According to the global ADP study "People at Work2024: A Global Workforce View", as many as 25.8 percent employees in Poland were considering changing industries last year. More than one third of respondents (36.4%) believe that their employer does not invest in the development of their skills for the development of their career.
Today, according to Central Statistical Office research, as many as 53 percent Many of us do not work in our learned profession. Does this mean that the traditional career path of acquiring a specialized education and then turning it into many years of professional experience is a path to nowhere? The belief – still strong among older generations – that higher education is an introduction to a bright career is weakening. Over the decade, the number of students in Poland decreased by 14%. In the academic year 2022/23 there were 1.22 million people, and in 2015/15 – about 1.4 million. This is partly the result of the fact that students are from demographic decline, but universities cannot fill this gap even by admitting a record number of students from abroad (8.4% in the 2022/23 academic year). The number of people undertaking second-cycle studies is also decreasing. Today, 70% of people decide to pursue a master's degree. graduates of first-cycle studies. In 2021, there were almost 30,000 more of them. less than in 2015. In other words, more people complete higher education with a bachelor's or engineering degree.
Successful platforms offer short courses and training, tailored to training practical skills useful on the labor market, such as using social media and graphic programs, accounting, creating business plans, design thinking or building fire bubbles… the possibilities are endless.
– E-learning platforms and their success on the market are an inspiration for employers – says Anna Barbachowska, HR director at ADP Polska. – One of the big trends in HR is the decline of the traditional career path, the rush to continuous learning and frequent changes. That's why many large companies already offer their employees online training, access to industry-specific readings and language learning. The offers are constantly expanded. There is a rule that it is easier to teach an employee the skills needed in a given place than to look for an ideal candidate on the market, because neither secondary and vocational schools nor higher education will teach him everything that will be useful for a specific position in a specific company. At ADP, in addition to e-learning, we offer employees participation in webinars as an interactive form of knowledge transfer. This is an opportunity for development both for the recipients and for the person conducting the training, usually an ADP employee. Such a person creates the webinar script himself, ensures an attractive message, and invites possible co-presenters. He takes on the role of a teacher and organizer, but apart from that he builds his personal brand in the company – adds Barbachowska.
Employer, invest in continuous learning
From time to time, each of us hears a story from the series "she quit her corporate job and became a driver, seamstress, hairdresser, accountant…" etc. Two issues should be noted here: the motives for such a radical change in career path and the willingness to learn. new things. People usually make such a decision when they feel unhappy in their current job: they are unfulfilled, underestimated substantively and financially, and they do not see their future in a given place. They have invested time, effort and money to learn a new profession, and their current employer usually drops them off the radar. However, this is an indication that many employees are eager to learn new skills – so why shouldn't companies take advantage of this?
Business is beginning to appreciate this drive to learn and is increasingly responding to it. Upskilling – internal training of employees – is a hot trend in HR, responding to the shortage of employees with qualifications needed in a given company. Some employers go even further and offer internal reskilling, which means acquiring completely new skills, uncorrelated with the current job position. Reskilling supported by the employer is an opportunity for the employee to change his profession and at the same time stay in the company. Both sides benefit: the employer avoids the time-consuming recruitment and onboarding of a new employee. In turn, for an employee, looking for a job in a new profession without prior experience is more stressful than simply changing jobs. A form of upskilling would be, for example, entrusting a person working at the reception, after prior training, with running the company's social channels. "Social media ninja" has evolved into a full-scale profession, but many smaller companies do not need a full-time specialist in this area – hence combining these tasks with other responsibilities.
Upskilling and reskilling can take very attractive forms. In some companies there is a rule that employees should expand their competences. This means job rotation – cyclical, systemic transfer of employees between positions and departments. Other companies offer voluntary migration between departments as part of individual arrangements between employees and departments. Behind it all is the belief that learning about the specifics of another department's work helps an employee refresh their mind, gain a new perspective and improve cooperation between departments. The employee gains new professional experience, which he or she can compare with his or her needs and competences.
Another method is the mentoring system: the employee receives a mentor who shares professional experience and knowledge with him in a strictly defined framework of cooperation. In such an arrangement, not only the student benefits, but also the mentor, for whom it is a form of appreciation from the employer and an opportunity to look at his or her experience in a new way. For employers, a good mentoring program is one of the ways to build employer branding. New generations of employees prefer companies that offer good continuous professional learning. They are more satisfied with the mentor-student relationship than with the superior-subordinate relationship, and they are focused on acquiring competences that will strengthen their position on the labor market.
Hackathons are an interesting form of developing professional skills. Despite the name, they are no longer limited only to the programming community. A new type of hackathon is an all-day event during which employees suspend their normal tasks and instead look at abandoned ideas as a team, try to creatively solve a problem, and determine possible development paths in the company. It is also a chance to observe teamwork, build new relationships, and stimulate creativity. Employees suddenly find themselves in a different role than usual – and this is an opportunity to discover new skills.
– At ADP, we enable employees to develop their passions by participating in employee groups. This is a long-term action. Groups organize various events and initiatives in the company, for example ecological or inclusive ones. They conduct brainstorming sessions, design and publicize events, and have a certain budget. In addition to drawing attention to aspects important for the company, these activities support employees in acquiring and developing new skills, which helps build their careers. – points out Anna Barbachowska. – Offering employees attractive forms of upskilling and reskilling, apart from this most obvious effect, also has other advantages: the employee's sense of belonging and loyalty to the company increases. Employees get to know each other better and cooperation works better. And importantly, it can also be a way to prevent and reduce burnout. Knowing that there is an opportunity to acquire new qualifications in the company means that the employee will analyze his situation from time to time, wonder how he feels in his current position and what else he could be good at. There is a feeling that solutions are available at your fingertips. All this reduces work-related stress and reduces the likelihood of leaving.
