It’s a jungle out there, and we don’t mean for employees. Today, it’s the employers that are at a disadvantage because organizations are fighting for the attention of a few multi-talented individuals. When someone has talent in their role, other companies will take notice, and you could find that your organization keeps losing crucial personnel to competitors.
So what’s the issue? It could be a lack of learning opportunities. Instead of constantly seeking new talent, there is an opportunity to create a learning ecosystem to develop the skills and mindset of tomorrow’s business needs right now with the employees you already have hired. As employees feel educated and respected, they’ll be more motivated to learn the inner workings of an organization and stick around for the long haul. Here’s how to keep your MVPs squarely on your side.
Recognizing the Skills Gap
Here’s the thing: even with star employees, the skills gap still exists. According to the Center for Creative Leadership, the seven core competencies for leadership are leading employees, strategic planning, inspiring commitment, managing change, resourcefulness, being a quick learner, and doing whatever it takes. Unfortunately, organizations aren’t doing a good enough job teaching these skills in-house, and frustrated employees are leaving their companies for ones that will train and promote them.
By identifying the gaps in leadership skills within your own organization, you can create content that better prepares employees for taking on leadership roles. Instead of fighting over the same great leaders with your competitors, you essentially create your own army of motivators and strategists.
Giving More Resources
Most companies restrict employee learning to their sanctioned LMS and keep learners in their roles. There might be some lateral movement between departments, but it’s unlikely that newbies are given access to the same materials as the C-suite. But why? Shouldn’t a progressive organization want entry level employees to aspire to more?
A company might pay tuition for education in a related field, but it’s not enough. By giving employees access to all of the learning materials they want, you help all employees learn and give them the power to share that learning with others. Whether they want to move vertically in their own department or seek out other roles and responsibilities, high-level learning organizations know that in-house development is always a good thing.
Learner-Led Training
In the end, opening up your LMS and encouraging learning in and outside of work is about getting learners to take control of their own training. After all, leaders are the ones who are reading, researching, experiencing, and training; even on their own time. Those leaders should have access to the materials they need anytime, anyplace.
By offering more chances to learn, you’ll no longer have to scrabble with other companies for the talent you need. The talent you need is probably right in front of you: you just need to cultivate it. A learning environment that offers plenty of content, upward movement, and in-house promotion means that finding great talent is as simple as looking one desk over.
