Put Me in Coach: Retain High Performers with a Tactical Approach to Employee Development

Written by: Donna Thaxter, Training, Coaching and Personal Development Consultant

Many companies are facing a significant business challenge in today's competitive environment. They're finding it tough to attract new talent in order to close crucial skill gaps. This article will present three strategies to tackle this important business issue.

One approach is to bring on short-term, highly skilled contract employees to bridge skill gaps on a temporary or long-term basis. Contract workers can assist you in setting performance standards in their respective areas and provide immediate expertise. Alternatively, organizations can focus on developing existing employees who have shown an interest in and aptitude for learning new skills. This expands the competencies of your current workforce and boosts employee retention and engagement. A third hybrid approach offers the best of both worlds, combining skilled contract employees who work with and coach your team members to develop new business-critical skills and knowledge. This method ensures successful employee development through tailored learning paths and can be done while maintaining productivity and keeping pace with business targets.

Consciously focusing on upskilling your employees effectively addresses competency gaps and can foster a sense of loyalty, increased engagement, and enhanced productivity. Moreover, it provides employees (who, as the song goes … are ready to play today …) with new challenges and a sense of control over their career trajectory.

Please contact our Director, Bill Dolan, to discuss how we can work with your organization to help you close skill gaps and assist your teams in developing the business-critical skills they need. You can reach Bill via email (WDolan@scapartnering.com) or phone (617-694-2617).