Are Your Employees Underemployed? Early Upskilling Is Your Solution

We can’t afford to grow complacent in a new world of work

Imagine it’s the year 2026. Two years from now. What does the workplace look like? What has changed, either for better or for worse? How have you as a professional coped? 

While there will never be an HR crystal ball, we can assume three things: a tightened labor market increasing competitiveness to obtain and retain jobs, technology, including AI, changing the workplace even further, and an ever-evolving society. 

As HR professionals, I know, you’re already thinking through such changes and considering future strategies to manage them. But what about our early career and transitioning professionals? How can we help them now so they are also prepared for the future and can immediately provide value when they achieve a higher leadership level in the workplace? 

I can offer one solution: reskilling and upskilling. 

"The only thing that is constant is change," Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said. As a leadership coach for nearly a decade and credentialed by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), I have seen firsthand the value of keeping up with change. Even in my career, I experienced leaving a role to leap with entrepreneurship due to a lack of development and upskilling opportunities. Providing upskilling and reskilling within an organization can support continued engagement and prevent turnover, as employees are increasingly seeking jobs that offer development opportunities. 

Investing now in reskilling and upskilling employees who are in the early stages of their careers not only benefits these individuals but also their organization. It’s a win-win. Why? An upskilled organization can more effectively mitigate skill gaps, realize employees’ talent potential, and increase productivity. Employers that offer upskilling are set to gain the most: 48 percent of American workers said they would transfer jobs if granted skills training and 65 percent would consider upskilling a significant perk when considering a job change, data available in a 2021 Gallup analysis. 

Meet Organizational Needs with Upskilling

The workplace landscape continues to change. In another year, some jobs may no longer exist, while others may look very different. There may also be the need for new roles no one has yet thought of. As the workplace evolves, we can’t forget about those who are entering the workforce soon or have just entered it. 

They are at a disadvantage from the moment they graduate and try to find a job. Fortunately, reskilling and upskilling are two tools available to expand what they learned in school to what is needed in the workplace. These tools can make an employer more attractive and provide applicants with the confidence that company culture supports their continued advancement. 

HR teams must take the first step. Before upskilling and reskilling, it’s vital to assess underemployment across teams, and simultaneously, skills gaps within the organization. Once assessed, the outcomes will give a better idea of where and with whom investments in upskilling will bring the most benefit. 

Coaching supports HR teams in these assessments. How? When a coach works with an employee or individual, they can help reveal the key skills that the employee either has but isn’t utilizing, or doesn’t have but may be able to develop. Once these skills gaps and potentials are identified, HR leaders can invest in professional development to support this growth. Leaders can also promote a culture of learning in which teams are encouraged to make time for upskilling.

Prepare for Technology Transformations 

It’s no secret that technology, specifically AI, is transforming the workplace. One billion jobs will be different by 2030 thanks to technology, according to the World Economic Forum. 

At its core, technology and the workplace change it brings about are almost too overwhelming to envision, and, unfortunately, there’s no way to prevent technology from impacting the workplace. That’s why we must have a well-trained workforce that is oriented toward constantly adapting, learning, growing, and becoming quick and agile to handle changes as they come rather than impulsively resisting them. 

Recent college graduates and young professionals are highly motivated to learn. They just need the right environment and tools to reach their full potential. As I’ve seen in my own work, upskilling through coaching empowers high-potential professionals to maintain that label throughout their careers. 

At any stage, employees benefit from new intellectual challenges and opportunities to advance their skills. It’s an investment not only in their future but also in the organization’s so that it can have a well-trained workforce eager to put their knowledge back into the company. Teams will be better primed for future success, and the organization will be better able to retain valuable employees and close the digital skills gap. 

We are in a new world of work. Companies struggle to find the talent they need, yet the talent they need is navigating underemployment, along with an ever-changing corporate landscape they can’t keep up with from day one. Invest in the upskilling and reskilling process now, and instead of displacing much-needed talent — attract it. 

This investment sets a valuable tone that can carry an organization and its talent forward through any challenge — emerging technologies or otherwise. We can’t afford to grow complacent.

Laura Weldy is an International Coaching Federation Credentialed Leadership Coach.