Professional competencies are not permanent. Improvement of employee competencies should be important for the team leader because it will benefit the entire company. Check out the top 10 ways to develop employee skills.
Competence is a combination of practical skills and knowledge and personality traits that influence how an employee performs tasks. Among them, there are hard competencies and soft competencies. Many specializations require constant professional development involvement, as the available technologies and this information are becoming outdated.
Raising the team's hard competencies - investment in knowledge and skills.
Hard competencies are knowledge of the scope necessary for a given position and acquired skills - e.g., knowledge of foreign languages or specialized computer programs. They are often referred to as basic because it is impossible to participate in recruitment for a specific position without them. Here are the most effective ways to raise the team's hard competences:
1. Organization of training
Consider which field of knowledge would be most useful for your company. Most often, employers decide to train:
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language,
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from the operation of computer programs,
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sales,
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negotiating.
It is also worth talking to employees and asking which field they do not feel very confident in, which will allow them to choose adequate training for the team's real needs.
2. Webinars - effective information exchange
Webinars allow you to organize a meeting at the workplace for a large audience. They can be not only a supplement to training but also an opportunity to exchange information with experts. It is also a good solution when you want to keep employees informed about what is happening in the company. Webinars make it possible to effectively introduce the team to current events and familiarize them with its priorities.
3. Trade magazines and an office library
The purchase of trade magazines and books presenting content in a specific field is often a large expense for an employee, so it is worth creating an office library. Many publishing houses, magazines, and magazines offer attractive subscriptions for companies. It is worth reaching for such sources to find inspiration and specific solutions.
4. Joint case study
To properly introduce an employee to a given topic, it is not enough to familiarize him with information and data. It is necessary to develop the skills of solving professional problems - both typical and less common ones. It is worth organizing regular meetings with employees. The company's most important projects are discussed, and the competition's projects and trends in a given field are analyzed.
5. Active participation in industry fairs.
Direct meetings with other industry representatives are a good idea to learn about new and innovative solutions. Attendance at thematic events, observation, and establishing new business relationships is an additional method of development. Thanks to them, the employee can gain valuable knowledge about the industry in which he works and related areas.
It is also equally important to support the development of employees' soft skills. They include, but are not limited to:
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communicativeness,
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creativity,
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ability to cooperate,
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time management.
They are as important as hard skills - they ensure effective teamwork. Check how to ensure the development of these competences among employees:
6. Interpersonal workshops
Their primary goal is to shape assertiveness, coping with stress, or skillful public speaking. In the team's effective employees, must bees can cooperate, communicate efficiently, and resolve conflicts.
7. Coaching - personal and professional development
It is a method of individual employee improvement. It consists of the simultaneous development of professional and social competences. Coaching is based on setting goals that serve to achieve personal and professional success, which often results in greater efficiency in your daily work.
8. Define the goals of the company to support the individual development of the employee
When employees know what stage of their career they are currently at and what they can achieve when they follow it, it is easier for them to set specific goals. A well-defined career path will make the job more rewarding and benefit both the company and the employee. So it is helpful to present your employer with your professional goals. On the other hand, the employer should outline the specific scope of tasks in a given position and indicate the goals the company is pursuing and which will help the employee achieve.
9. Integration trips - a way to make a good team
As the company grows, it also employs more and more people. New employees sometimes find it difficult to find their place in their structure. Integration trips facilitate establishing contacts and mutual communication. They also allow the team to get to know each other on a different basis, thanks to which the cooperation of different cells can be much more effective. Knowing who has what tasks also reduces the time needed to solve potential problems.
10. A friendly common area at the workplace.
A good atmosphere in the workplace is an essential aspect - it is a huge advantage for the company's new employees. A well-arranged kitchen with access to an Eden Springs spring water dispenser, an espresso machine, and dining tables facilitate relationships. In modern companies, there are also more and more rooms for shared relaxation, where employees can spend their breaks for a momentary rest or games that involve a group of people. To raise your team's competencies, it is worth remembering that each change is a process that requires time and commitment. In the case of improving employees' qualifications, the decision-making person and the team leader must also have the appropriate attitude so that the team becomes aware that its development will affect the functioning of the entire company.
Posted on Nov 3, 2020 by Anna
