How upskilling can drastically improve workplace wellbeing

According to Work in America Survey, 55% of the US workforce agrees that their employer doesn’t have a realistic view of company well-being. 

Most of the individuals who were surveyed feel that employers tend to overestimate how well their staff are doing mentally which can lead to frustration and a sense of being misunderstood when in the workplace.

However, there are techniques out there that employers can implement to show their commitment to workplace wellbeing and the care they have for their employees. 

One method gaining momentum when looking to improve workplace wellbeing is upskilling. This is where businesses invest in training their current staff, resulting in a wide range of advantages for the company and its employees. 

In this blog, we’ll look at the wellbeing benefits of upskilling employees and best practices for effective implementation. 

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Wellbeing in the US Workforce

Before we jump into the benefits and best practices for adopting upskilling in your business, it’s important to understand the importance of addressing mental health challenges in the workplace.

If a team member is struggling, it’s important to have a process in place where you’re available to offer support. At a higher level, this could come in the form of: 

• 1-2-1 meetings to discuss workload.
• Offering paid sick leave.
• Utilize external professionals who provide direct access to mental health services, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

It’s a good idea to develop a well-considered mental health strategy that’s in place, ready to support your team members when they need it. 

What does upskilling mean?

Mental health strategies are effective for providing help when a team member is in need, but there are also preventative methods (such as upskilling!) that can improve happiness and wellbeing among your workforce.

Upskilling aims to improve individual skillsets, to either help them meet new demands at work, improve their productivity, or become more qualified for a new role soon to open up in the business.

For example, let’s say that employee A has been working as a content creator. Their role consists of creating long-form video content for YouTube, which involves writing scripts, editing the content and uploading to your channel. 

When the current videographer leaves, the business provides the opportunity to train employee A to take on the new role.

Employee A now has an exciting, new aspect to their job that gives them more authority over the content, and they can add ‘videographer’ to their CV.

Wellbeing benefits of upskilling employees

With more than one in five adults in America experiencing challenges to do with their mental health, as a business, it’s important to see every chance to improve well-being as an opportunity for positive change. 

Here we’ll look at the well-being benefits you can expect to see from upskilling employees.

1. Improve satisfaction with clear progression

CFO discovered that 25% of employees are thinking about leaving their jobs within the next 6 months due to a lack of career progression. Highlighting a strong link between career progression, workplace satisfaction and employee engagement.

Offering upskilling at your company, you not only help reduce employee turnover but also meet the demand for progression within your team. 

2. Boost employee confidence

Upskilling your team members can help to encourage consistent learning and professional growth. This has a range of benefits including: 

Helping employees excel in their individual roles, instilling confidence and self-esteem, and giving your workforce a greater sense of purpose and belonging. 

This confidence comes from two places:

• The first is your belief that the employee can progress in their role and your investment of time and resources in upskilling them. 

• The second is the confidence that comes from gaining new knowledge independently, passing exams, and moving upward in their career.

3. Reduce stress and boost productivity

Confidence is directly linked to stress. Studies are proving this connection, showing how individuals with lower self-esteem are far more likely to experience high-stress severity.

By enabling upskilling in the workplace to boost self-esteem, you can help your team become more resilient to stressful situations, reducing the chances of mental health issues and burnout. 

Confidence has also been proven to improve cognitive function, specifically improving focus and memory, which is a bonus for workplace productivity. 

4. Create a supportive environment

Businesses that invest in employee growth and development naturally feel more supportive. 

It shows that you believe in your team, and you’ll actively use time and resources to help them progress. 

This helps employees feel more valued, boosts motivation, and – alongside increased confidence – can drive employees to aspire to higher levels of success, all of which are beneficial to wellbeing.

It also shows individuals that their employer is invested in their personal growth. This includes their well-being, and team members may feel happier reaching out for support in other aspects when they feel supported in their career. 

Tips to implement upskilling in the workplace

Upskilling is good for your employees and good for your business, making it a smart decision for companies across industries. 

The World Economic Forum cites that over 70% of businesses are providing upskilling (and reskilling) for their employees. 

If you’re thinking of offering upskilling opportunities for your employees, now’s the time to start implementing. 

Next, take a look at the tips that will help you develop an excellent upskilling program.

1. Identify skill gaps

To maximize the benefits of upskilling employees, you need to focus on training that’s relevant to your business skill gaps. 

This ensures you’ll see the business value of upskilling. It also maximizes wellbeing advantages by showing employees a clear, internal career path, fuelling their training with purpose. 

Take a look at your growth strategies and role openings to find gaps in your team that upskilling could fill. 

2. Outline policy essentials

Policy is essential when developing an upskilling initiative. You need to have guidelines to ensure your team understands what the program offers and any terms and conditions that come with free training. 

Some key policy essentials to consider include:

• How much each individual or sector can spend on upskilling courses.
• When the training will take place (e.g. a paid study day each week or in the employee’s own time). 
• Any contractual obligations (such as staying with the business for at least 2 years after undertaking an upskilling program).
• How employees can request to join the upskilling program.

Outlining key policies helps clarify the details of your upskilling program, making it a must before you begin offering courses. 

3. Partner with external course providers

There are a few ways to train your staff through an upskilling program, but one of the simplest is working with third-party trainers and course providers. 

This helps bring a more diverse and uniform training program into your business, the process is streamlined, training and well experience and the materials for the courses already exist. 

4. Market upskill opportunities

Once you’ve found skill gaps, set up your policies, and found the right course providers, you’re ready to market opportunities to your employees. Marketing is vital for ensuring buy-in from your team and showcasing how it’ll benefit them.

You can also personally offer upskilling to employees who meet your criteria. This is ideal for improving the well-being of your team, highlighting how you value your existing workforce and believe in their skills. 

Final thoughts

Upskilling is becoming a staple of today’s businesses. With so many wellbeing benefits, it’s no surprise that employees are increasingly looking to learn new skills and meet changing demands within their respective sectors.