E-learning and Webinars Fall Short for Up-skilling

It is extremely difficult to learn and practically apply new skills from just one e-learning session or webinar, no matter how great the content. Continually practicing a skill and creating new habits are key to really learning and retaining new skills. Depending on the job or role, an employee can get pigeon-holed into one area of strength, while feeling stuck and not being given an opportunity to do something they could be even greater at. Or, they may be excellent at what they do, but their skills need to be redeployed into a new area.

An Accenture analysis, reported in “Bridging the Skills Gap in the Future Workforce,” revealed that for almost every single role, a combination of complex reasoning, creativity, socio-emotional intelligence and sensory perception skills is increasingly relevant and that today’s training programs are not equipped to build these competencies:

“Today’s education and training systems are ill-equipped to build these skills. By their nature, these skills are acquired through practice and experience, often over long periods of time. They are not inculcated in the classroom, lecture hall or library.”

The Harvard Business Review agrees. Its article “Learn from People, Not Classes” states:

“Picking courses out of a catalog won’t provide the tools needed to adapt.”

If online learning isn’t cutting it, side projects could be an option. But, bandwidth doesn’t always allow for that.

Could job sharing be the answer?

Whether your company is full of high potential employees looking for leadership opportunities or up-skillers looking for new challenges, job sharing provides a solution to both. Job Share Connect’s matching process allows for the on-the-job learning and building of new skills that empowers individuals to successfully up-skill. Both the employee and employer reap the benefits. As an individual’s skillset broadens, so does the organization’s potential.

After the match happens, the following are critical to lead to up-skilling success:

• Ask questions

• Practice new tasks daily

• Knowledge share regularly, whether in small groups, team meetings or future mentoring sessions

• Spread out the learning over time

• A consistent feedback loop

Learning & Development programs will have to be less focused on releasing modules that are watched once or twice and forgotten about (with little retention) and more focused on driving development of new skills, identifying people for emerging roles and leadership opportunities, and helping redeploy people into new roles. It’s not something that can be accomplished overnight - it’s a big task! - but Job Share Connect will partner with you to complete a needs assessment, chart the rollout of job sharing and the co-development program, while providing the ongoing coaching and onboarding support to set your talent up for success.