5 Ways Companies Are Addressing Skills Gaps in Their Workforce | Harvard Business Review

In today’s economic landscape, characterized by high recession fears and a tight job market, organizations face the challenge of addressing skills gaps while also dealing with budgetary constraints on training. As organizations consider alternative approaches to traditional workforce learning, this article shares five ideas, a few of which are enabled by technology. The five practices include 1) Digital apprenticeships, 2) Tuition-assistance programs, 3) Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs), 4) Democratization of coaching, and 5) Cohort-based courses. Regarding the democratization of coaching, professional coaching, previously available only to senior executives or high-potential employees, is now becoming more accessible through digital platforms. These platforms use technology to match employees with coaches based on their needs and provide coaching sessions via digital platforms. Large companies are offering coaching services to their employees, leading to positive outcomes such as increased progress toward personal goals and skills development. As organizations explore the practice of digital coaching, I am resharing this 15-page report by Josh Bersin, which shares tactics for making digital coaching more scalable. In addition, here is a recent 20-page report by Gartner that I previously shared regarding HR tech priorities for 2023. The top three HR technology investments for 2023 are skills management, learning experience platforms, and internal talent marketplaces. Each resource provides ideas on how organizations leverage technology to close skills gaps.