To make workforce transformation easier and more permanent, HR leaders must shift their paradigm to take into account employees' preferences for professional growth. Employers should use both reskilling and upskilling as important ways to close potential skill gaps in their workforce. And so many leaders are focusing on skills, as a McKinsey study found that nearly 70% of companies are now doing more to build skills than they were pre-COVID-19. No wonder.
In an exclusive interaction with ETHRWorld International, Saurabh Jain, Head of Human Resources, Asia Pacific, ABN AMRO Bank, talks about how employees can upskill and how leaders can improve their employees' employability. We shared insights on why you should focus on , and career development strategies that employees can adopt. Strengthening organizations to attract and retain talent, the importance of coaching as a personal development approach.
Saurabh Jain is Head of Human Resources Asia Pacific at ABN AMRO, based in Singapore, and is responsible for driving the bank's talent strategy in the region. He joined ABN AMRO in April 2017. He is passionate about talent development and building organizational culture and has extensive experience in human resources. Saurabh has worked in India, Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore. Saurabh is also passionate about coaching and he is currently pursuing his Professional Certificate in Coaching (CPCC). He is an active contributor to several industry forums.
Here are some interesting highlights from the interview.
Q. As we move into 2023, self-development through reskilling and upskilling courses is a perk on the job that many candidates are looking for… Share some of the best ways employees can upskill themselves. Could you please
Staying relevant in current and future markets requires all of us to continually improve our skills. Employees need to identify their purpose, passion, and strengths, and then spend relentless time developing their skills to achieve their goals. Skills here include both technical and human skills. You should regularly ask yourself if you are learning in your current job, and if the answer is no, you should talk to your line manager and ask for additional responsibilities or a change in your role. Change creates great opportunities to learn and grow.
Another approach to upskilling is to network and learn from others. I feel strongly that we all should have a mentor who can give advice and share ideas. Mentoring provides a powerful way to learn from your mentor's experience, identify blind spots, and get authentic feedback. If you have a senior colleague you like, either within your organization or outside of your organization, please reach out and ask for coffee. You'll be surprised how willing they are to talk to you.
Last but not least, make learning a habit. Our brains are wired differently, so identify your preferred learning mode. With the spread of technology, high-quality content in different modes such as text, audio, and video is available all around us, and finding the one that suits you and switching to that style makes learning fun instead of painful. It becomes a thing. Set aside time daily/weekly to invest in yourself. Even just 30 minutes a week is fine. For example, why not use your daily commute time to study on the go!!
Q. Can you outline the strategic priorities for leaders for this year and the actions they should take to optimize the personal development of their employees in their leadership vision?
In today's uncertain environment, one of the strategic priorities leaders should focus on is improving the employability of employees both inside and outside their organizations. This increases employee engagement and productivity, creating value for the entire organization.
Even if you lose a well-trained employee, they will think highly of you, thereby improving your leadership and employer brand. Additionally, the world is now seeing boomerang employees who may come back and join the company in the future if they have had a good experience in the past.
Leaders play a critical role in creating an environment where employees prioritize their own growth. This includes offering flexibility, benefits, an inclusive culture, resources, and more. Leaders and managers should also model lifelong learning behaviors and share their own examples to inspire their teams.
Q. Do you think coaching is a promising approach to employee self-development?
Coaching is a great tool for personal development for anyone. Coaching helps people connect with their true selves and release enormous amounts of energy. Additionally, it empowers individuals to take responsibility for their goals and take proactive action, resulting in change.
As humans, we all have infinite potential to overcome barriers and become a better version of ourselves. The tools and techniques used by professional coaches make this possible. Once you connect with your true inner self and clarify your life purpose, you will be able to make choices that resonate with you and live a fulfilling life at work and in your personal life.
Q. What are some of the best career development strategies that organizations should adopt to attract and retain talent?
It depends on several factors, including the stage of the organization, the industry, the employee's career lifecycle, employee motivation, and goals.
Here are some career development ideas that organizations should adopt to attract and retain top talent in today's talent market.
- Break down silos by aligning your career development strategy with your organization's vision and business strategy/goals.
- Give your employees the opportunity to achieve their best performance in their current role by allocating resources and providing developmental feedback and support.
- Build knowledge and skills that align with your employees' current roles and future aspirations. Create mentoring and networking opportunities.
- Rethink career advancement: Employees may have a perception that the only path to career advancement is through vertical promotion to manager. Some people don't want to be managers, but they fall into this trap and end up not enjoying the role later on. Therefore, organizations must also create and communicate non-linear career moves that allow people to grow in different directions through promotions.
- Finally, leaders must take risks because they can do wonders for people. Some of the most promising career stories I've heard from employees include overwhelming words of gratitude for leaders who showed confidence when they themselves lacked confidence. Being honest and letting your employees know you're supportive can go a long way.
Q. How can leaders ensure that employees' professional goals are aligned with their personal goals through development opportunities within the workplace?
Aligning personal and professional goals fosters collaboration, engagement, and business results. Leaders can take the following approaches to ensure that employees' professional goals are aligned with their personal goals.
- Provide opportunities for employees to define and communicate their purpose and personal goals. This has become a hot topic post-pandemic, as employees see purpose as a way to bring meaning to their work and understand the contribution they are making to their companies and society.
- At the same time, it is important for organizations to clearly communicate their business purpose, vision, and goals so that everyone in the organization is on the same page.
- Build managers' ability to have developmental dialogue with employees to align the two. We provide professional development opportunities and career growth paths that align with employees' personal interests and aspirations.
