Human resources departments are always looking for innovative ways to keep pace with the expectations and demands of the various internal and external stakeholders they interact with on a daily basis. They also have an obligation to help global employees at an organization be the best that they can be in the workplace.
Anything that improves communication, speed and efficiency will be welcome and it is usually the case, that innovative technology can help with all three. HR teams will therefore be interested in digital technology advancements that can help add new skills and improve their own digital knowledge while also being rolled out across the company as a whole to ensure that multiple departments and as many individual employees as possible benefit from digital upskilling.
In this article, we will look at what is involved when it comes to committing to digitally upskilling a global workforce and how HR teams can leverage new technologies and digital platforms as part of a company-wide commitment to improving digital and technical skills in the global workforce.
Commit to upskilling now
It is ok if you don't have a fully mapped out plan, it's also ok if you have little or no idea where to even start! The objective is to simply start and remain committed to digital skills. Digital technologies tend to move fast and there is a need to commit and take it seriously or risk being left behind in the digital world. Digital upskilling of a global workforce is not something to put on a to do list and say you will get to it one day. Instead, it will require a firm commitment from a number of key stakeholders across the business as well as financial investment.
The human resources department can choose to become involved in the business case for this digital upskilling and outline to business leaders the reasons why it is in the organization’s overall best interests to make this a reality into here and now.
Recognize the urgency of upskilling
HR teams can start by recognizing the urgency of acting quickly and then spreading this message throughout the organization. It is urgent because of failure to digitally upscale a global workforce can often result in service delivery issues and unsatisfied customers due to a skills gap -nobody wants this scenario.
Public perception is also important - potential new customers, partners or other key stakeholders want to feel like they're interacting with a progressive, next generation, digitally focused organization that is capable of moving swiftly with these new world times. Agility on this level can only be achieved with responsive digital technology that is innovative by nature. Only a digitally upskilled global workforce will be capable of leveraging this technology in a way that provides an entire organization with competencies and a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Take a step
You can also start by recognizing that it is a journey, a long-term plan which will evolve overtime - it also wouldn't hurt to recognize that it might not have any definitive endpoint such is the speed at which technology advances.
Commit first, then take a step in the right direction in your upskilling efforts - this step could simply be getting skills training buy in from the major stakeholders in an organization. Your CFO and CIO will need to be on board, and it is always a good idea to communicate plans with company employees, so they are not caught off guard.
Another step would be to create internal training initiatives that can help people improve their digital skills - a start might be a program with a goal to define the current level of digital skills within the organization. It is easier to map out a journey when you know what your starting point is. Don't be alarmed if the level of skills is way behind what it needs to be - people learn quickly, employees can adapt and once they start the learning journey, momentum can be built quickly.
Training programmers for upskilling
You need a vision of what the training will look like and you need some advice from digital experts around how best to deliver this training. People respond differently to different styles of training-create a plan that includes a mix of face-to-face tutorial training, on-line videos, podcasts and on the job training.
Look to structure it in a way that it can be rolled out across different countries- take into account cultural nuances if necessary. Focus on the key people who will need the training first but look to avoid favoritism, employees pay attention, and it must feel like a global program where everyone in the entire workforce is included.
Reach out to peers and partner organizations who may have recently undergone a digital transformation which included training large numbers of staff on new digital tools. They may be able to share priceless learnings and help you avoid some key pitfalls.
Focus on the people, not the tech
Your recruitment program is no doubt carefully structured and focused on filling positions with the best available talent around the world. You have gone to a great deal of effort to match the right people with the right skill sets and place them in the right role.
Now it is time to place your trust in them - technology skills are important, and these employees will need to interact with new software, devices and digital platforms. Training will be required; however, it is important that educators focus on how the employees think and act in this new digital world. The device or piece of technology may well be obsolete in as little as one year’s time; therefore, the training cannot focus exclusively on the tech - it must also be about helping a global workforce think differently about technology. Immersive digital training with a focus on thought processes will lead to more sustainable, long term results.
Create an upskilling culture
If you know in advance that the upscaling journey is lifelong learning that might never really end- it is best to embrace it right from the beginning and create an upskilling culture within your organization. This is a culture where people expect digital training and upskilling to be a constant companion over the course of their careers.
Making it as genuinely helpful and enjoyable as possible will go a long way to ensuring that a global workforce embraces such a culture. In the past, many global organizations embraced learning and development as values to live by- digital upskilling can be something similar.
Broadening the reach of your digital upskilling programming, communicating constantly and making sure that the leadership team talks about it on a regular basis will go a long way to creating and developing this culture within your organization.
The tech is there
Digital innovation is everywhere you look, more and more game changing digital tools are coming onto the market. Service providers who focus on empowering global employees with digital tools will likely have the widest reach.
Now is the time to focus on the merits and advantages of digital innovation. Communicate across the company the benefits of embracing new digital technology. When a global workforce truly understands how technology can improve how they deliver their daily duties, they start to become excited by technology and change no longer becomes a battle, instead it becomes something they want to do. When you reach this point, you are already halfway there on your journey and commitment to digitally upskilling your global workforce.