Upskilling employees for a hybrid workforce: the ‘next normal’

As the business landscape continues to evolve, organisations that have successfully adapted to modern work arrangements will need to reskill their workforce to meet the realities of hybrid work. While many organisations initially focused on immediate operational needs, there is now an opportunity to future-proof hybrid work environments by upskilling employees, and experiencing the associated benefits of long-term resilience, agility and business growth.

Reskilling and upskilling employees was already a priority for many companies; digital transformation initiatives were driving change in workplaces worldwide, and targeted training was vital to fully leverage the benefits of digitisation, automation, and other technological advancements. However, as hybrid workplaces and remote work have increased, demand for employee reskilling and upskilling has also risen, as organisations fast-track digital transformation projects and adopt new technologies, tools, and ways of working.

Forward-thinking business leaders will see this as an opportunity to build the skills their workforce needs to support long-term agility and business growth in a hybrid work environment. While short-term upskilling may focus on skills that enable remote work or the use of new software and hardware in the workplace, such as online collaboration and cybersecurity awareness, long-term roadmaps must be more holistic if organisations are to thrive.

Skills for the Future Workforce

In the next decade, demand is expected to increase for technological, social, and emotional skills, whilst activities that predominantly require physical, manual, or basic cognitive skills are expected to decline. Organisations must prioritise training their hybrid workforces in core competencies, such as strategy, social responsibility, digital and cognitive capabilities, creative thinking, adaptability and resilience. Maintaining a long-term focus will also help business leaders identify skills gaps and market opportunities early, enabling proactive training to address these needs.

By fostering a culture of continuous learning with both short- and long-term upskilling goals for your employees, you will build a more agile workforce that is better equipped to respond effectively to a changing business environment and emerging market opportunities.

How to Start Upskilling Employees for Your Hybrid Workforce

1. Identify critical skills: Start by mapping the skills your organisation needs to succeed in the short and long term. Consider the digital capabilities required by the hybrid workforce, such as managing workflows and approvals remotely, ensuring cybersecurity for remote work, effectively managing projects across a distributed workforce, and leveraging cloud technologies. Identify any skills gaps or market opportunities to prepare for.
2. Choose your reskilling approach: Upskill and reskill your workforce in the skills you've identified as valuable to your organisation's success. Reskilling can be:
   • Formal: Learning done at an institution such as a university or college, which ends in a qualification or certification
   • Informal: Learning done on the job, picked up from colleagues or managers, or learning done off the job during recreation
   • Non-formal: Structured learning which doesn't end in a qualification or certification
3. Act now: Whilst it may seem prudent to wait for certainty, the reality is that uncertainty is here to stay. Organisations that start reskilling now will be better equipped for further disruption. Start with broader skill sets, such as effective communication or digital and cognitive capabilities, if you're having difficulty identifying more specific training needs.
4. Focus on continuous improvement: Successful reskilling isn't something that is done once and ticked off the list. As the workplace continues to evolve, so do your workforce's required skills. To remain valuable, your organisation's reskilling programme must adapt, grow and continuously improve your employees' skills and talents.

Supporting Your Hybrid Workforce with the Right Tools

As work continues to evolve, having the right digital infrastructure is essential for maintaining productivity and collaboration across hybrid teams. Kyocera Digital Workplace Solutions provide innovative products, software and ICT services designed specifically for modern hybrid work environments. These solutions enable businesses to implement smart workplace strategies that support employee development whilst driving business transformation and resilience.

From document and capture solutions that streamline information management to process automation services that free up time for higher-value work, the right technology foundation allows your upskilled workforce to perform at its best, regardless of location.

The Time to Act is Now

In 2019, the International Labour Organization stated that today's skills will not match the jobs of tomorrow, and newly acquired skills may quickly become obsolete. As we've witnessed rapid shifts in the way we work, this statement could not be more accurate. Investment in reskilling is not an option but a requirement for businesses that wish to remain agile and thrive in a changing world.

Rapid changes in the workplace and acceleration in the adoption of digital technologies have fast-tracked the future of work. It's time to act now and prepare your business for the future. Download our Workplaces of the Future ebook to learn more.

To further support your organisation’s digital transformation, explore our AI Implementation Guide for practical steps on adopting AI effectively.

Kyocera Document Solutions provides innovative products, software and ICT services for hybrid work environments, enabling businesses to implement smart workplace solutions that drive business transformation and resilience.