Skill shortage remains a problem though 82% of employers are concerned about it, said Hays recently.
According to a survey by the company, only 48% of workers believe the learning resources made available to them by employers suit their needs to upskill.
This contrasts with 60% of employers who believe the resources they offer meet the needs of their employees, Hays pointed out.
The findings come from the Hays Learning Mindset Report 2022 from which more than 20,000 responses by both employers and professionals across 26 countries were collected, Hays said, adding that the survey was conducted in conjunction with corporate education content hub Go1.
Survey highlights
- When asked how frequently their role requires them to learn new skills, 64% of workers said that they either always or frequently need to learn new skills.
- Only 8% said they either rarely or never had to require new skills.
- 42% of workers said there wasn’t a clear development plan currently in place with their employer that involves specific learning, with 27% stating there was.
- 83% of workers are highly interested in learning new skills, whereas only 48% of employers believed their employees were so inclined.
- When it comes to outcomes of learning there is another difference in perception, as 81% of workers believe they regularly apply their new skills effectively, which compares to only 60% of employers stating this to be the case.
- Only 52% of workers said they received learning resources from their employer and just 42% were satisfied with the learning that is on offer.
- This compares to 78% of employers who stated that they provided employees with learning resources.
Make learning a fundamental aspect of EVP
To combat skill shortage in an evolving world of work, there is a constant need for workers to upskill to ensure their skills remain relevant, and to make sure that organisations have the necessary skills among their workforces, Hays said.
“The speed at which digital transformation has taken place has not been matched by the supply of talent available for these roles,” said Alistair Cox, Hays CEO. “At the same time, what employees look for from their jobs and workplace has changed, and what is expected of employers is no longer the same as it was previously.
Organisations need to prioritise upskilling to reduce skill shortage while employees need to constantly learn to make sure their skillset remain relevant and future-proof their career, he advised.
Learning and personal development are fundamental aspects of a good Employee Value Proposition (EVP), Cox said.
“Ultimately learning and personal development will help businesses to not only retain the key talent already within their business but also to attract new talent as well,” he noted. “Organisations must make sure they have integrated learning into your EVP.”
