Employee Skill Development is a key Business Management Task
Management training to improve managerial performance and operational training to develop the competence of workers enhance organizational competitiveness.
Skilled managers can develop effective strategies, and carry the people in the organization with them in implementing the strategies. And trained employees can deliver what customers want, and provide them the kind of support that will bring the customers back again and again.
What is Skill?
A skill is different from knowledge. Skill can be defined as the proficiency to apply the knowledge in practical situations and produce desired results. A highly skilled person can produce such results repeatedly.
Acquiring skills typically require a basis of conceptual knowledge and specific practical experience. While vocational training provides the conceptual background and even some hands-on projects, it is through actual on-the-job training or apprenticeships that employees acquire the specific skills to carry out specific tasks.
Another dimension of skill involves acquiring familiarity with the practices and environment of a particular organization. Induction training of new employees is designed to acclimatize the employee to the organization and its ways of doing things.
Managers need the basic skill for getting things done through planning, organizing, instructing subordinates, and controlling. Managerial effectiveness is enhanced when the manager has people skills, i.e. the ability to understand employee skill requirements, provide needed training and mentoring and finally motivate the employee to perform with a high level of competence.
Top-level managers need the conceptual ability to see the organization and its environment, present and future, and formulate strategies for the continued success and growth of the organization. Entrepreneurship training can prove invaluable for developing this kind of skill.
All managers need excellent communication skills to ensure that the message received by their subordinates is the same message that the manager had sought to convey. Additionally, the manager needs conflict resolution, time management, and leadership skills.
What is Skills Management?
Skills management involves developing the skills of the people in an organization so that they can perform their roles effectively and efficiently. A skills development program starts with a detailed look at the specific skills required for the effective performance of each job role in the organization. Once the job role skills are clarified, people with the required basic skills can be selected and trained into competent performers.
Industry organizations often prepare skills framework documents that list the skills required to perform the different specialized tasks in that industry. Taking into account equipment needed for managing and project running. For example, you should know that your microphone works properly in case you need to dictate something, announce or just make a video call. Just make sure that you know how to test your microphone with windows 10 and how to turn it on at any moment.
On the ground, skills management involves understanding the skills of an employee and identifying the job role skills that the employee lacks, and training skills to fill the skill gaps.
Organizational environments where employees are able and motivated to assess their skill sets against job requirements, and pursue programs that will align the skill sets with requirements, are the best option for effective skills management. The organization will provide training programs in-house or help the employee undergo relevant external training programs. Creating such an environment is also an important part of skills management.
Training and Development Support
Governments recognize the key role of skill development and typically provide incentives and even financial assistance to organizations for training their employees. Details of such programs can be found by approaching industry development and support departments of governments.
Many private organizations provide training in specific skills, such as project, communication and leadership skills, and organization development.
Skills management seeks to equip managers and employees of an organization with the skills required by their job roles. Effective skill management programs will start with identifying the skill requirements of every job role in the organization, from top managers to shop floor employees, and then go on to develop training and skill development programs, an in-house or third party. They will also create an environment that supports and rewards employees to assess and update their skill sets.