Workplace Upskilling: Making companies and workers more resilient — SMP&CO Strategy Review

In these unprecedented times, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated a trend in workplace dynamics that were already in progress through the advancement of technology. According to a Gartner CFO survey, almost three out of four CFOs plan to shift at least 5% of formerly on-site employees to work from home arrangement position permanently. This is not only due to healthcare concerns, but also because companies are now seeing the benefits over the costs of working from home. However, if they want to be able to successfully implement a remote set up, companies would need to invest in workplace upskilling.

Due to the mismatch that arises between supply and demand of skills in the workplace due to the changing needs of consumers in the new normal that the company has to cater to, it demands organizations’ to invest more in these 4 kinds of skills: digital, higher cognitive, social and emotional, adaptability and resilience.

According to a survey by SalesForce/Tableau, 69% of the respondents agree that the nature of work will permanently be changed because of the pandemic. A recent survey by enaible of corporate executives (85% of which had more than four out of five employees working remotely) on the other hand, discovered that executives (84%) were concerned about the capability of managers to manage remotely, the possibility of a decrease in employee morale (81%), a false read on productivity (76%), effects of home distractions (75%); and a lack of visibility on employees (74%). It can be noticed that all of these concerns of corporate executives fall under the four kinds of skills mentioned above: digital skills, higher cognitive skills, social and emotional skills, and adaptability and resilience skills.

Shifting to working online, a company must be able to expand the abilities of employees to operate in a fully digital environment. This includes building awareness and understanding the latest tech and data-enabled model the organization will be using. Furthermore, employers must also train their people on how to effectively use their tools for communication.

In these trying times, I think it’s safe to say that strategy and innovation is the key to success. Developing the cognitive skills of employees is critical to ensure that they are able to respond to a rapidly changing environment and business model, through redesign and innovation. Being strategic and innovative is vital especially since there is an increase in autonomy brought on by remote work.

Advanced social and emotional skills are essential to ensure that despite the distance, professional ties are kept strong which results in effective collaboration. These skills are extremely crucial for leaders and managers if they want to be able to drive change and support their people remotely.

Lastly, the most important skill in my opinion is building adaptability and resilience in order to thrive in an evolving business environment. Employees will need the support of employers more than ever. Due to the uncertainty of what the future holds, the quality of self-confidence and self-reliance of workers may be affected negatively if not supported well by their company through programs that promote mental wellness, time management, and setting boundaries. In addition, companies will also be able to instill resilience and empower their employees through teaching what the concept of being resilient truly means to its people in the simplest way possible: “every new experience is a source of learning.”

Companies might think, “there’s a lot more to worry about as of the moment to stay afloat.” Therefore, they’d rather cut the budget on employee training due to the losses they are experiencing due to Covid-19. However, while it is tempting to allow their resources on other aspects of the business, this will consequently be detrimental in the long run. At the end of the day, the companies that will emerge in the post-COVID era are the ones that are able to adapt as quickly and efficiently as possible, and the only way companies can do so is by ensuring that employees are equipped with the 4 kinds of skills mentioned above.

Companies can’t be resilient if their employees aren’t. Having upskilling training now is the first step to co-existing with COVID-19 and ensuring that an organization’s newly implemented business model is a success. As companies prepare to reimagine and redesign their business models, it is important to dive deeper into strategic workplace planning. For their strategy to work, they should ensure that it is tailor-fit to the learning needs and specific goals and objectives of their company and employees. Organizations should not be afraid to start now as even if their first upskilling strategy is unsuccessful, it will serve as a source of learning and prepare them to take on future skill gaps.

To reiterate, protect your learning budget because it will serve as your competitive advantage post-COVID and will help you emerge as one of the resilient companies during the COVID-19 pandemic.