Continually developing job skills is essential for organizations and individuals to stay relevant and competitive, but while 80 percent of employers offer upskilling benefits, only 51 percent of employees use them.
There are several reasons for this, according to a DeVry University report, Closing the Activation Gap: Converting Potential to Performance by Upskilling the Workforce. The top two: a lack of time to pursue training, and a difference of opinion between workers and employers as to what skills they should be learning, according to the report.
SMART Technologies EVP and chief commercial officer, Jeff Lowe, speaks to the importance of high-performance in the workplace and how leaders must prioritize employees growth and development to get there.
"In athletics, a PIP is a very positive thing. Every high-performance athlete wants to be on a performance improvement plan. Why isn't it like that in business?" asks Lowe.
As well, Lauren Edwards, Vice President of HR at SMART Technologies, speaks to the tailoring the learning experiences to the individual.
"Are they getting day-to-day learning experiences? Are they interacting with people that can help mentor them? How are they getting the water-cooler-type conversations?"
Read on to discover how SMART and other companies are approaching upskilling in 2023: