every lost employee, but what can business leaders do to avoid dealing with the pitfalls of losing their strongest team members?

    When it really comes down to it, no good employee wants to remain at a job that stagnates their growth. According to a recent Gartner study, 82% of employees want their organizations to view them as people with individual goals and aspirations. LinkedIn’s Workforce Learning Report also states that 93% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their careers. The clear winners are those businesses that find a way to keep their employees engaged. Employees who regularly get opportunities to learn, develop and advance their skills are more likely to stay with a company. When you invest in your team, you invest in both your company’s future and their future as professionals.

    That said, having an average training program for employees is not enough. Business owners should seek to optimize these programs to the fullest. In my experience, there are three key areas leaders should focus on when optimizing a continuous training program for their workers.

    Related: Why Small Businesses Need to Prioritize Continuous Learning

    1. Ensure your team is technically certified

    Technical certification is the foundation of all employee training. Every new employee should be properly certified in all the areas related to their responsibilities. Without technical expertise, the leaks in productivity will spill over and lead to a lack of efficiency and lost time. To truly excel as a thriving entity, everyone on your team must be a technical expert in their respective areas.

    Certification is an ongoing process. As new technologies will continuously enter and disrupt your industry, you must keep up-to-date with the latest tools and software that your competitors are leveraging and update your training standards when necessary. This is where you, as a leader, must make important distinctions between the trends that come and go and the technologies that will change the shape of your field for the foreseeable future.

    Since day one as president of my company, we have required ongoing skill certifications and competencies of our entire team, from entry-level ticket routers and customer support architects to account managers and engineers. We also require continued education and up-to-date certifications for any customer-facing technical personnel. This has been vital in providing a leg up over our competitors, but also gives our workers the confidence in their knowledge and abilities to deliver the best results possible.

    Related: 6 Ways to Keep Your Employees Learning At Work

    2. Don’t overlook the importance of soft skills

    Your employees can have all the technical expertise in the world, but if they can’t communicate with clients, customers or each other, those earned skills won’t translate into business success. That’s where soft skills come into play. Business success requires an understanding of people and human interaction, whether interpersonal communication between internal teams or the ability to communicate with customers to make them feel heard and understood.

    The good news about investing in soft skills such as communication, leadership, teamwork, emotional intelligence and problem-solving is that your employees don’t need to be experts in these areas to ensure these skills translate to professional success. There is a baseline requirement of competency necessary for each employee to thrive, and then it becomes an ongoing process of lifelong learning to improve these skills over time.

    Soft skill training is adaptable. While every employee should be required to undergo necessary training, some employees may naturally be suited to certain skills while needing extra training in others. For example, your new hire might excel in one-on-one settings with customers but struggle with leadership roles. It makes sense to tailor this employee’s training to ensure you fill in the gaps.

    3. Invest in outside-the-box skills that give your employees an edge

    Let’s face it: any company that isn’t investing in expanding its technical skills and soft skills is not a worthy competitor, so let’s assume the top companies in your industry are checking the previous two boxes. To get an edge on them, you have to arm your employees with niche skills that give your business a unique advantage.

    For example, we’ve seen a lot of advancement in generative AI over the previous year. Those companies that are training their staff to utilize generative AI to boost their output and improve their workflows are the ones that can potentially come out ahead in the long run because they benefit from the combined productivity of a skilled workforce and technological efficiency.

    Perhaps there is an up-and-coming software that can potentially do wonders in saving your employees time to turn around items. Maybe you’re a healthcare company, and there’s new research in your field about how to best optimize patient health outcomes that aren’t yet being leveraged — which allows you to come out ahead by training your clinicians accordingly. You will separate your business from the pack by consistently investing in building niche skills for your staff.

    Identify the blind spots in your training program and adjust accordingly

    While most businesses have an employee training program, many miss the mark regarding one of these three key areas. Employee development is a continuous effort that needs to constantly be adjusted through different coaching strategies, training programs and leadership mentoring. Those businesses that don’t invest in their employees will get left behind, so you must prioritize the workers who keep the ship running, and your business will flourish.

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    Julian Hamood

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  • Intel’s Big Chip-Making Push in Germany Hits Bottleneck

    Intel’s Big Chip-Making Push in Germany Hits Bottleneck

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    Intel’s Big Chip-Making Push in Germany Hits Bottleneck

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  • How to Motivate Your Unmotivated Employees | Entrepreneur

    How to Motivate Your Unmotivated Employees | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As a first-time leader, you’re expected to do more than manage operations. You’re also faced with the responsibility of motivating your direct reports. That’s a big ask, given that Gallup’s annual worker engagement survey shows that barely three out of 10 employees feel engaged on the job. Yet, it’s not a duty you can shirk. The sooner you help your team feel more connected to your department and company mission — and each other — the sooner you can start revving up productivity and showing your leadership moxy.

    This begs the question: How do you motivate the unmotivated? You can start by understanding why disengagement occurs. When employees feel burned out, unappreciated and devalued, they naturally pull back emotionally and performance-wise. Eventually, they either quietly quit or seek out other work. Either way, that ends up having a negative impact on your business, and it also puts a negative spotlight on your ability to manage.

    Your job, therefore, is to build camaraderie and cohesion as rapidly as you can. Doing so will inevitably improve productivity, which can further encourage everyone to row in the same direction. It will also put a “winners” spotlight on your team as a profit-boosting center. If your leadership efforts can cause those effects at your company, you’ll be doing well for both your career and your team’s reputation.

    To set the right tone and fuel success among your employees, consider these steps.

    Related: 12 Ways You Can Immediately Start To Motivate Your Employees

    1. Iron out your training

    A 2022 jobseeker survey from The Muse showed 72% of respondents regretted accepting a position because it wasn’t as advertised. This starts with training. Unfortunately, many organizations underestimate the training needed by newer employees. Often, the process goes like this: The business hires someone, has that person shadow somebody else and calls it a day. This is not training.

    You have to invest in your employees from the get-go and not expect them to fully ramp up right away. Consider salespeople. Hoping they’ll meet their quota too fast — and without training — is a surefire way to demotivate them. You can’t expect 100% productivity from anyone if you’re giving them minimal training.

    Having a consistent training system shows that you’re putting measures in place to help team members reach success. For maximum efficiency and consistency, the training you give your people needs to be a clockwork process with key results tied to the training. Consistency is key when it comes to unlocking higher morale because it establishes a sense of stability, predictability and fairness within a team or organization. When team members experience consistency in their training and development, their efficiency, productivity and confidence increase exponentially.

    2. Create A-player scorecards

    It’s the everyday activities that separate the best from the rest. Every position can be boiled down to daily standards that need to be met. A-players go through the same processes to do well. But anyone can be a winner if they have a scorecard to follow.

    Think about your team’s different positions. For each, write down three to five objective, trackable metrics that successful team members should complete on a daily basis. For instance, one of our company’s sales metrics is the number of daily appointments made. You can then weigh each activity to develop a final score. For instance, if you had four activities, you might want to weigh each at 25%. An employee who meets two in a day would score 50%, whereas one who meets three would net a 75%.

    These metrics for each position will become your A-player scorecards. They’re clearly defined and simple to evaluate. Someone either reaches the scorecard goals or does not. There’s no middle ground. Everything’s transparent between you and each of your direct reports. Employees know what you expect of them, which takes away any guesswork. It’s easy to see where someone is lagging or leading, which gives you the opportunity to intervene with personalized coaching, upskilling and reskilling.

    Related: How to Find and Assign a Production Statistic to Every Single Employee — Even the CEO

    3. Put the spotlight on success stories

    Success isn’t just about reaching scorecard targets. It’s about celebrating wins in big and small ways. Showing recognition improves morale and reinforces positive behavior and hard work. It shows you’re paying attention, too. Pew found 57% of people who quit jobs reported feeling disrespected. What could be more respectful than putting the spotlight on good people?

    Your celebrations don’t have to be huge and expensive. Experiment with what works to encourage your team to strive for something a little more. Certainly, you can hand out your version of an Oscar now and then. However, just identifying and thanking top performers who keep exceeding their daily scorecard metrics can be good practice.

    You can use scorecard results to figure out who wins sales contests. Or you may want to up the bar and add other metrics to sweeten a contest. Never be afraid to celebrate wins just because the same people keep getting kudos. A mid-performing employee may need to see a high-performing colleague receive continual nods to finally up their game.

    By taking the time to consider how to lead, you’ll end up becoming a much stronger leader regardless of your experience. Start by focusing on training, scorecards and celebrations — you and your team will benefit from your investment.

    Related: Do Your Employees Feel Recognized? 10 Powerful Ways To Set Up Employee Recognition Programs

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    Eric Watkins

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  • 6 Ways Small Businesses Can Use AI More | Entrepreneur

    6 Ways Small Businesses Can Use AI More | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    One of the most pivotal innovations that artificial intelligence offers small businesses is the ability to change the rules of engagement — a more level playing field. And its adoption in this size category has been stunning: According to Unbounce’s recent Break Free: The State of AI Marketing for Small Business report, approximately 30% of small and medium-sized businesses are leveraging some form of artificial intelligence.

    One overriding challenge, however, is that implementing the right tools is only half the battle: To be successful in applying this new technology, it’s critical to equip employees with the guidelines and skills to make it both effective and profitable.

    Some pathways for achieving that:

    1. Set clear team expectations

    As with any new technology, AI presents both advantages and potential risks, so it’s critical to ensure that proper guardrails are in place to protect you, your company and its customers. This includes a clear and accessible policy, which should outline how AI can and should be used within an organization, which platforms are approved for its use and who is authorized to leverage it. This policy can and will evolve: Feel free to start simple and expand it as you implement more AI tools into existing processes.

    2. Training, training, training

    While younger generations may be more intuitive when it comes to technology, this isn’t the case for all employees. Before rolling out AI tools, it’s important to provide a general overview of what it is and how it works. This training should include common terminology, understanding the differences among types (such as machine learning, deep learning and robotics), data cybersecurity, ethics and the challenges associated with AI biases.

    In addition, a team needs to understand this tech’s current limitations. Too many people are jumping in blindly without grasping flaws or shortcomings that the human user needs to accommodate or otherwise address. For example, many platforms lack contextual understanding or the ability to incorporate human emotion, which can cause them to misinterpret input.

    Related: AI Isn’t Evil — But Entrepreneurs Need to Keep Ethics in Mind As They Implement It

    3. Enhance data and analytic skills

    One of the key benefits of AI is its ability to process, analyze and summarize large amounts of raw data, but the last thing you want is a team blindly inputting information and simply trusting the resulting analyses. Instead, provide additional training and education in the areas of data analysis, interpretation and visualization. The result will be better leveraging AI’s abilities and catching errors that could cause poor results.

    4. Promote strong AI communication skills

    AI is a technology designed in part to respond to inputs in the most efficient way. But, as with so many systems, garbage in will ultimately lead to garbage out. When a human manager asks a human worker to perform a task, there is a lot of information shared apart from just written or verbal instructions, such as body language, contextual phrasing and tone of voice. Unlike humans, AI is limited to a certain range of input types like text and images.

    So, businesses need to make sure their teams understand how to guide AI and ensure the technology clearly understands instructions before performing tasks. For this reason, employees need to learn to “speak AI” to get the most out of it. A question written in the wrong way could lead to an incorrect or poor response, so developing the ability to write high-quality AI prompts and queries will set users apart. This process also includes asking the right follow-up questions, since AI doesn’t always get it right the first time.

    Related: 6 Ways Small Business Owners Can Use ChatGPT to Eliminate Hours of Work

    5. Encourage new-tool use and experimentation

    AI is evolving at breakneck speed. New tools and platforms are emerging daily that can quickly cause a small business to lose its competitive edge. For this reason, encourage and incentivize team members to be on the lookout for new tools. For example, if your small business already uses a chatbot for customer service, its marketing team might consider also looking into image-based AI to help design creative graphics.

    To achieve all the goals listed here, you may have to create a budget for technical training, as new programs may require basic coding or an understanding of language models. Again, the more knowledge you equip a team with, the more opportunities they will spot.

    6. Foster a process improvement mindset

    Naturally, the majority of existing business procedures were built for a pre-AI world, but doing things the old way simply because “that’s how it’s always been done” won’t fly in the modern economy. Owners can drive a new mindset by encouraging every employee to be a champion for process improvement. Exposure to methodologies such as Six Sigma or Kaizen can be a way to equip team members with the skills they need to adapt systems as new technology is implemented because no amount of technology can overcome inefficient or cumbersome processes.

    As an owner, you’re ultimately responsible for providing employees with both the tools and training they need to be successful, and it may be beneficial to seek the expertise of a professional coach who can help them navigate these challenging transitions. Having an outside point of view to mitigate risk, while holding you accountable, could mean the difference between a transformative AI experience and becoming outdated, and cast aside.

    Related: 7 Ways to Promote a Company Culture of Accountability

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    Nicholas Leighton

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  • How to Keep Employees Engaged in the Age of AI | Entrepreneur

    How to Keep Employees Engaged in the Age of AI | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In today’s rapidly evolving workplace that is driven by the ever-expanding capabilities of AI, keeping employees engaged and informed can feel like an uphill battle.

    As technology continues to reshape the way we work, it’s vital to equip our workforce with the tools and knowledge they need to stay ahead of the curve. As the founder of a number of AI-powered education companies, I’ll dive into three innovative strategies to capture and retain employee attention.

    1. Harnessing the power of educational apps

    Educational apps and software have become essential tools for learning and development (L&D) leads, giving employees a more interactive and engaging learning experience.

    With AI tools now integrated into many learning apps, employees can learn at their own pace, which helps make learning a seamless part of their daily routine. Large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT can allow companies to develop their own model that searches through Google documents and existing knowledge systems to provide employees with the most accurate information, rather than relying on traditional powerpoint based onboarding.

    By integrating AI with sound learning pedagocial methodology, educational apps offer personalized learning paths, gamification elements and real-time progress tracking. By integrating AI-powered L&D into employee training programs, employers can ensure that a workforce stays engaged and up-to-date with the latest industry trends and developments.

    Related: How Businesses Use AI to Boost Revenue

    2. Microlearning — bite-sized learning for the modern workforce

    Microlearning is an approach to education that delivers information in small, digestible chunks, allowing employees to quickly absorb knowledge and apply it to their daily tasks. This method of learning is well-suited for the modern workforce as it caters to shorter attention spans and busy schedules.

    Microlearning can take various forms, such as short videos, interactive quizzes, infographics or even podcasts. The key is to present information in a concise, engaging manner that can be easily consumed in a short amount of time.

    By incorporating microlearning into employee training and development programs, companies can effectively do the following.

    1. Improve knowledge retention. Studies have shown that microlearning improves retention rates. It is easier for the brain to process and retain smaller pieces of information.
    2. Increase engagement. The bite-sized nature of microlearning content makes it more appealing to employees, encouraging them to actively participate in their own learning process.
    3. Enhance flexibility. Employees can access microlearning resources on their own time, from any device, allowing them to learn at their own pace and making it easier to fit learning into their busy schedules.

    Implementing a microlearning strategy in an organization can help maintain employee attention by delivering relevant, engaging content in a way that meets the needs of today’s workforce. This approach not only enhances learning outcomes, but it also fosters a culture of continuous improvement and growth, ensuring that employees are equipped to face the challenges of the AI-driven workplace.

    Related: 3 Entrepreneurial Uses of Artificial Intelligence That Will Change Your Business

    3. Upskilling — preparing employees for the future of work

    As AI continues to revolutionize the workplace, the skill sets required to remain competitive in the job market are also evolving. Upskilling, the process of teaching employees new skills or enhancing their existing ones, is crucial to ensuring that the workforce is prepared to face the challenges of this rapidly changing landscape.

    By investing in upskilling initiatives that prioritize AI skills like prompt engineering, you can boost employee engagement, increase productivity and position an organization for long-term success.

    Here are a few key benefits of implementing AI-focused upskilling programs into an organization.

    1. Retain and attract top talent. Employees are more likely to stay with a company that invests in their professional development and offers opportunities for growth. There is a lot of concern from employees regarding AI replacing them. By upskilling existing employees with AI, it will lead to less job-related anxiety and more productivity.
    2. Boost employee morale and productivity. Knowledge of AI capabilities can empower employees to take on new responsibilities and overcome challenges that were previously holding them back. Reduction of manual tasks through AI automation, better onboarding and learning using AI can lead to increased job satisfaction and higher levels of productivity.
    3. Enhance adaptability and innovation. By providing employees with the latest skills and knowledge, you enable them to adapt more effectively to changes in technology and the industry. This, in turn, can foster a culture of innovation and drive an organization forward as employees identify how AI can be implemented into their day-to-day office role.

    Related: How Will Artificial Intelligence Influence Real Estate?

    To implement an effective AI upskilling program, consider the following best practices.

    1. Identify AI skill gaps. Analyze the organization’s current skill sets and identify areas where improvement is needed relating to AI. This can help prioritize the skills to focus on and ensure that upskilling efforts are targeted and effective.
    2. Leverage various learning formats. Use a combination of educational apps, micro-learning, workshops and mentorship programs to cater to different learning styles and preferences.
    3. Utilize existing content. Most learning providers have produced courses on AI. Udemy, Coursera and LinkedIn Learning all have popular courses related to prompt engineering and AI.

    By focusing on AI upskilling, employers will help employees stay relevant in the age of AI and also demonstrate an organization’s commitment to growth and success. This, in turn, can lead to higher levels of employee engagement, retention and overall performance.

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    Dr Alex Young

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  • To Stay Competitive, You Must Overhaul Your Workplace Training | Entrepreneur

    To Stay Competitive, You Must Overhaul Your Workplace Training | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Referring to an uncertain business climate, investor Warren Buffett said, “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.” Buffett was talking about insurers and risk exposure, but he might as well have been talking about e-learning and training in the business world.

    Old-school learning management systems (LMSs) are by now familiar, but often hard to use and unrewarding; they may not close skill gaps, which places businesses at a competitive or economic disadvantage. When the “tide goes out,” leaving organizations scrambling for an edge, training shortcomings loom larger still.

    For those open to a little disruption, though, there’s a roadmap for minimizing those shortcomings.

    Related: Workplace Learning Is Broken. These 5 Steps Tell You How to Fix It.

    How is the tide going out?

    Let me count the ways. Higher interest rates and bank failures stoke economic worry. In a season of widespread layoffs — which are already rippling through the tech sector — employee training is a typical casualty.

    At the same time, ironically, there is a well-documented skills gap troubling many business sectors — increasing the incidence of job requirements evolving beyond peoples’ competencies. The World Economic Forum and PwC warn that more than half the world’s workers will need to learn new technologies by 2025. But only 34% of employees see employers as doing enough to support new skills development.

    It’s time to disrupt training as we know it

    Why the dismal score? Even when a company invests dutifully in learning and development, if the delivery platform is venerable (or just value-engineered), it might merely disgorge analog or linear media. If it’s old enough, it doesn’t respond to individual learner agendas; it’s like broadcast radio in a personal-playlist world. When training systems yank employees away from important tasks, then dispense one-size-fits-all content that might seem irrelevant or tedious, their use might occur only under duress — despite the clear business case for embracing perpetual upskilling.

    There are solid, ROI-tied reasons for evolving to more effective training.

    Related: How to Evaluate if Your Corporate Training Is Working

    Here’s how to start

    Start by stopping something, if your organization’s still doing it: Stop viewing workers and their ongoing development as a cost sink. Start counting them and programs to address their skill gaps as productivity and profit centers.

    “Executives don’t see the full value of investing in the workforce for the long run,” said Thomas Kolchan at MIT’s Sloan School of Management in a Deloitte article, although it means “being able to drive productivity improvements by having good jobs that pay good wages and having workers who are well-trained ahead of any investments in technology so that they can add value.”

    But there are plenty of credible metrics to quantify the ROI of good workplace training.

    If this adds up to a sea change at your organization, it’s time. But a revised top-to-bottom view of employee value demands executive buy-in, and getting it means emphasizing the business case for better training.

    “Leaders expect you to leverage the [training] investment … to improve the organization’s overall performance,” warned workplace performance expert Ajay Pangarkar. “Essentially, the learning employees acquire through the infrastructure must demonstrate improving business performance that will indirectly lead to positive financial results.”

    There are two straightforward ways to connect those dots.

    One is to emphasize personalized competency-based learning — a training framework that focuses on outcomes, real-world performance, and the employee’s demonstration of mastery. An AI-enhanced intelligent learning platform can do more than serve up individualized, relevant coursework one learner at a time. It can automate performance measurement for each learner. That’s a whole generation better than dispensing one-size-fits-all videos or slide decks. New-generation solutions can fulfill a mentoring role — responding to individual learning styles, even format preferences.

    The second way to connect learning culture with business performance is to realize that an organization is better equipped to assemble mission-focused dream teams from within. It may be reflex behavior to recruit specialized talent from outside, but it’s also time-consuming and expensive — and even people with ideal credentials can be rough cultural fits. Modern competency-based learning systems make it easier to optimize people in your own ranks. The organization’s institutional memory improves; strides in productivity result.

    4 additional clear wins

    What else can happen as organizations embrace modern, personalized learning platforms?

    1. They’ll win more rounds in the talent wars. When workers are hired from the outside, they appreciate a training system that listens, adjusts and mentors.
    2. More people retain more skills. A dividend of catering to individual learning styles.
    3. Talent stays longer. Less churn, disaffection, “quiet quitting” or burnout.
    4. The table is set for greater innovation. A better-skilled business is naturally better at solving marketplace challenges, which come thick and fast these days.

    For all these reasons, pivoting away from special-occasion or emergency learning — and toward embedding training in the regular rhythm of the workplace — helps build cohesive internal work culture, even (perhaps especially) among remote workers, which matters all the more in tumultuous economic times.

    Related: 4 Big Benefits of Improved Employee Training

    Be ready for that ebb tide

    A global slowdown, isolated or undertrained workers, talent wars, widening skill gaps — they’re either possible in the near future or already causing grief. Companies facing such uncertainties will perform better when they’re willing to disrupt old workplace training norms and elevate a perpetual skill-honing and intelligent learning culture. Classifying these things and the technologies that support them as productivity boosters, not drags on the enterprise, is essential to motivating the future digital workforce.

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    Graham Glass

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  • Why People-Focused Leaders Are Crucial to Overcoming a Recession | Entrepreneur

    Why People-Focused Leaders Are Crucial to Overcoming a Recession | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As economists and financial leaders continue to debate the possibility of an economic recession in 2023, there is little doubt this hot topic is creating a great sense of uncertainty for businesses and a disruption in the workforce. While companies are likely focused on continuing operations, workers are on edge for professional and personal reasons, leading to distracted employees and reduced performance that affects the bottom line.

    Although economic indicators fluctuate, and recession forecasts are ever-changing, savvy business leaders understand the unwavering foundation of their business is people – a company’s greatest asset. Successful leaders emphasize taking care of their people — in good times and bad — to stay the course, leverage opportunities and weather any storms, leading to more resilient companies anchored by an engaged, secure workforce.

    Below are three ways people-focused business leaders can address recessionary concerns to make employees feel safe.

    1. Practice clear communication

    In a world of 24-hour news cycles filled with dynamic views about a recession, it is not surprising that employees may feel confused and concerned about the economy and their employer’s stability. Human nature dictates that workers will naturally rely on those they trust. They look to leaders for clear communication, guidance, reassurance and a path forward to help alleviate any fears.

    While practicing clear communication is key in all business situations, it is even more critical during times of uncertainty, which employers and employees are all too familiar given the last three years. Prior communication strategies serve as a solid knowledge base to inform current decision-making tactics.

    Leaders should consider what worked, what didn’t and areas for improvement. Frequent, clear and consistent communication throughout the company can help to reinforce the company’s position and its vision forward. Hence, employees feel secure and free to focus on the tasks at hand. For example, acknowledging recessionary concerns and sharing insights through CEO video messages/all-employee meetings, manager updates during team meetings with time for employee Q&As and relevant content/links posted on the intranet are ways for leaders to keep workers informed and to help them feel more secure.

    Related: 3 Steps to Help Employees Understand Your Objectives and Expectations

    2. Promote  the  culture

    A strong corporate culture can be a differentiating factor during uncertain times because employees need to feel supported and cared for by their work family, providing a critical sense of belonging that leads to camaraderie and a united front as everyone faces the possibility of an economic recession together. Therefore, promoting the culture by reinforcing existing policies, programs and benefits, or creating new ones, should be top of mind for business leaders.

    When leaders make a concerted effort to understand employee wants and needs regarding particular situations – similar to offering more flexible scheduling during the pandemic – it can go a long way toward cultivating an environment in which employees feel appreciated and leads to a confident, engaged workforce.

    For example, many employee assistance programs (EAPs) offer access to financial resources, mental health and well-being programs, and personal or professional guidance free of charge to employees and family members. Another way to support employees is through financial wellness programs that delve into developing a budget, reducing debt, understanding credit and saving for college or retirement, which can help employees gain more confidence in managing their finances.

    Related: How Leaders Should Think About Employee Benefits

    3. Offer unique financial perks

    Although the economy is uncertain, the still-tight labor market is a valid concern for many organizations. Therefore, offering unique financial perks is one way to attract and retain top talent. When employers think outside of the box by providing benefits to help ease employees’ financial burdens, it not only acknowledges economic concerns but also demonstrates empathy because leaders understand what it is like to feel financial stressors.

    There are numerous ways companies can provide financial assistance to support employees while standing out as a great workplace. For example, employers might consider offering employees lump-sum financial benefits workers can use at their discretion for groceries, gas, elder/child care, utilities and other living expenses. Additional areas to consider are assistance with student loan repayments, tuition reimbursement, access to short-term loans and company match on 401(k) accounts. When employers go above and beyond to address financial issues, employees take notice and realize business leaders have their best interests at heart.

    As business leaders face the possibility of a recession, their number one priority should be taking care of their people — the lifeblood of a company’s existence — to help ensure they feel informed, supported and secure in the workplace.

    Related: Employee Perks Might Not Be As Effective As You Think They Are

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    Steve Arizpe

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  • The Power of Franchisee Training Videos | Entrepreneur

    The Power of Franchisee Training Videos | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Franchisors love to tout the training and support offered to franchisees in their system, which is designed to provide an education on the ownership and operation of their respective brands. It’s vital to communicate the instructions that make up the corporate training process, as the majority of franchise concepts make the valid claim that prior industry experience isn’t necessary to run the business models. But when job safety and accident prevention are often key components, you simply can’t underestimate the value and importance of training new franchisees.

    This is why some franchisors go all out during the onboarding phase. Many have developed elaborate programs, billed as “[insert brand here] University,” that provide countless hours of classroom and on-the-job training sessions. But are these dry, classroom-style sessions truly the most effective – and cost-efficient – way to reach new franchisees?

    In search of a better and more cost-effective solution to training new franchisees, should brands consider transitioning their valuable resources and money elsewhere? Below makes the case for using video as the primary medium.

    Related: 4 Big Benefits of Improved Employee Training

    What’s at stake

    Training new franchisees on operating a business model where they often have no prior experience requires a serious and sober approach, especially if new owners plan to handle the day-to-day operations. For instance, you can’t expect a former CPA to run a pest-control franchise without first communicating the associated risks and hazards that come with handling dangerous and harmful pesticides and chemicals. Just the same, a successful medical device sales executive has no business operating a chainsaw at great heights soon after purchasing a tree-trimming franchise. In both of these cases, communicating the associated workplace risks is every bit as important as teaching new franchisees how to acquire new customers and manage online ad campaigns.

    The value propositions of video

    What franchisors should value more than any other aspect of the training process is engagement. And securing the right level of engagement requires a training program that’s interesting, informative and even appealing. If franchisees find the instruction to be entertaining and enjoyable, they’re much more likely to retain the knowledge you’re trying to communicate. Forrester Research has conducted studies that reveal employees are 75% more likely to watch a video than read documents, web articles or emails. And thanks to the repetition and sharing that videos allow, retention rates rise, increasing trainees’ ability to remember details and concepts.

    One study, undertaken by the SAVO Group, found that — in the absence of video learning — employees were unable to retain as much as 65% of the material presented. Instructional video also allows for consistent messaging, meaning the information franchisors need to convey is absorbed equally by viewers. Lastly, the use of video — an effective, portable and engaging medium — also comes with metrics, allowing franchisors to track views, sharing, comments and even downloads. Why the discrepancies in effectiveness? Most experts attribute this to a theory known as The Cone of Experience, which holds that individuals can recall up to 50% of what is presented to them. If that sounds discouraging, the recall rate is 30% for what they see, 20% for what they hear and only 10% for what they’ve read.

    Related: How to Scale Your Training with Video and Learning Management Systems

    Is eLearning a thing?

    The sudden onset of the global pandemic brought radical changes to many industries and business channels that needed to adapt quickly to the public health threat. Education, with its pivot to online, or eLearning, offers one of the strongest examples. But is eLearning a thing? Video-based instruction and visual learning entered the mainstream almost overnight, and the results have been intriguing.

    Businesses and organizations are in near-total agreement that videos help them train their employees better and faster, and they plan to continue using the medium as part of their overall digital learning strategy. The flexibility that comes with video instruction has proven invaluable. Through video learning, users have the ability to pause, rewind and even rewatch content — giving the viewer full control over learning and comprehension of the proposed subject matter.

    How video saves time, money and resources

    The current training programs and onboarding platforms offered by many franchisors require the repetition of expenses in time, money and resources. It’s a time-consuming process, but transitioning to video could eliminate a majority of repetitive fixed costs. There are no scheduling conflicts or plane tickets to secure for instructors or franchise trainees. There are no venues to book, rooms to reserve or meals to cater. In fact, with the simplicity that comes from video training, trainees can absorb the required instruction whenever and wherever they choose — including the comfort of their own homes.

    As industries across the spectrum continue their rapid transformation to an all-digital world, the portability, engagement and effectiveness of video will play a central role in the comprehension of valuable information. The world of franchising is particularly suited to take advantage of the benefits that video production offers, and they go well beyond training programs. Many leading brands, as well as several upstart and emerging concepts, are already reaping the benefits of integrating video into their platforms. Video has become an effective tool for franchise development, recruitment, training, sales, customer acquisition and even ongoing support. Those that have invested in high-quality, brand-specific content for numerous franchise programs and initiatives will continue to reap the whirlwind of success associated with a powerful and consistent medium — video production.

    Related: How to Create A Video-Based Employee Onboarding Program To Maximize New Hire Productivity

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    Trevor Rappleye

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  • How Leaders and Their Teams Flourish Through Continuing Education

    How Leaders and Their Teams Flourish Through Continuing Education

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    After likely spending years in college and excitedly anticipating a professional life, it’s easy to be sympathetic to an entrepreneur’s hesitancy about returning to the classroom. But being excellence-and stability-driven, like it or not, also means nurturing knowledge and skills as leaders, as well as those of staff members. Put simply, at some point, to keep careers, businesses and overall satisfaction growing, it’s occasionally necessary to plunge back into the scholastic pool.

    Why further education could be the right choice for you

    Significant payoffs of ongoing learning include value creation, career satisfaction and engagement, as well as closing collegiate skill gaps and reducing churn.

    Let’s look at the value side first: The more you know and can do, the greater your value to all parties — investors, partners and staff. Diverse and up-to-date knowledge increases the ability to identify opportunities and problem-solve.

    Keeping your knowledge and skills current also puts you in the best position to explore new business opportunities and lead authoritatively. In doing so, you’re positioning both yourself and (ideally) your team as experts as a way to stay market competitive. If you’re starting a company or buying an asset, that extra education symbolizes commitment and capability that can give you an edge in attracting partners and winning over investors.

    Sometimes, college doesn’t prepare new graduates for everything needed to be capable and successful in entrepreneurial or other professional pursuits. Many industries, such as tech, finance, commercial real estate and other dynamic fields are evolving so quickly that a gap exists between expertise needed in the real world and that provided via college curriculums. So, you and/or your team may well need specialized vocational training provided by industry organizations and experts to build and maintain a competitive advantage. And for enterprises that require licensing, it’s often obligatory to do so.

    This brings to mind another essential reason to stay current: avoiding liability. If you operate a business in an industry that carries a fair amount of malpractice risk, such as law, architecture or real estate, showing that you took best-practice measures to keep team abilities at their peak will help protect against professional negligence claims.

    Data abundantly points to the value of continuing education, particularly as it applies to providing ongoing learning to employees. According to LinkedIn’s 2018 Workplace Learning Report, 94% of employees reported being more loyal to employers that invest in their education, and no less than 63% of working adults described themselves as being “professional learners” (taken career courses or other training in the last twelve months according to a 2016 Pew Research Center article. That latter research also indicates that 69% of workers living in households earning more than $75,000 per year are likewise self-described professional learners.

    Related: Here Are Some of the Best Continuing Education Options for Entrepreneurs

    Growth and satisfaction

    Both business and personal lives can become tedious when a person is stuck doing the same task repeatedly, particularly without variation or the opportunity to expand. This is what tends to happen when knowledge and experience in new areas haven’t been developed for an extended period.

    When we’re trying to build a reliable team, boredom is among the primary opponents. Intellectually stymied employees are likely to become disengaged and have diminishing views of their futures, making them much more likely to look for a new job.

    Further education challenges entrepreneurs and employees personally and professionally and opens opportunities for growth and creativity. The chance to try something new, get a better or novel result or simply offer a different perspective keeps work fresh and boosts engagement and fulfillment. The potential opened by ongoing learning allows us to redefine entrepreneurial and professional identities and find what truly fits our personalities and talents.

    Related: What Benjamin Franklin and Tony Robbins Can Teach You About Self-Improvement

    Educational avenues

    Fortunately, depending on preferences, objectives, budget, industry and available time, there are plenty of options for pursuing additional education. If you’re considering diversifying into a new sector, the conventional route is going back to college (or hiring managers and technicians with the needed skill sets). While this can be costly and time-consuming, it’s also valuable and rewarding. Even if you already have a particular level of degree (bachelor’s, master’s, etc.), there’s no limit to how many degrees you can get on the same level. In other words, just because you already have a bachelor’s doesn’t mean that the mandatory next step is a master’s, particularly if the goal is to change industries.

    As an alternative route, higher education institutions offer certificate programs that can be completed in three to 18 months. These allow you to supplement a skill set in your current leadership role and broaden your capabilities.

    Related: How to Recreate Your Career and Start Over

    Beyond formal education channels, industry organizations provide many professional and vocational options. These include credential/designation programs, industry conferences, academies and workshops. These can be a great choice, even fresh out of college, if you or your employees need to reinforce knowledge that’s fueled by practical insights from active experts in your industry.

    Finally, leaders and workers alike can learn by exploring new roles in the current company or in a new venture, where existing skills can be applied while being exposed to new ideas, methodologies and skill sets. So, if you have a staff, consider offering in-house training programs, because supporting and sponsoring this education pays substantial dividends, including being an incubator for new leaders.

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    Robert Finlay

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  • 5 Best Practices to Prevent Digital Fatigue from Derailing Training

    5 Best Practices to Prevent Digital Fatigue from Derailing Training

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Today’s employees spend a lot of time in front of screens, which is undoubtedly necessary but can also lead to digital fatigue. This mental exhaustion can affect not only performance, but also the capacity to absorb and apply new knowledge, which can lead to training failure.

    To drive productivity, results and morale, it’s up to companies and learning and development teams to design training programs that reduce digital fatigue.

    Related: How to Help Your Employees Avoid Digital Burnout

    How does digital fatigue affect training?

    Digital fatigue can affect any professional sphere, including training. There are several telltale signs of digital fatigue, so you can take action to mitigate and even prevent it from spoiling training outcomes. For example, when employees frequently put off training or have higher-than-usual rates of poor training results, those can be indicators of digital fatigue.

    According to a study by Deloitte, about a third of Americans say that since the Covid-19 pandemic began, they’ve felt overwhelmed by the number of devices and subscriptions they need to handle. The pandemic may be waning, but digital fatigue is here to stay and take its toll. Research shows that 22% of remote workers want to leave their jobs because they’re inundated with email; in fact, half would rather scrub their bathrooms than clear an overflowing inbox!

    What can learning specialists do to prevent digital fatigue from derailing training in particular? Here are five best practices.

    1. Offer more communication opportunities online and offline

    While on-demand digital training is highly convenient, a constant lack of face-to-face communication can sometimes make employees feel disconnected and tired in front of their screens.

    But with the right tools, training designers can prevent this and encourage learners to connect and communicate. Social learning — where employees connect, often informally, and learn collaboratively and through real-life scenarios — remains a priority, even if training is more digitized than ever. In 2021, 28% of organizations relied on social learning, compared to 19% the year before.

    Some e-learning features that streamline communication are:

    • Chats that allow employees to quickly get instructions, feedback and support;
    • Forums that enable group communication on specific training topics;
    • Groups that keep everyone in the loop and allow users to easily share learning resources.

    Communication and collaboration tools are vital to making online training more engaging. However, employees also need some time away from screens to mitigate the effects of digital fatigue. Occasionally organizing in-person training sessions for people working in the same office, area or country can counteract digital fatigue. This provides employees the chance to connect, learn together and test their knowledge in a more traditional learning environment — adding some variety into the predominantly digital routine.

    Related: This Silent Productivity Killer is Draining 4 Hours From Your Week. Here’s How To Fix It

    2. Tap into learners’ competitive spirit

    Training shouldn’t be perceived as boring or useless — but when employees feel like that, engagement suffers. For example, a recent survey about cybersecurity awareness training found that boring training caused employees to disengage — and, as a result, persist in risky behaviors.

    At the same time, when 70% of employees say they lack the skills needed to do their jobs, training is, of course, crucial. How can L&D specialists motivate people to learn? One answer lies in gamification.

    Learners are often eager to know there’s something waiting for them at the end of their training (and along the way), aside from meeting their company’s requirements. Challenges and incentives, such as certificates, badges, leaderboards and group games (where two or more teams compete for points), can provide motivation. The prizes’ utility goes beyond their symbolic value. Knowing they’ve done well in an online course stimulates employees to keep up the good work.

    Related: 3 Ways to Make Corporate Training Fun

    3. Make training more “snackable”

    Microlearning — or short learning activities with single objectives — doesn’t only help employees acquire and retain knowledge more easily, but it also feels less overwhelming.

    By providing short courses and multimedia content to help employees with their tasks at hand, instructors can easily squeeze learning into employees’ schedules. L&D professionals need flexible technologies that support different training formats (like videos) and can streamline assessments, i.e. through automated quizzes.

    4. Tailor training to employees’ skills and preferences

    It’s the instructors’ responsibility to design training programs that address necessary skills and goals for their workforce, but these should also focus on employees’ specific needs and preferences.

    Technology makes it possible to personalize training at scale by creating individualized learning paths. Some learning systems choose the steps in learners’ journeys based on learners’ skills, aptitudes, goals, roles, competencies demonstrated, interests and more — automatically recommending, for example, whether someone needs a refresher in a certain area or can move on to the next learning activity. They might suggest course modules, videos, Q&A forums, articles or more for individualized skills development.

    Related: Workplace Learning Is Broken. These 5 Steps Tell You How to Fix It.

    5. Use different training models

    A combination of live and on-demand learning also optimizes training and makes it more engaging. Although live training (whether in-person or online) is often harder to organize, especially for large teams working across time zones, it offers undeniable benefits — especially when interactive components (e.g., role plays, Q&As, brainstorming) are involved. Live training sessions allow employees to engage with others, get feedback in real time and put names to faces. Social interaction can motivate learners to engage in training they perceive as more meaningful.

    On-demand training provides many benefits too, including the ability for learners to consume (and review, as necessary) materials when it fits into their schedules. And when training isn’t highly interactive, on-demand e-learning is both convenient and cost-effective.

    Taking a blended approach benefits learners and companies. Instructors can kick off a training program with a live call to explain its scope and goals, and take questions. Afterward, trainees can learn at their own pace, when time allows — consuming articles, course modules and videos, posting questions in forums, etc. Periodic group calls and a closing live session, where trainees put their skills in action, can wrap up the initiative.

    Related: How to Evaluate if Your Corporate Training is Working

    Avoiding digital fatigue

    Nowadays, employees are increasingly prone to suffering from digital fatigue. Uncontrolled, it can lead to burnout. Instructors need to catch the early signs of digital fatigue and design training programs that are engaging, rewarding, concise and flexible so that employees find the motivation to spend more quality time in the digital workplace learning environment.

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    Graham Glass

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  • How Employee Training Partnerships Can Benefit Your Business (and What to Look for in a Partner)

    How Employee Training Partnerships Can Benefit Your Business (and What to Look for in a Partner)

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    CEOs must feel like remaking their workforces is a full-time job. Recent research shows that 60% of employers said new graduates were not adequately prepared for the workforce, while other research warns that 58% of workers will need new skills to successfully do their jobs.

    These findings point to an important conclusion: Executives need to make sure that their workers are continually acquiring new skills and competencies. However, this mammoth task is not something that companies can adequately perform on their own. When it comes to training, companies must embrace partnerships with institutions that can deliver the skills their employees need to power their companies forward.

    Some of these skills will be industry-specific, whether it’s operating a lathe or coding in Python. Others will revolve around digital marketing skills or data analytics. Still, others will be more general business — the foundational skills employers want employees to have from day one, whether it’s putting together a proposal, understanding a budget or effectively working with Excel. This is where a training partner comes in.

    Related: You Should Invest In Upskilling Your Changing Workforce. Here’s Why.

    What to look for in a training partner

    Executives should look for a training partner who will listen to their needs and be willing to grow and pivot with them over time to develop relevant programming. After all, what a company needs today might not be what it needs 2 years, 3 years or 5 years down the road.

    Given the ever-changing business landscape, the right training partner can be useful in helping companies “see around corners.” Companies should pick a training partner that is constantly analyzing market trends and is in regular contact with multiple companies and CEOs. In this way, the partner can help the company understand what other companies are seeing and what trends are taking shape — and then work to develop the right programming to help keep their workforce competitive.

    It helps if the training partner has actual industry practitioners leading programs so companies are working and collaborating with instructors who are living and breathing industry issues on a daily basis. Likewise, a regional training partner — one with a physical presence near your company — is more likely to have their finger on the pulse of business needs in the region than a nationwide online learning provider with no local presence.

    It’s also worth mentioning that there tend to be better results and outcomes when learners come to class in person and participate, face-to-face with other people versus online-only learning. The networking opportunities are also much stronger in person. Because of this, there are advantages to selecting a training partner in your backyard.

    Related: How Organizations Stand to Gain a Lot By Reskilling Employees

    Other offerings to look for

    Regarding what kind of educational offerings to look for from a training partner, stackable credentials represent the future of professional development and continuous learning.

    In some organizations, providing tuition reimbursement so that an employee can pursue a master’s degree is being replaced with professional development dollars that support continuous learning. For those organizations, it makes sense to look for a training partner that offers a series of certifications and credentials that an employee can use to immediately gain fluency in a certain area and then build on over time. Think of an employee who takes a quick social media marketing course to top off their skills in this area and then takes enough additional marketing and business offerings over the span of a year or two to essentially accumulate a mini-MBA.

    This brings up another important point: When seeking out an ideal training partner, executives should look for a certain degree of rigor. This is not the time to partner with an institution where everyone gets a participation trophy just for showing up.

    Is the training partner taking a hard look at attendance, participation and level of understanding of the material? When an employee walks away from a certificate program in a particular area, can they put that skill set into practice? CEOs rightfully expect that if they’re investing in professional development, there will be a return on that investment in the form of enhanced skills. That ROI is important because skills are becoming obsolete faster than ever. The half-life of a skill today is around five years, meaning that the skill could be half as valuable five years from now as it is today.

    By embracing training partnerships, CEOs can proactively tackle the ongoing reskilling and upskilling challenge. In today’s fast-evolving business environment, that’s an investment that companies can’t afford not to make.

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    Eric Lloyd

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  • Is On-the-Job-Training Killing Your Company’s Potential?

    Is On-the-Job-Training Killing Your Company’s Potential?

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    On-the-job training is a common practice, regardless of how many employees work in an organization. As human beings, we naturally observe and model the behavior of those around us, especially when their behavior aligns with compensation, promotion and cultural norms. The not-so-secret secret of on-the-job training is that it relies on top performers to teach when they could or should be performing revenue-generating tasks. Relying on top performers to deliver training also limits the scope of skills exposure to what a top performer is willing or able to share. Not every expert is conscious of their own competencies or actions that help them achieve consistent success, nor is every expert a good instructor. The reality is that on-the-job training is inefficient, not standardized, unreliable and very hard to scale.

    However, on-the-job training does have one core benefit — it isn’t theoretical. Practicing real skills in real situations gives individuals the benefit of experiencing when, where and how a skill is employed on the job — seeing the consequences of actions, gaining personalized insights (if the mentor is in tune with the mentee) and establishing the first set of experiences that might lead to performance confidence.

    Related: Most Companies Fail at Employee Training. What are They Doing Wrong?

    The myths of the 70:20:10 model

    Myth: 70% of training is on-the-job, in real-time

    Myth: 20% of training is delivered socially, through coaching

    Myth: 10% of training is formally structured, in a course

    As an observation of what most organizations do for training, it’s not unreasonable to believe only 10% of professional skills are supported with formal training. Great training is expensive and time-consuming to create. It’s estimated that it takes learning and development professionals nearly 490 hours to create 1 hour of quality (level 3) training.

    In a corporate environment, training and development is generally viewed as a cost center, not a revenue driver. On paper, the arithmetic of 70:20:10 looks ingenious, 70% of training costs are free. Don’t be fooled, the most expensive training you can buy is training that doesn’t work.

    A bad lecture, boring eLearning or required reading that doesn’t create any new skills or organizational change wastes the time of all the employees who could have been productive. On-the-job training that needs to be provided repeatedly, or worse, processes that always need to be supported by the one expert at the company creates massive lost opportunity costs that find their way to the balance sheet.

    When it’s time to perform, it’s too late to practice. — Dr. Michael Allen

    In the modern era of corporate training, many organizations don’t believe 70:20:10 is a prescriptive model for smart training. 70:20:10, however, is an ingrained legacy model that’s hard to give up. The core assumption to justify making an investment in effective training is that new or perfected skills will lead to enhanced business operations:

    • Increase revenue

    • Minimize accidents

    • Lower operational costs

    • Create loyal customers

    • Reduce turnover

    It will enhance business operations but only if the training is effective. The outcomes of ineffective training create organizational beliefs that training is not worth investing in. As a business leader, now is the time to review how training is being delivered to your employees. Taking the best of what each modality has to offer, from on-the-job training and coaching to formal course development, quality training solutions include:

    • Sufficient and spaced skills practice on authentic application scenarios

    • Individualized learning paths, skipping skills already mastered

    • Motivational support to encourage mastery and utilization of new skills

    • Contextually rich training to connect when and where performance is expected

    The ingredients listed above can be deployed in many training modalities. None are exclusive to on-the-job training; in fact, each is more powerfully and cost-effectively delivered in formal training. To challenge training norms, business leaders need to align strategic outcomes to learning budgets. How much should a change in behavior net the organization, and how much would you spend to ensure that change happens with quality training?

    Related: Training New Employees Sucks. 3 Ways Make It Faster, Easier and More Effective.

    The massive gap in talent

    Consider space-related industries. The space economy is on pace to be a $1 trillion industry by 2040, with tens of thousands of open positions and frantic startups popping up everywhere. On-the-job training has become the norm. But to create a highly skilled workforce and meet revenue goals, space organizations can’t rely on top talent with subject matter expertise to mentor every new hire.

    In service industries experiencing both labor shortages and high rates of turnover, internal subject matter expertise can be one resignation away from leaving a company stranded. Without creating a digital and scalable solution for training, today’s organizations risk losing the ability to provide effective training solutions altogether. The gap in available talent will inevitably hit your industry, business and team. How should a business leader prioritize spending on training?

    Your first training dollar

    The cost of a digital training program is really for the first employee. Once in place, digital learning is inexpensive to deliver to the second through millionth employee. Here are a few dimensions to evaluate if training should be created at all:

    • Is the skill risky to the person or business?

    • Does the skill get used once a year or many times a year?

    • Can you hire already skilled individuals?

    • Could a job aid or checklist be used every time the skill is needed?

    • How many people are required to perform the skill?

    • What’s the rate of attrition/turnover?

    • Do employees need extra motivation to perform the skill, even after mastery?

    Related: How Innovative Technology Improves On-the-Job Training

    Performance success in our careers makes an enormous impact on our lives. Your future employees will no doubt evaluate training programs not only for the applicability in doing the job at hand but also for the usefulness in advancing their career opportunities. By making an investment in quality formalized training, your business can make a tangible and measurable impact that on-the-job training is hard-pressed to match.

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    Christopher Allen

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  • Indian tech giant Wipro will invest $1 billion in AI, including training all staff | CNN Business

    Indian tech giant Wipro will invest $1 billion in AI, including training all staff | CNN Business

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    Hong Kong
    CNN
     — 

    Wipro, one of India’s top providers of software services, wants everyone on staff to know how to use artificial intelligence.

    The IT giant announced Wednesday it would spend $1 billion on improving its artificial intelligence capabilities over the next three years, including training its entire staff of 250,000 people across 66 countries in the fast-moving technology.

    Wipro

    (WIT)     said it plans to run workshops “on AI fundamentals and responsible use of AI over the course of the next 12 months, and will continue to provide more customized, ongoing training for employees in AI-specialized roles.”

    Wipro is one of India’s biggest outsourcing firms, specializing in IT and consulting services. Its move comes as generative AI, the technology that underpins popular platforms such as ChatGPT, has taken the world by storm.

    “With the emergence of generative AI, we expect a fundamental shift up ahead, for all industries,” Wipro CEO Thierry Delaporte said in the statement.

    The company added it was launching a software system to integrate AI into every platform and tool used internally and offered to clients, as it capitalizes on its existing efforts in the space that started about a decade ago.

    Businesses are increasingly using AI to either bolster or replace tasks usually carried out by humans.

    This week, the CEO of an Indian startup made headlines for laying off about 90% of his support staff, saying the company had built an AI-powered chatbot that could process customer service requests faster than employees.

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