The term “skill mismatch” usually refers to the gap between the skills people have acquired and the needs of the labor market—that is, a mismatch between supply and demand in the professional sphere.
Today’s job market demands increasingly advanced digital skills, which is why terms like “upskill” and “reskill” are on everyone’s lips. Furthermore, investing in skills and people is a key factor for a competitive and up-to-date business.
In fact, according to the World Economic Forum’s report“The Future of Jobs 2020,” 40% of workers will need to retrain, and over 94% of business executives say they expect employees to acquire new skills. Therefore, training—especially in the era of the New Ways of Working—is essential for companies, which have every interest in avoiding issues such as skill mismatches.
What are the causes of the skills mismatch?
As a study by the Boston Consulting Group on this topic also shows, the phenomenon of skill mismatch is due to:
“the gap between the world of work—which is becoming increasingly complex and is undergoing constant change—and the world of education, which remains tied to the dominant model of the second half of the 20th century: standardized, mass education geared toward a single job for life.”
Therefore, it is precisely the aspect of learning and training that is problematic when it comes to skill mismatches: content that is too general and lengthy, limited opportunities for interaction, and difficulty in finding solutions applicable to the day-to-day work environment are all major issues.
How can you avoid a skills mismatch?
The key to curbing this phenomenon, therefore, lies in a number of factors:
's Approach to Change This involves fostering a culture of change and a focus on change within the company; it goes beyond individual employees and also entails a different approach to training itself.- Unconventional and Digital Training
Traditional training is not effective in truly helping learners master the material and turn it into real skills; above all, to bridge the gap between supply and demand in the labor market, training based on methodologies such as learning by doing—and it’s even better when applied to digital tools.
Customization: The skills required today are increasingly specialized; in fact, “tailored” training is necessary—training that focuses on the methods, timelines, and prior skills of each individual.
The hi | habit-inspiring platform brings these aspects together. Thanks to the hi digital coach, it’s possible to provide personalized training for every employee in the company through anunconventional learning approach, thereby fostering lasting and sustainable change.
What are companies looking for today?
Today, companies are primarily looking for people with the right attitude toward change—that is, those capable of flexibly acquiring new skills. Essentially, this means emphasizing all aspects related to so-called soft skills, which are often neglected in training and also contribute significantly to the phenomenon of skill mismatch. Therefore, investing in the right training to avoid a skills mismatch means also emphasizing the “softer” aspects, such as compassionate leadership, the ability to work in a team, and active listening—all of which must be cultivated within the company itself.
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