Employee mindset
Prepare Your Employees’ Mindset Before You Introduce them to New Technical Skills
The COVID-19 crisis has caused glaring changes in business operations from mom-and-pop shops to global titans like Apple and Amazon. Many have found benefits in remote models and tech advancements, but these changes have left 87% of executives struggling with skill gaps. To adapt, employers must match employees to new roles and bridge the gap between their workforce and their new business models using skills training. It is crucial that these programs are effective, and that requires the right mindset. Preliminary mindset training can take a disheartened workforce and infuse them with a learning culture that will ensure the success of your skill programs and secure a future for your business.
What are reskilling and upskilling?
Reskilling and upskilling are both processes used to learn new skills or teach a workforce new skills. Upskilling involves skills that will help you or your workforce excel in your current positions, which may have changed due to business growth or COVID-19. Reskilling involves skills that are meant to enable you or your workforce to perform new roles. Whether those roles have developed internally or you are preparing your employees to advance their careers elsewhere, reskilling programs add significant value to your business. Here are several big names that have begun implementing skills training.
Amazon
Amazon is looking ahead and providing security for their workers with an infusion of $700 million that will help prepare 100,000 employees for jobs that will be in high demand in about five years. This includes six different training programs to build on existing skills and prepare for new roles.
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PwC put down $3 billion to provide 275,000 employees with skills training that includes digital upskilling for all 50,000 U.S. employees. This is a great example of skills training being used to fortify a company in the wake of COVID-19.
AT&T
This telecommunications giant responded to severely lacking employee skills with $1 billion in online courses, as well as a career center and other skills training meant to strengthen the workforce’s science, tech, engineering, and math skills for the future.
JPMorgan Chase
With $600 million in skills training, JPMorgan Chase is helping employees who have historically encountered significant roadblocks. Training is focused on upskilling and reskilling for in-demand tech positions.
The Benefits of Reskilling and Upskilling
The primary benefit of skills training is that it improves the overall proficiency and productivity of your workforce. Offering skills training makes your company more attractive to top talents and improves retention of the talent you already benefit from. With a more effective workforce, your customers will receive better service and have a better experience with your brand. Leadership and teamwork are improved, as well as your company’s capacity to adopt new technology and methods. Simply providing self-improvement options for your employees can lead to increased innovation in your strategies and products down the line.
Reduce the cost of filling new roles
Attract new talent
Improve retention
Boost morale and confidence
Increase customer satisfaction
Improve leadership and teamwork
Improve efficiency and productivity
Increase revenue
Enhance company image
Increase sense of fulfillment
The Benefits of a Growth Mindset
The world’s leading companies are implementing skill programs in light of what we learned about predictability last year. Considering the benefits, it looks like skill programs are soon to be the new norm. Before you jump in, however, your employees need to be primed. Otherwise, you risk losing what should have been a rewarding investment.
A fixed mindset makes an employee feel that success is limited to the existing ability of his or her unchangeable intellect and character. A growth mindset poses that intelligence and personality are not static. Instead of a fear of failure, there is a hunger for opportunity and a willingness to adapt. Employees in a growth mindset are:
34% more likely to feel a strong commitment to their organization
47% more likely to say that their colleagues are trustworthy
49% more likely to say that their organization promotes innovation
How to Promote a Growth Mindset
Defining Success
Promote a growth mindset in your workplace by reinventing your definition of success. Success based purely on results (numbers) gives an incentive to lie, blame, and fear failure. This creates a negative environment with a high burnout rate. Success based on growth promotes a collaborative and innovative environment with a higher standard of ethics. Employees in this environment are more likely to seek opportunities and handle setbacks efficiently.
Learning Goals
If success is based on learning, there must be learning goals. Goals in the workplace are often based on performance and, again, numbers. Failure to perform as expected hinders progress. Goals that are based on learning prompt team members to face challenges, experiment, put in genuine effort, and achieve improvement.
Positive Feedback
Criticism is essential for building successful teams, but criticism should always be constructive. Giving positive feedback that highlights not only the abilities and performance but the effort and dedication of the employee will stimulate a passion for learning and promote professional development. It also helps maintain an open line of communication through which you can identify problems and implement solutions faster.
The Grief/Change Curve
Preliminary training for a growth mindset makes your workforce more open to training, thereby making training more effective, but it also builds the resilience and emotional control of your workforce during transitions that may cause fear and a sense of loss. By supporting them through the process outlined below, you can improve overall profits and the value of your company in the long run. This will require you to show empathy and anticipate subtle emotional reactions. Start by listening and work towards discussion and training. The journey through the Change Curve is not always linear or predictable, so meet with your employees to gauge how people are feeling individually.
Denial
Employees are looking for evidence that changes are happening, or they may be dismissive of the information. Introduce changes in a structured and incremental manner. Keep communication lines open and welcome feedback.
Anger
Employees recognize the change but do not want it. There may be a fear of how the change will affect them personally. Identify team members who are becoming angry about changes. Continue open communication. Listen to concerns and be supportive.
Bargaining
During communications, employees may attempt to alter the plan by providing bad feedback or arguing the necessity. Remain firm and reiterate why the changes are necessary. Use case studies and simulations to demonstrate the value of the changes. Acknowledge any useful feedback and continue open, supportive communication.
Depression
You might notice a drop in productivity or a low energy/low mood atmosphere. Minimize any friction around changes being implemented. Make the process rewarding for the team by celebrating effort. Pair struggling team members with mentors who can help guide them through the changes. Continue support and communication.
Acceptance
Employees will begin to engage in the new practices and become eager to learn. Positivity will return to the workplace as the changes are implemented. Continue celebrating effort and acceptance. Reward team members who show initiative. Remember to lead by example.
Summary
COVID-19 has forced an avalanche of adjustment upon virtually every business around the world. Continued success and business growth will require adaptation and skills training for your workforce, but these changes can be difficult to implement if your employees are not prepared and open to growth. Your organization will reach its goals more quickly if employees are prepped for reskilling and upskilling with preliminary growth mindset training.