Have you just invested in a new digital tool for your company, but are unsure how to introduce it to your staff?

Getting employees to engage with new systems can often be tricky, especially if staff members have been using a particular process or product for a long time. The truth is, some people just don’t like change. And not everyone is tech savvy!

Regardless, with technology delivering continual changes to the workplace, it’s important to keep your staff up-to-date and equipped with the latest systems and software.

So how can you ensure a successful uptake of your new digital system? Especially when it comes to transitioning employees away from outdated paper processes to shiny new digital tools?

Helping staff prepare for new technologies and tools

The first thing to note: with any new system, you’ll want to ensure that you’re encouraging employees – not overwhelming them. Throwing staff in the deep end is not the way to go!

Before you roll out any new tool, it’s your responsibility to make sure there is adequate support and training provided, right throughout the whole implementation process, as well as beyond.

Training will allow employees to gain a thorough understanding of how to use the system, and exactly how it relates to their daily tasks and work processes. It’s also important to let staff know how the system will be rolled out to them, as well as any steps of the implementation process they need to take part in.

By having the right training and support for your employees throughout the whole roll out, you can ensure a smooth and easy transition with the least disruption to your everyday business.

To encourage employee engagement with the new system, Dave Evans (Managing Director at software house Accessplanit) recommends showcasing the benefits to staff.

“This helps them to visualise exactly what the new tech can do; specifically, it shows what it can do for them,” he says.

For example, training management software saves time for more or less every employee in every department, so it’s easy to tailor the benefits to the individual. Show how new technologies can save workers time, in comparison to outdated paper or print processes.

Evans also suggests getting feedback from employees during training, to “find out what they like and dislike, what they find easy to use, and where stumbling blocks appear.”

This will help you know when you need to provide additional training or guided support, or in some cases, implement development changes to the system that address the issues.

After all, you want your staff to actually use the new system – but more than that, you want them to master it. When employees are provided with training that helps them to embrace and adjust to a new system, they are more able to use the technology to its fullest.

Using online training to implement digital systems

These days, the best way to deliver training to your employees is through online training. And online courses are particularly effective when it comes to encouraging staff to engage with new digital systems, increasing the chances of successful uptake.

That’s because online learning allows employees to practice new skills and processes themselves, in a ‘real-time’ environment.

Stephanie Hammerwold, writing for HR Gazette, agrees that taking a hands-on approach is the most effective way to train employees on new technology.

“Simply standing in front of a group and showing them the new technology on a screen does not give them the chance to test it out and get a feel for how it works,” she explains.

In contrast, online courses allow individuals to easily run through software updates, perform new processes, and use new systems – practicing until they are confident and comfortable they’ve got it right.

When it comes to particularly change-resistant employees, Hammerwold believes in meeting them halfway, and accepting that technology is a struggle for some people.

“Provide the training and tools to help them feel comfortable with learning the new process or skill. The more time and energy you invest in training resistant employees on new technology, the easier it will become to train them on such things in the future.”

For more insights, subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs.

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Digital transformation is one of the biggest trends in business today. But what exactly does it mean? And how do you go about implementing it?

How to encourage staff uptake of new digital systems

Working in the construction industry and keen to improve your leadership skills?

You may have recently been promoted to a supervisory role or given more responsibility on the job. Or maybe you’re interested in developing your skill set, with the aim of moving into a construction management position?

No matter what industry you’re working in, being a good manager is something that can be continually developed and improved upon. These days, there are plenty of professional development and training resources to help you develop your management and leadership skills.

Stepping into a leadership position means you need to be ready to take responsibility for your team. You’ll want to help your team grow – individually and as a unit – through strong collaboration and positive working relationships. And you’ll need to make sure you’re creating a safe, compliant work environment for all employees.

Let’s take a closer look at the leadership skills required in construction management, and how you can start building them into your skill set.

What leadership skills do construction managers need?

Both management skills and leadership skills are critical to the construction industry.

If you’re in a management position, you have a responsibility to provide professional development opportunities to your employees, to get the best out of each individual staff member in your team and help each one to succeed in their career.

You’ll also be responsible for fostering a safe work environment for all staff. A good manager will want to make sure everyone in their team is treated fairly and given the same tools and opportunities. And it’s very important to make sure the employees in your team are working in a positive environment, free from bullying, harassment or discrimination.

Being a good leader also requires high-level soft skills – these skills are different from technical skills, that are easier to measure and define. Soft skills are more about an employee’s character traits and qualities, for example, attitude, work ethic, problem solving abilities, empathy, communication and collaboration.

It’s these abstract skills that can really help a leader to succeed. In the construction industry, high-level soft skills will help you:

Encourage the team to work toward shared goals

Foresee (and resolve) problems and issues within the team

Establish a profitable strategic direction.

If you’re keen to move up within your construction company or get noticed by management, improving your soft skills is one of the best ways you can set yourself apart from the competition.

Using online training courses to improve leadership skills

So how can you get started on building and developing the skills you need to be a great leader?

These days, online training is one of the best ways to take charge of your professional development and set a pathway for your career. You will find many management and leadership courses available online – and unlike traditional face-to-face training, online courses allow you to simply log in and go through the training materials at your own pace.

Online learning is also a great way for employers to make sure their construction employees are getting the training, development, and onboarding they need for a safe and efficient work environment. And it can help you onboard new employees, quickly and effectively.

When bringing new hires into the construction workplace, there are many important areas and topics to cover. Before stepping onto the job site, construction workers must understand proper operating and safety procedures, not only for their own safety but also for the safety of others. Workers also need to understand how to complete projects in a timely manner and with the highest quality.

Go1 – for professional development in the construction industry

At Go1, we offer you access to lots of resources that can help you meet your professional development training needs.

Take a look through our online courses, workshops, and eLearning training modules for the construction industry, or for leadership skills in general. All our materials are up-to-date and compliant with industry requirements.

If you’re ready to get serious about your career, start working on building your leadership skills. When the opportunity for promotion comes up, your online training will already put you one step ahead of the competition, while also showing your commitment to self-development and the industry.

How to develop your leadership skills in the construction industry

Whether you are running a sales boutique, discount store, specialty shop, or some other type of retail business, owners face incredible competition. Especially for smaller companies that want to attract customers and earn their loyalty, it is vital for owners to think outside of the box. If you have a retail business and want to enjoy success to the fullest, not only do you need to provide your customers with quality products, but you also need to provide superior customer service.

Have you ever been in a grocery store only to find yourself walking aimlessly from aisle to aisle trying to find items on your list? Or perhaps you’ve visited a clothing store to find something you liked in multiple colors except your specific size? The fact is that if consumers cannot find what they want in a relatively short amount of time, they will go elsewhere.

Fortunately, there is an excellent way to resolve issues like these. By improving the retention of your sales staff, you have the opportunity to turn prospects into viable customers.

Take the grocery store scenario as an example. Having a store clerk who can immediately tell a customer where to find a product is extremely beneficial to the buyer and the business. The same goes for a clothing store. A salesperson who can advise the customer that they expect a shipment of the preferred item tomorrow and would gladly hold one aside just salvaged a sale.

Although you cannot expect your sales staff to know everything, they should retain the most critical information so they can provide outstanding service and support. Within a short amount of time, you will begin to notice happier customers, which equates to a higher number of sales and increased revenue.

Okay, so what is the key to helping sales staff with retention? The answer is online development. When hiring people to work in the retail business, owners or managers require them to complete initial training. However, with ongoing education, those individuals turn into confident employees that do a great job of representing the company.

According to the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), 88 percent of employees quit their jobs for reasons that extend beyond pay. Three in particular stand out:

They go unrecognized or rewarded for their efforts.

In the process of helping to improve sales staff retention through ongoing development, you can resolve these concerns and achieve many goals. The more employees have what they need to succeed in their position, the more accountable they become. Having knowledge and being able to answer customers’ questions will give your staff a sense of pride. With that, they will show more interest in what they do and perform at a higher level.

The other thing to remember is that empowering your employees through online videos, courses, and information gives you the time you need to focus on pressing matters. In other words, there is no reason to micromanage your workers. Then, as your staff retains information, you have increasing opportunities to recognize their hard work.

Training a new employee requires time and money. The last thing you want is to invest both only to continually see a high turnover rate. Most people are hungry for knowledge and would jump at the chance to learn. If you advise candidates that ongoing development is part of the employee package, you will have a higher caliber of potential hires and will employ those interested in a career as opposed to just a “job.”

By making your staff part of a winning team, you can avoid being among other retail companies that have a high turnover rate. The SPHR also reports that more than 50 percent of recruited workers leave their companies within the first two years. That puts your business’ reputation on the line, and it could have a significant financial impact on your company.

In comparison, when owners and managers give their staff the chance to learn and grow in the retail industry, they stay longer, engage better, and resolve issues quicker. There is no question that your customers will notice, just as you will notice you're the bottom line.

The great thing about ongoing development is that as the name implies, it is ongoing. That means you can introduce your retail staff to endless topics. If you notice someone struggling with retention, instead of assuming they are not trying, provide them with online education. Through that, the individual can learn new skills and hone existing ones. By investing in that person, you provide a much-needed morale boost that can lead to incredible results.

Considering that roughly 50 percent of all businesses, including retail, struggle with employee retention problems, you should consider setting up a program in advance. However, online education benefits current employees as well. In that case, an excellent way to view retention is as a re-recruiting process.

Because the retail industry is ever-changing and customer demands are on the rise, online education benefits both new hires and existing employees. When they have access to online education, they can learn innovative strategies and information based on current trends.

In addition to using online videos, courses, and information to help your retail staff with retention, it is essential that you have regular in-house training and mentoring. In response to your employees becoming more qualified, your customers’ satisfaction rate will increase. Ultimately, you will foster a positive working environment that benefits everyone.

Improve retention of your retail sales staff with ongoing development

Today, many companies require certain people to have a certification before they hire them. In fact, for some careers, positions mandate certification.

Take the medical field as a prime example. To work as a certified nursing aide, individuals must complete all required courses, pass exams, and earn a certificate to show they gained both the knowledge and understanding required to perform the various tasks of the position. Another example is an ASE-certified technician. That certification provides evidence that people completing the necessary courses know how to adhere to ASE standards when working on vehicles.

However, along with certification, training is just as critical. Especially when a job does not require certification, training is what makes a particular candidate stand out to a potential employer. Someone who finishes training courses shows they not only have knowledge and understanding but also drive.

After all, to complete training courses requires a commitment of time, effort, and finances. A company eager to hire the best talent possible recognizes that, helping with their decision-making process regarding who to hire. An employee taking the initiative to better themselves speaks volumes about an individual’s character and dedication, two things that top companies look for in a candidate.

If you want to enter a specific field or further your existing career, it is essential to remember that training carries just as much weight as earning a certificate. As mentioned, for some jobs, you may need to complete a certification program. If not, you should go through training and add it to your resume. That will go a long way in helping you achieve your long-term goal.

To better understand just how critical training is for most jobs today, think about an airplane pilot. An individual could earn hundreds of certificates, showing he or she studied hard and learned a lot. However, that person has never actually flown a plane. On the other hand, if the same person went through extensive training, you would end up with a pilot who has experience, someone you want in the cockpit when traveling by air.

You can apply this same situation to virtually any job. Training does not diminish the importance of the certificates required for a specific position, but without it, there is a significant void. As someone interested in going far in life, it is important that you look at things from the hiring company’s perspective.

For instance, most business managers want to hire qualified candidates. That means if two people apply for the same position, one with the right qualifications and the other without, you can guess which one the company will choose. However, many business managers are willing to hire under-qualified people. Remember, “under-qualified” does not automatically make someone “unqualified.”

Say an individual with 20 plus years of computer programming experience applies for a position with a tech company. However, during the interview, the hiring company realizes the candidate does not have strong skills in the specific type of computer language needed. However, with an abundance of experience in other programming languages, a strong work ethic, and a desire to learn, it makes perfect sense to hire that person and invest in further training.

Although there is a financial responsibility involved with training, it pays off. Whether you have one or more certificates, if you want to bolster the chance of a company hiring you or enhance your career opportunities, training is vital, whether you take control or go through courses set up by the company that hires you.

The following are five reasons why training in the business world often proves more vital than certifications:

Employee Satisfaction – Employees with proper training feel confident in their work. They tend to be overachievers who work hard to meet, if not exceed, their employer’s expectations. With training, workers also have a more personal investment in the success of the business.

Higher Production – Employees who go through quality training not only produce at a higher rate but also perform optimally.

Enhanced Efficiency – With the right training, workers are highly efficient in their jobs, thereby making fewer mistakes.

Reduced Expenses – Trained employees reduce operating costs associated with repeating a task caused by an error.

Loyal Customers – Because proper training enhances performance and lowers cost, customer satisfaction increases. The happier customers are, the longer they will continue doing business with a company they trust and respect.

Is training more critical than certifications? Not necessarily for some careers. At the same time, training carries a lot of weight if you want the right job, one you can succeed at and advance in. Overall, training is just as important as certification, even for certifiable positions like nursing aids and ASE technicians, among others.

With available online courses from a reputable source, all affordably priced, there is no excuse not to complete education yourself or take advantage of opportunities provided by the company that hires you. Along with a company hiring you over another candidate, online training gives you the chance to advance quickly. You will gain a wealth of knowledge while proving that you have the drive to be a leader within the organization.

For companies that want excellent talent, training means a lot. To make a quick and lasting impression, complete courses applicable to your career choice, and then update your resume to highlight them. Also, as you seek employment, focus on businesses that make ongoing education part of their programs.

Why training carries as much weight as certification in the business world

For your company to run like a well-oiled machine, all managers, even those not linked to the finance department, need to understand financial basics along with the core business goal. Only then will you have teams working together to generate a profit. Fortunately, you can get your management staff up to speed quickly and affordably by taking advantage of quality online courses combined with in-person training.

It is a known fact that unless you have managers who collectively understand both the strategies and processes required to manage finances, you will have a difficult time achieving the level of business success you want. That does not mean that your non-finance managers need to know how to calculate challenging contracts or negotiate deals, but there are specific key factors that training should cover.

For instance, all your managers should have a good understanding of how your specific business generates profit. In other words, they need to know what drives the revenue your company makes. They should also know the way your business invests capital. Through in-person education, you can explain to your non-finance managers the different ways that your business increases the generation of cash flow.

Some of the other specific topics to cover include the way your company measures and manages performance, how it uses KPIs as a driving factor, what products it considers critical for ensuring a positive financial outcome, and so on. All your managers, including those who work outside of finance, play a critical role in the daily operations of your company. For that reason, providing them with a basic understanding of the business financial landscape is essential.

You need to create an effective workplace training program to teach your employees these skills. Not only will that benefit current employees, new hires, and even contractors, but also the instructor. Together, this gives everyone the opportunity to develop strong work and communication skills.

Through first-hand training sessions, you can create an environment for non-finance managers to learn from the pros. As part of the program, you can simulate different scenarios that people in finance deal with, giving non-finance managers a much broader view of how the financial department and the company as a whole works. Through training, these managers will learn to understand and appreciate the various strategies used and decisions made when it comes to the company’s financial position.

As an example, you could offer your sales and marketing managers basic financial training. Based on the information provided, each of them can refine the way they approach both prospects and existing customers. Instead of assuming things that they may not be able to deliver, their new insight into finances will help them follow through on the promises they make.

Included in the training, non-finance managers can see how different processes work from beginning to end. That insight will go a long way in how they perform their duties. These skills are not just for sales and marketing professionals but for other managers as well. As an example, by taking your customer service managers through the same in-person training, they too can handle situations in a more productive and efficient manner.

Although every team in your organization plays a vital role in the success of your business, finance is the heart. For that reason, it is important to offer non-finance managers a peek into the daily activities of those responsible for keeping the company afloat and helping it grow. Overall, the employees who attend the training program gain tremendous knowledge that they can use to make better-informed decisions within their respective departments.

There is nothing worse than having a non-finance manager caught off guard by a prospect who asks a seemingly innocent question. Although this manager may not be able to go into details, with proper training, that individual could at least provide an accurate response or guide the potential customers to the appropriate party.

Just a small amount of information goes a long way in building the confidence of your entire management team, even with those outside of finance. The more confident they become, the better they interact with customers. In response, your potential and existing customers feel confident in your company’s ability to meet their demands. In other words, proper training goes full circle.

The other thing to consider is that with training, which again, builds confidence, you will find a lot of your non-finance managers interested in learning and achieving more. Whether within their current department or in a different capacity within the company, they begin to feel motivated to perform every job optimally. Increasing engagement through in-person training tends to stimulate a response in the way of accelerated performance.

Just as your non-finance managers learn how the company handles various financial aspects of the business, these people can provide input that might make the finance department stronger. With open communication and collaboration that comes from training, managers that typically have little interaction now have the opportunity to brainstorm and resolve issues.

As you can see, the in-person training of your non-finance managers is critical. However, online training courses are just as vital. With an abundance of topics, all affordably priced, you can select several different courses on finance for your non-finance managers. To further stimulate business engagement within your organization, you could have your finance managers complete courses that relate to what your other departments do.

Before long, every manager within your company has new knowledge, understanding, and insight that makes them more proficient in their roles but also better at interacting with each other. Instead of watching your business become stagnant, you should offer in-person and online training to kick things into high gear.

Do non-finance managers need finance training?

While many areas within the business world have experienced tremendous growth, experts predict a significant boost to the project manager (PM) field in both growth and salary. As competition becomes more intense, people interested in entering this field and those already involved need to do everything they can to gain more experience and knowledge. Thanks to online training, this is possible.

If you have a construction company and want to get your project management upskilled, start by introducing your PMs to online education and training. As the construction industry becomes busier than ever, you need qualified managers onboard. With upskilling, your PMs can develop new skills while honing existing ones, so they can use their abilities to the fullest.

With online training, you can select from hundreds upon hundreds of educational and training video courses. Not only can your PMs finish courses while at home, but they also can select specific topics based on the requirements of the job, interest, and skill level.

For instance, there are training courses specifically created for project managers just starting out. With this, they will learn the details about the role of a PM. When you add in specific requirements for your construction business, someone new to the field of project management will feel more confident on the job and therefore, be more productive. There are also online training courses for PMs with one to five years in the industry and even beyond.

As mentioned, you can choose specific topics as they relate to the construction industry and your company. Initially, a PM may want to complete training on stress and time management and then move on to more advanced courses like risk management, contractor safety management, and people skills.

From people just starting in the project management field to mid-project managers, a reputable online source has the right training and informational videos available. By upskilling your project management team, you will see a drastic difference in how your PMs perform. In response to that, you will notice fewer problems with your construction projects, meaning they fall within the scope, deadline, and budget.

For your construction business to succeed, you need skilled and dedicated project managers. Especially for those committed to your company, as well as their role, when you offer them further education and training, they become even more dedicated to your business success. With the required skills, they perform optimally in every aspect of the job.

Without skilled project managers, there is a good chance that your construction business will falter. Remember, just as demand for qualified PMs is on the rise, so is demand for quality construction companies. For your business to remain relevant and competitive, having an incredible project management team gives you a definite advantage.

As your PMs become more educated and knowledgeable about their role, they can better orchestrate various tasks for specific construction projects. With newly developed skills, they can manage different clients and projects simultaneously without missing a beat. Having projects in trusted hands, you can focus on other more pressing matters of the business.

With the right online video educational and training courses, your PMs learn how to deal with even the most difficult client, where to turn to for resources, the right way to communicate between different individuals and departments within your construction company, and quickly identify and resolve any issues before they have a negative impact on the project.

From the beginning of a construction project to the end, you need to trust your PMs. With ongoing training, you can. Because they have an intense and fast-paced job, it is essential that you give them what they need to succeed. Ongoing training will not only get them up to speed on new processes but allow them to handle current methods seamlessly.

If you stop to think about all the responsibilities of a project manager, you realize you could not live without one. Especially in the construction industry, which is also intense and fast-paced, you need someone with excellent listening, organization, and liaison skills. All that and more is possible by going through online training.

As you know, it is common for construction jobs to change several times based on the customer’s demands. Trying to keep up with all that yourself would be an impossible task. Although you want to hire the best talent possible, even someone new to the field of project management can succeed thanks to ongoing education and training.

Managing resources is perhaps one of the most important parts of any project manager position. As an example, for each of your construction projects, your PM must know the number and type of workers needed, if they need to obtain permits, whether they need to order and arrange delivery of supplies and equipment, and the list goes on.

PMs also oversee the financial aspect of construction projects. Using state-of-the-art software, combined with education and consistent training, they can track every penny for each project managed. As part of that, they know how to negotiate prices on all kinds of things, including equipment rental.

Thanks to superior online training, your project managers can reduce the cost of construction projects while juggling the management of labor and resources. The more education, training, and experience your PMs have, the more you can use them to beat out the competition.

Get your construction project management upskilled

Although communication is critical for all industries, it is particularly vital for the construction industry. Whether you’re working on a small remodeling job or building a skyscraper, people who work in construction must have a clear line of communication with everyone they deal with inside and outside of the company.

When you think about construction, a lack of or poor communication could have a negative impact in multiple ways. For instance, this could take a project completely out of budget, it could result in a finished project that does not meet the client’s specifications, or worse, it could create a dangerous if not life-threatening situation. Of course, these are just three of many examples.

Budget – Before even starting a construction project, a variety of internal and external professionals come together to determine the final cost. Once the client secures the required financing, the project begins. If different groups within a construction company fail to communicate or miscommunicate, they could easily blow the budget.

Scope – Within the construction industry, builders must obtain various permits to work on a specific project. To get the documentation required, they must lay out their plans. If there is an issue with communication where the scope of the project changes from what the permit allows, city or county officials could stop or seriously delay the process.

Risk – As for risk, one small miscommunication could prove disastrous. For instance, say a construction company built a bridge, but during the process, workers miscommunicated the size of rivets and bolts, choosing something significantly smaller than mandated. Inadvertently, that company just put anyone driving over the bridge at risk.

For the construction industry, there is zero tolerance for bad communication. If you have this type of business, online education is essential. With this, you can start new hires off on the right foot while helping your current workers develop better skills.

What it comes down to is that better communication leads to better construction management. For your company to complete any construction project successfully, regardless of size or type, you need a team that communicates well. In response to that, they will better collaborate on every aspect of the project.

Especially now that construction is booming, there is no time for workers to leave a job to attend school. Even night courses are not a viable solution considering that workers in this industry spend long, hard days on the job. Physically and mentally exhausted, the last thing they want to do is go home, clean up, and head to class.

Thanks to a reputable online source, you can still provide your construction team with incredible educational opportunities. Using an online forum, they can finish courses as needed on their day off or while in a relaxing home environment. Either way, they will retain the information without any problem, which they can then apply to current projects as well as project planning.

Since construction is complex and involves multiple players, excellent communication is crucial. Because there are so many factors and people involved, one slip-up could prove costly. Between manufacturers, inspectors, masons, electricians, drywallers, plumbers, architects, construction foreman, and everyone else involved in the construction process, you need to feel confident that your team can communicate with precision.

With the right online development videos, courses, and information, not only will your workers improve their oral and written communication skills but also their listening abilities. After all, each of these plays a vital role in construction. Even if have some workers who excel in one area or the other, you should require everyone to complete the same online education.

As an example, you could have all your managers or workers dealing with hazardous materials complete the same course on reducing risk by using protective gear. That ensures that all applicable parties have the same information and can communicate on the same level. As expected, that will dramatically reduce risk.

In addition to your full- and part-time employees, you should have any hired contractors also take courses online to improve their communication with your team. Fortunately, there are many excellent options available. For risk management, you could select a course that both the contractor and overseeing manager take specific to on-the-job contractor safety.

By using a trusted online source, there are endless possibilities. No matter what area you need to improve on, whether it’s safety, finance, motivation, planning, or even communication itself, this is the best way to keep your projects within budget, on scope, and void of risk.

Even your top management team can take advantage of online education, learning how to better communicate and oversee small to large teams. With the best online development courses, they will gain insight into innovative processes and strategies that realign their focus and communication. Through continued learning, you will have a highly efficient management team.

No matter what area within your construction company you need help with as far as communication, you have a viable source. Easy to access and affordable to take, online education will significantly decrease misunderstandings and improve on the quality of projects.

Because excellent communication skills are so critical for the construction industry, you cannot take a chance by assuming that everyone on your team is listening and talking in an effective manner. Online education will help you avoid confusing and costly scenarios.

Since this is such a fast-paced field, there is no time to repeat instructions and information constantly. By having your crew go through online development courses, they can relay or receive messages correctly the first time. As the owner of a construction company, the last thing you want is for poor communication to undo all your hard work. Online education helps protect your business and clients.

Why communication in construction is critical

These days, more organisations are looking for employees with a good combination of ‘hard’ technical skills and ‘soft’ interpersonal skills. Yet a massive 80% of employers are struggling to find graduates with the soft skills they need.

Across many industries, managers and employers are expressing frustration at the lack of soft skills in younger workers – skills such as communication, critical thinking, attitude, and accountability.

Different from technical or functional skills, ‘soft skills’ are considered very valuable to employers, as they add to the overall functioning of your team, or the experience of your customer. In fact, it’s often the soft skills that matter when employees are being hired and fired.

As more organisations are recognising the value of soft skills, it’s really important that employees of all ages cultivate and develop these qualities in the workplace. For employers, bridging the soft skills gap will greatly benefit your business, with more productive, motivated and engaged workers achieving better results.

Let’s look closer at the soft skills gap, how it impacts business, and what you can do to help younger employees improve their skill sets.

The skills lacking in the younger generation

But first, are younger workers really lacking certain skills, when compared to older generations? Bruce Tulgan, author of 2015’s best-selling Bridging the Soft Skills Gap, believes so.

“Today’s young workforce has so much to offer – new technical skills, ideas, perspectives and energy. Yet, too many of them are holding back their enormous potential with underdeveloped soft skills,” he says.

Tulgan began tracking generational workforce issues in the mid-1990s, so he has a lot of insight into the workplace issues that managers complain about most. The most common complaints from managers of younger workers are that many seem to have problems with:

With this information, Tulgan believes there is “a growing gap between the expectations of employers and the reality of how young talent is showing up in the workplace.” And this is what we refer to as the soft skills gap.

Having the right technical skills and knowledge to successfully carry out your job is only one part of being the best you can be in the workplace. In addition to these hard skills, you need a good combination of soft skills to know how to work well with others.

Being able to handle conflict, perform well under pressure and work as part of a team are all very valuable skills for any employee. In addition to this, staff who possess soft skills tend to conduct more satisfying relationships, which leads to better workplace outcomes and a more positive work culture for all.

Let’s say you’re faced with two employees with the exact same set of technical skills. Yet these two individuals are very different when it comes to attitude or the ability to communicate and work as part of a team. Which person will you promote to a higher level – the staff member with the good attitude who is always willing to pitch in, or the uncooperative employee who seems to enjoy making life difficult for their colleagues?

Soft skills also go a long way when it comes to being a good leader, as many traits that are necessary for strong leadership can be linked to high levels of interpersonal skills and EQ. For anyone in a leadership or management position, developing your skills in areas such as problem solving, decision-making and motivating people will be very beneficial.

Hiring employees with advanced soft skills can have a significant impact on an organisation’s ability to function effectively, within its own structure and as part of their industry. For example, with sales-focused companies, employing staff with strong communication and teamwork skills will have a direct impact on customer experience, as well as profits.

Developing soft skills through online training

So how can you help staff to improve and develop their soft skills?

One of the best ways to learn new skills, or improve existing ones, is through online training. Regular, ongoing training will help to build up the soft skills of employees of any age. And bridging the soft skills gap will help your business to retain the best talent.

With many employers neglecting to provide training in these areas, focusing only on hard technical skills, make sure you’re a step ahead of your competitors and get your staff started with soft skills training.

Browse through the Go1 platform to see the huge array of soft skills courses on offer – whether you’re looking for online courses to improve communication, problem solving, critical thinking, or team work skills, we’ll have the right resource for you. You might like to check out our top five online courses to improve soft skills to get started.

How to bridge the soft skills gap in younger workers

If you sat down with some of the most successful people on the planet, you would learn that they experienced a lot of failures along their journey. Through challenges and disappointments, they gained tremendous insight and knowledge. Instead of giving up, they turned their failures into incredible success stories. You can do the same thing. One of the best options is to take advantage of online education and training.

With easy access to a computer and the internet, combined with the dedication of time and focus, you will be on your way to turning failures into successes. No matter what field you currently work in or want to enter, there are thousands of online videos, courses, and articles to help you with your journey.

To learn from past mistakes and failures, start by adopting the right mindset. Instead of seeing unfortunate situations as a reason for giving up, use them to push you forward. Take all the negativity to challenge yourself. Having a positive mindset will allow you to prove to the world that you will not give up. Instead, you will use your hardships to make you and your career better.

Now that you have newfound determination, you need to set things in motion. Regardless of the work you currently do or want to do, online education and training is an excellent way to succeed. What makes that so exciting is that you can work on courses while on your lunch break or in the comfort and safety of your home. With this flexibility, you work toward your goal at a pace that works best for you and your lifestyle.

Persistence – When it comes to turning failures into successes, persistence is among the most critical aspects. Not only will it help you reach your goal of learning, it will also teach you how to push through challenges along the way, the very things that caused you to fail in the first place.

Time Management – Although you can work at a comfortable pace while learning online, you still need good time management skills. You cannot procrastinate nor try to learn without focusing. For you to fully use online training videos and courses, it is essential to set up a schedule so that you can dedicate your time to working toward success

Communication Skills – While you might not think that you need good communication skills when using online resources, you do. There will be times throughout the process that you come upon something you need help with, which means you need to reach out to the right person. Perhaps not communicating well was one of your failures. Make it a point to have mentors or trusted individuals you can turn to when you feel stuck or even unmotivated.

Motivation – If you want to succeed rather than keep failing, you need to stay motivated. Conduct online research or read biographies of other people just like you, those who had to work through issues to get where they are today. Along with feeling motivated, you will more than likely pick up some important pointers.

No Distractions – As a parent, choose a time of the day when your partner, grandparent, friend, or neighbor can take care of your kids, or wait to study while they sleep. Also, make sure you have a quiet environment, void of music, television, and so on. The more you focus on the course, the easier you will learn.

A great example is a website called The Point that launched in 2016. This site served as a “meeting space” where people could come together to solve a variety of problems. Although the concept was excellent and the endeavor had incredible support, it lost nearly $1 million within the first year.

Most people would see that as a failure, but not Andrew Mason, the person who created the site. Instead of giving up, he switched gears by providing people committed to buying with discounts and deals. The result is the now-successful website called Groupon.

While turning failures into successes, it is also crucial that you work on building your confidence. After all, failures can do a lot to a person’s mind and will. You need to accept that failures are part of life. How they affect you and your career is up to the decisions you make. Like Mason, you must accept what happened, learn from it, and then move on to bigger and better things.

Thanks to online education and training, you can spin a positive outcome regardless of the earlier failure. In addition to bettering yourself and your career, you can take your newfound knowledge and pass it on to others. The bottom line is that failure puts you one step closer to success if you let it.

The business world changes almost daily. With increasing customer demand, many organizations struggle to keep up with production, customer service, technical support, billing, and more. With little if any time to provide employees with training, a lot of businesses have turned to technology. Although new software and hardware programs help, the fact is they often serve as more as a babysitter than actually teaching workers to become proficient in their jobs.

Although state-of-the-art technology will always play a vital role in virtually every business, training is just as critical, if not more so. If you own a company, it is essential that you recognize the value of in-person and online training, not just for your current employees, but also for contractors and new hires. You will find that quality training improves the overall operations of your business.

Even with increasing automation and artificial intelligence, technology will and should never replace training. With online education readily available and affordably priced, there is no reason not to provide your employees with what they need to succeed. However, along with that, it is crucial that you offer in-person training as well. As former US President Barack Obama once said, “If there is no offline interaction, mere online engagement is probably going to be a failure.”

Critical thinking is a significant part of training. Along with gaining knowledge, your employees will learn how to better understand strategies, communications, processes, and more. When you provide an in-person training program, the instructors can carefully observe the body language and facial expressions of your employees. With that, they have the opportunity to fine-tune their teaching methods to garner more interest and interaction.

In-person training also makes it possible for instructors and employees to have open and honest conversations. If someone does not understand a specific point, that person can sit down one-on-one with the teacher to get a better handle on the topic. Technology simply cannot beat hands-on experience.

As part of your in-person training courses, the instructors can teach your employees soft skills. In comparison, technology teaches hard skills. That means that things like creativity, empathy, and emotional intelligence, all intangible skills, come from in-person training as opposed to technology. At that same time, your instructors can teach skills that people should use every day on the job like respect, compassion, generosity, and so on.

While many online training courses do a great job of educating people, even they cannot always replace in-person training. The instructors at your business have the ability to convert information into knowledge that your workers can apply to their jobs. In addition to becoming more efficient, this prepares them to advance in their careers.

Something else to consider about in-person training is that it is engaging, whereas technology is not. Sure, some computer programs are fun and interesting to use, but they will never offer the same human interaction that makes in-person training so vital.

As a business owner, you need to think outside the box when it comes to employee education. Yes, automation and artificial intelligence have a role to play, and an important one at that. However, both in-person and online training are also critical components of your company’s success. With everything combined, the sky is the limit for your business.

Keep in mind that trained workers have more sense of pride in their performance. For that reason, they tend to work harder and achieve better results. In exchange for that, your customers will receive enhanced service and support, which increases their satisfaction in doing business with your company. Ultimately, your business experiences growth from both a size and financial perspective.

What it comes down to is this: There is no technology in existence, nor will there ever be, that can replace the value that in-person trainers and online training courses provide. No matter the size of your company, its industry, or the number of employees you have, you should create a training program for them, you, and your business.

Just make sure that you offer training sessions that cover the right topics and that your workers find enjoyable to attend. You want instructors who make education fun yet informative. The goal is to empower the people who work for you so they can be more efficient and productive in their respective roles.

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