Upskill your workforce on a shoestring with these tips

Personal development might not feature too highly on the agenda for many businesses right now, but if you want to give your staff something to focus on that boosts morale and gives them a heightened sense of value, there’s never been a better time to provide your team with opportunities to upskill.

Although the last few months have been tough for businesses all over the UK, there are ways that you can upskill your teams without burning a big hole in what is sure to be an already overstretched budget.

Here’s how.

Peer to Peer Mentoring

Who better to train staff that are relatively new to your business or need to learn new skills than the star employees that have been championing your company since day one?

By tapping in to the unique blend of knowledge, expertise and experience that many of your time served staff members hold, you are able to train other team members in best working practice and ensure continuity of service in all departments.

Better still, this form of peer-to-peer mentoring is virtually cost-free and only requires a few hours out of the working week of other team members, so it’s a great way of knowledge sharing without spending money.

Collaborative meetings

All businesses want to be more efficient, and the best people to help you do this are the teams that run all aspects of your business on a daily basis.

By bringing together representatives from each department, you can create a collaborative task force which will be able to give you ideas on new processes and ways of working that can help save both time and money.

Not only does this allow you to unlock big benefits for your business, it can also teach staff important reporting and investigation skills as well as encouraging them to look at the bigger picture when it comes to making efficiencies. It’s win-win all round!

You might even spot a few promising future leaders that show real acumen too, so give your staff a chance to shine while trying something new.

Online learning

Online learning has exploded in recent years thanks to the ease of accessibility and the lower price point than more traditional training methods.

If you’ve spotted some staff members who show potential for roles further up the corporate ladder, looking into online learning might be a far better option in terms of cost and time away from the office. Many digital training courses allow students to learn at a time that suits them and their employer.

As most employees want to invest in their professional development, offering to finance the course if learning is undertaken in their own time ensures productivity is maintained and helps keep staff happy and motivated.