Plugging skills gap will pay dividends

Mar 2 2009 by Colin Grinston, The Journal

HAVING a team of committed and motivated staff is vitally important to any business, particularly in these tough economic times, when resource efficiency is key to survival.

Working with staff to improve their performance can be a real benefit to a business, not only in respect of results, but also in terms of staff retention. A strong training and development approach is one way of bettering staff performance.

Many employers make the mistake of neglecting existing staff, allowing them to settle into their role and not explore their potential.

Allowing your team to develop their skills and partake in training courses can dramatically improve staff morale and also allow you to make better use of your human resources, which ultimately lead to improved productivity, competitiveness and profitability.

A good place to start is to compare the skills your team has with the skills you need to achieve your business goals.

Identifying such “skills gaps” can allow you to plan appropriate training for employees. However, where possible, allowing your staff to take ownership of their development is important, so working with them to assess their strengths and weaknesses is a good way to encourage improved performance.

While business needs may inevitably dictate the type of training your staff is given, allowing them some control over their own development is always advisable.

Development plans are a good way of allowing employees to take control of their progress.

Business Link has a helpful guide to creating a development plan online at www.businesslink.gov.uk/northeast. As well as a guide to development plans, the Business Link website also has tips on other ways of improving staff performance, including mentoring and motivation methods such as incentives and appraisals.

For more information about improving staff performance and to find out how Business Link can help you, visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/northeast  or call (0845) 600 9 006.

Colin Grinston is with Business Link