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One of the easy solutions to adapt to the constantly changing goals of the company is to invest in ongoing training for current employees. Retaining talented tech workers with the capacity for growing and learning means companies save time and money otherwise spent recruiting and onboarding new employees.
To develop internal candidates with the right foundational skills, companies can reassess the talents and skills an employee offers beyond their current role and projects. These skills can be identified through hackathons, team challenges or digital playgrounds designed for testing new ideas and experimenting with new products or services.
Soft skills like problem-solving, relationship-building, empathy and creativity are also critical to identify. Those can likely be strengthened through in-person experiences, training and a good mentoring program. AI can be used to better match mentors and mentees based on backgrounds, interests and what they want out of the relationship.
Upskilling, which builds out employee skill sets through training and development programs, can minimize skill gaps and prepare employees for changes in their job functions. AI upskilling can help employees in organizations that are beginning to useAI agents to support human employees on projects, like consulting companies or law firms. But even with their advanced knowledge synthesis capabilities, AI tools heavily rely on humans to provide context, dictate prompts and interpret results. Those are all skills that employees might receive training on how to do.
There are plenty of AI-powered tools and services that can assess current employee performance and identify areas for upskilling or reskilling. Generative AI can create more customized learning journeys for each employee that combine a general foundational AI education along with specific instruction tailored to the learners’ jobs.
Managers can encourage employees to participate in open source communities and pursue opportunities for external certifications. Providing resources for education in emerging technology areas can create a clear path for skills development and build a culture of curiosity, growth and loyalty among employees.
Holistically addressing the tech talent gap helps companies mitigate shortages and move more steadily toward their goals. Fostering an educated, involved and diverse tech workforce will allow everyone in the tech ecosystem to flourish.