Here’s How To Upskill Your IT Employees (And Why It’s Such a Great Idea) 

Very few industries evolve at the rate that the tech industry moves. To remain relevant and effective, your IT professionals must stay one step ahead of trends and changes. But leaving them to their own upskilling, learning and development can spell trouble. If you are constantly looking for new employees or contractors to fill gaps, you will always be behind the proverbial eight ball. By upskilling your IT employees yourself, you ensure you have access to the skills you need to grow as a team and as a company. Additionally, investing in your tech team’s development builds loyalty and can boost long-term retention.

Here are some ways you can upskill your IT employees in-house.  

Map Career Paths  

Career maps help employees envision a future with your company. They provide a roadmap for keeping skills sharp by giving employees the information they need to build the exact skills that will allow them to take the next step forward in their careers with you.  

Gamify The Process  

You can gamify learning, development and upskilling to provide motivation to your team. This tactic works especially well if you have Millennial and Gen Z employees. Younger people tend to enjoy healthy competition as well as the immediate feedback and recognition that comes with earning badges or climbing leaderboards.  

Give Them Access to Learning On-Demand 

With online platforms like Udemy, your company can purchase a block of training programs that you can share with any interested employee who wants to learn a new skill. Udemy for Business allows your team to access nearly 7,000 training courses and is ideal for teams of 5-20 people.  Employees can access courses from any device, and you can monitor progress to see who is mastering new skills and how quickly those people are learning.  

Leverage Microlearning  

All-day training sessions don’t translate well into the tech world. However, microlearning (short-form lessons) allows employees to learn things in bite-sized bits without pulling them away from their work for too long. Microlearning also allows you to offer a wider variety of mini-trainings that speak to a broader range of skills.  

Create A Mentoring Program  

Mentoring offers employees a great way to upskill while building relationships while you boost retention and build a deeper bench of tech talent. Two-way, multigenerational mentoring can help with upskilling because younger employees can help teach older employees about emerging tech trends while they receive career guidance and a wider breadth of knowledge in exchange.  

Are You Looking For Top IT Talent?  

If you are looking for talented tech professionals who can help your organization achieve its goals, contact the experts at PEAK Technical Staffing today. We are a national leader among IT recruiting firms, and we look forward to helping you land top talent.