Some organizations believe there are at least two possible approaches to ensuring staff have the right skills: A company can either hire people with the skills the organization needs or train current employees on those skills.
Many companies, buying into the idea of these two options, believe it’s less hassle to simply rely on recruitment. “Why spend resources training someone with the skills I need when I can hire someone who someone else has already trained for me?”
Ignore Training at Your Own Risk
The problem is that this approach assumes a static industry and economy. Skills that are relevant and in demand today could be obsolete tomorrow. Imagine hiring the best typewriter maintenance personnel at the dawn of the personal computer age.
This doesn’t mean employees can’t adapt to changing circumstances and technologies, but it’s a lot harder for them to do that on their own than it is with a dedicated and effective training department.
“The quickly changing environment places a greater emphasis on the need for the workforce to continue to acquire new skills,” writes Gaurav Gupta in an article for Forbes.
New Skills Always in Demand
“Businesses that invest in learning and development opportunities better prepare their employees to adapt and innovate, which will create a competitive advantage. Investing in professional development can also set employers apart as they compete for talent,” Gupta says. “Those that prioritize upskilling initiatives are well-positioned to not only attract and retain employees but also unleash their potential.”
Companies that can quickly identify changing needs for various competencies and develop and deliver training are likely to outperform their counterparts. In a dynamic environment in which the key skills for success are constantly changing, it’s not realistic for companies to try to acquire needed skills from hiring alone.
Lin Grensing-Pophal is a Contributing Editor at HR Daily Advisor.