Reskilling And Upskilling: How To Hire A Versatile Prospect

Reskilling and upskilling are most effective with employees who are versatile

When it comes to hiring, employers look for certain things to determine that an applicant is qualified. Great employers, however, know what to look for to find applicants who are beyond qualified. They know the qualities that mark an applicant as someone who will make a great employee and bring value to the workplace.

My 20 years of leading, coaching, mentoring, and hiring have provided me with valuable experience in understanding what it takes to be successful in the workplace. I know the type of person who makes a great employee. And when I see them, I hire them.

 

Looking Beyond Technical Skills

As a rule, hiring managers are looking for applicants with the following qualities:
 

• Competency in the skills that will enable them to do the job for which they are applying.
• Trustworthiness.
• Integrity.
• An understanding of what they know and don’t know about the work they will be doing.

Beyond these qualities, I look for someone who is:
 

• Energetic.
• Enthusiastic.
• Passionate about their work.
• Emotionally intelligent, which is a quality that allows them to raise the energy in a room.
• A great team player.
• Able to work in diverse groups of people with all types of backgrounds.
• Willing to go above and beyond what is expected of them.

Notice that the qualities listed above are 10 percent technical and 90 percent attitude. I believe this is the best approach to finding the best applicants.

I can train people in skills. The same is not true with attitude. Finding applicants with perfect attitudes is nearly impossible. When I am hiring, I am always on the lookout for applicants with great attitudes. Those are the applicants that can be reskilled or upskilled to help a company to grow.

For example, during an interview, I may determine that an applicant is halfway there when it comes to being able to do the job for which they are applying. However, they have the intelligence and the willingness to learn the job. If they exhibit initiative, they can be trained in the technical side of the job and become a great employee.

Qualities that Indicate a Potential for Reskilling and Upskilling

Both reskilling and upskilling are most effective with employees who are versatile. With upskilling, which is becoming more common as digitalization brings new technologies to the workplace, employees must be open and eager to expand their skill set. With reskilling, employees must be willing to leave a particular position behind and embrace an entirely new skill set.

To ensure that I have employees who can thrive in an environment of reskilling and upskilling, I look for these qualities:
 

• Competitiveness — One thing I am always on the lookout for is applicants who are competitive athletes. Those are the type of people who will fight to win.
• Comfort with diversity — I want my teams to be made up of people from a variety of backgrounds who bring a variety of perspectives. This creates a rich environment for innovation and problem solving. Therefore, I am looking for people who do not need a safe space away from those who are not like them. The best applicants will be extremely comfortable in a diverse workplace environment.
• Focus — When someone is focused on their career, it typically means they love their career, which is often a sign that they will passionately pursue advancement and stay in their job for several years.

Overall, when looking to hire a versatile prospect, attitude should be a top concern. Someone who brings good energy, enthusiasm, emotional intelligence, and social skills combined with competitiveness and focus is typically someone who will not quit until the job is done and the mission is successful.

Recommended Resources:
What is Upskilling and Why is it Important, TechTarget
Reskilling: A strategic response to an evolving world of work, Big Think
How to Build a Successful Upskilling Program, Harvard Business Review
Upskilling for the digital world: New world. New skills. Price Waterhouse Cooper

Michael Gibbs is the CEO of Go Cloud Careers. Michael has 25 years of experience in networking, cloud computing, and IT security. Follow Go Cloud Tech