Employers challenged to identify and meet the employee skills gap

The year 2021 looks significantly different from what was anticipated a year ago. Most of the short-term development plans that were carefully crafted are no longer relevant. In fact, almost nine out of ten managers recently surveyed said they believed employee development plans needed to change to reflect the skills gaps that organizations now face.

It's not just that organizations need different skills from those required in the past; the speed in which organizations need them is more urgent than ever before. Employees need upskilling, cross-skilling and reskilling to support business growth and transition. But organization leaders struggle to determine what skills their employees lack.

With all the workforce changes last year, it is not surprising that employees lack the skills to meet new demands. HR Dive's studio ID and SAS conducted a survey in October 2020 and nearly 400 HR leaders found that 88% of managers said they believed their employee development plans needed to change in 2021.

In the fast-changing work world, managers surveyed recognized the need for continued learning. Fifty percent of managers said employees needed more upskilling, reskilling and cross-skilling, and 41% said they themselves needed those same opportunities.