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I recently sat down with Tony Holmes from Pluralsight to discuss strategies for recruiting and retaining skilled tech workers. With demand outpacing supply for these roles, organizations must get creative.
Holmes stressed that today’s tech pros expect investment in continuous learning. “If I’m going somewhere and they’re not talking about how they’ll invest in my career growth, there’s potential I’ll atrophy,” he said.
He suggests highlighting learning opportunities in the interview process itself. “Speak to candidates about how you’ll invest in them,” advised Holmes. This shows the job is a partnership, not just expectations of the new hire.
Once on board, don’t just provide occasional training bootcamps. Create a culture and expect leaders to model continual learning.
While some people navigate their own learning path by following their interests, it is important to help develop a path for employees to follow for their career development. Holmes explained that many people are “rudderless” when it comes to their career progression. They don’t know what they don’t know, and bridging that gap is often the hardest part. To address this, it’s helpful to build out some “roles” and the skills needed to provide a clear path for employees to follow, helping them understand what they need to learn to progress in their careers.
Leadership by example is also a key driver of success. Holmes shared an anecdote about a recent initiative where everyone in the organization, from the C-level executives to the individual contributors, was encouraged to get a cloud certification. This initiative not only helped upskill the entire organization but also demonstrated the importance of continuous learning from the top down.
“It makes a much more cohesive message,” he said. “I want my cloud cert because my boss has one.”
Additionally, Holmes advising use analytics to uncover and fill skills gaps. AI assessments are one tool he uses so learners can target areas for growth rather than review what they already know.
Finally, it’s important to define clear paths for internal mobility and growth. Holmes helps clients map technology roles to learning paths. This way, someone from HR could reskill into a tech job with a clear roadmap.
With creative approaches, organizations can attract and retain skilled tech professionals even amidst today’s shortages. As Holmes put it, “You need to become creators of talent rather than just consumers.”
A common pitfall is that many times organizations invest without clearly defining and reporting the return on their investment. Holmes urged organization to use analytics to help leaders understand the return they’re getting from their training investments.
One key and measurable result from a great training and upskilling program – recruitment. Holmes suggested that organizations could use their training and upskilling paths as a selling point. Potential employees could see the clear path they would have for career progression, making the organization more attractive. Current employees may be more inclined to stay with organizations they feel are making an investment in their careers.
Holmes noted that partnerships with universities and colleges is another meaningful strategy. Employers can provide students with industry-specific knowledge alongside their traditional degree courses. This not only helps bridge the gap between academia and industry, better preparing students for their future careers, but it also provides a stream of potential employees for the companies who participate in these programs.
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