December 3, 2024

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Bridging skill gaps: AI and the future of employee training

Bridging skill gaps: AI and the future of employee training

Career development is a constantly-evolving landscape of skillsets and tools. Forward-thinking professionals need to educate their workforce to meet the demands of each new wave of technology.

Generative AI is one such technology that will  transform the workplace, freeing employees of some of their mundane daily tasks.

John Scott, head of learning and design at workplace educational platform MasterClass at Work, said in an interview with Employee Benefit News’ Paola Peralta it is the “redundant tasks that become demotivating time sucks” where AI tools can excel.

“If it understands a very clear context about the task and the objective, and it’s given the information that it needs to automate lower-level tasks, it opens up more time for employees to do higher-order thinking and higher-level tasks that are going to be more valuable to business and more motivating to them as an individual,” Scott said.

Read more: Masterclass at Work’s advice: Add Gen AI to learning and development strategies

On another front, a  crucial part of career development that many employers often overlook is the importance of continuing education resources for employees of all age ranges.

“There’s a misconception that older workers don’t want to be retrained or aren’t looking for tuition, [but] it’s quite the opposite,” Michelle Westfort, chief strategy and solutions officer at InStride, said in an interview with EBN’s Lee Hafner. “Regardless of [an] employee’s age, companies should be offering ongoing training, upskilling and re-skilling — for instance, when a job is no longer going to look the same way in the future.” 

Following are expert insights on how companies can better support the development of their employees and what avenues are available for current and future members of the workforce to boost their resumes.

ChatGPT

Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Photographer: Jakub Porzycki/Nur

47% of Gen Z get better career advice from ChatGPT than from their managers

Article by Paola Peralta

Thanks to technology, young workers have answers to all types of questions at their fingertips. But when it comes to career planning, they would still prefer the help to come directly from employers. 

Fifty-four percent of employees feel completely on their own at their organization when it comes to career development, according to a recent survey from career development platform Intoo. Gen Z employees have even started to look for support elsewhere, with nearly half of young professionals claiming they get better career advice from AI programs like ChatGPT than they do for their own manager.

“Gen Zers are having a different experience as they go into their careers,” says Mira Greenland, chief revenue officer at Intoo. “This generation more than any other before is really craving meaningful work, rapid opportunities and regular feedback. They’ve grown up with these vastly different digitally connected environments where they have everything so immediately available and personalized. They’re looking for management to treat them in that same way.”

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3. Goals.jpg

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Spring clean your career: How to set work goals you’ll actually reach

Article by Alyssa Place

It’s easy to become stagnant when it comes to professional growth, but with the right approach, employees can set reachable career goals and excel year-round. 

Fifty percent of people will set a career goal for their year, according to Gallup, and while the new year is the most typical time to get those ambitions in order, it’s important to regularly revisit what you hope to achieve and adjust accordingly. 

“One of the reasons people don’t end up achieving their professional goals is that they only visit it once a year,” says Sarah Doody, career strategist and founder of Career Strategy Lab, a career coaching platform. “Doing this on an ongoing basis, and not just two days before your performance review, is a way to help ensure that you actually make progress.”

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HR managers join hands with job applicants, accept proposals and

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HR leaders and recruiters reveal the secrets to early career success

Article by Paola Peralta

Upon entering the workforce, young workers are often eager to make the most of every opportunity they get. But they still need a little help figuring out where to start. 

In 2024, Gen Zers will make up more of the workforce than baby boomers, according to a forecast report from job search website Glassdoor. What’s more, 92% of Gen Z employees said they were considering moving on from their current jobs in 2024, according to a survey from job search platform LinkedIn, which means it has never been more important for young professionals to set themselves up for success.

Yet while it’s the perfect time to experiment and some missteps are a given, without a good understanding of how every stage of the employment process works, these young employees risk setting themselves — and their careers — back unnecessarily. 

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Ask for that promotion: 11 of employees biggest career regrets

Article by Paola Peralta

They say hindsight is 20/20 — and as it turns out, this is true for decisions employees have made in their professional journeys. 

Sixty-six percent of workers experience career regrets, according to Resume Now’s International Career Regrets survey. To help younger professionals avoid lamentations throughout  their own journeys, the resume building platform recently ranked some of the things employees didn’t do in past workplaces that they wish they had

“I don’t think it’s possible to go through your entire career without a single regret,” says Heather O’Neill, career expert at Resume Now. “But I think you can practice regret reduction.”

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Young friends sharing content on streaming platform with digital

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Being isolated at work can damage your career: 5 ways to be more social

Article by Lee Hafner

It is not as easy — or as tempting — as it used to be to spend time with coworkers outside of the office. But choosing not to socialize could be crippling your career.

According to a TopResume survey, more than half of employee respondents described themselves as introverts at work and have no desire to spend time with their coworkers after day’s end. Instead, most people described themselves as being more reserved or thoughtful, and preferred solitary activities and time to recharge after social situations. 

But too much isolation can be damaging to employees’ mental health and their professional growth. Social isolation can lead to sleeplessness, anxiety and depression, as well as limited networking opportunities, reduced visibility and recognition in the workplace, and a lack of connection to colleagues, information and resources at work, says Amanda Augustine, a career expert at TopResume. 

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LGBTQ.Bloomberg

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20% of queer employees fear coming out will damage their careers

Article by Paola Peralta

Despite  increased efforts by employers to be inclusive of LGBTQ talent, queer employees are   still hesitant to bring their full selves to work. 

Sixty-three percent of LGBTQ people say they’ve faced discrimination in their career, according to a recent survey from educational consultant Edubirdie, and almost half feel that their company is bad at raising awareness about their struggles. As a result, one in four LGBTQ employees feel unsafe coming out at work

“Societally, there’s been a lot of progress in terms of LGBTQ social support both at work and with the general public,” says Dr. Jenna Brownfield, a licensed psychologist who specializes in therapy for the LGBTQ community. “But it’s still hard to be LGBTQ in our world and it continues to be politicized.” 

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Human resources manager shaking hands with successful vacancy applicant at office, above view. Career fair concept

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5 good habits essential for a successful career

Article by Paola Peralta

Kicking a bad habit is hard, but sometimes, building good habits can be even harder. 

Forty-six percent of employees attribute their career success to having the right habits, according to a recent report from professional training and coaching platform Crucial Learning. This compares to just 22% of employees that credited the decisions they made and the 24% who chalked it up to natural talent, meaning that building a healthy work routine is twice as critical for employees looking to advance

“If you look at your outcomes and results at work — good or bad — as well as your career and your relationships, so much of all of it is determined not by the things you do periodically but by the things you do habitually,” says Justin Hale, a principal consultant in learning design and research at Crucial Learning. “So addressing those habitual behaviors is really the leverage point to trying to change your results long term.”  

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EMPLOYEE-TURNOVER

How financial advisers can assist clients in successfully navigating career changes

Article by Rob Burgess

The potential of an impending job change, whether voluntary or involuntary, is on the minds of many employees these days.

The share of people who think they’re likely to be unemployed in the next four months reached a record high in a recent Federal Reserve Bank of New York survey of consumer expectations that dates back to 2014.

Financial advisers who have experience helping their clients successfully move into a new phase of their professional lives say figuring out what is important can help clarify the steps they need to take to prepare for this transition.

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GenZ

Gen Z’s career motivations have evolved. Here’s how

Article by Paola Peralta

Gen Zers have garnered an unfair reputation of being lazy and disinterested in their careers. On the contrary, they have been heavily influenced by the world they grew up in and that is affecting what drives them professionally

Individuals in this generation were generally born between 1997 and 2012 so the group ranges from children who are almost entering high school to those who have been in the workforce for a few years. 

When it comes to career aspirations, 69% of Gen Z want to make enough money to live comfortably, according to data from workplace insights platform Statista, with 31% saying they want to make a positive impact on the world or their community — and the intersection of those two findings is what’s really defining young talent. 

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interview

Here’s how to explain career gaps when job seeking

Article by Paola Peralta

Making the decision to take a break from the workforce can be hard, but with the right strategy and preparation there’s no reason that the return should be. 

Sixty-nine percent of hiring managers worry about employment gaps on a resume, according to a recent survey conducted by Resume Genius. Thirty-one percent think gaps slightly reduce a candidate’s chances of moving forward and 29% believe they make a candidate less likely to be hired — and candidates need to be ready to make their case. 

“In the past, gaps were seen as a major red flag that could significantly hurt a candidate’s chances because they illustrated an inability to find or maintain paid employment,” says Eva Chan, lead career expert at Resume Genius. “Today, while employers still frown upon unexplained breaks in work history for the same reason, [most] of them no longer view them as dealbreakers.” 

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