To build a workforce that can promote a sustainable business, managers and business leaders have been advised to enhance employee digital work skills.
The advice was given at Phillips Consulting (pcl.) July breakfast roundtable held at Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi.
The roundtable centred around emerging digital trends, the opportunities they provide for business growth, and how companies can successfully incorporate them into their business models.
According to Rob Taiwo, the managing director of pcl., the impact of digital technology will continue to be profound, even at the workplace.
Taiwo, who opened the event with his welcome address, shared a story about how a chatbot once helped him resolve a problem with his iPod.
Olufunke Amobi, the country head for human capital at Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc and the keynote speaker of the event, supported Taiwo’s statements.
She explained that digital trends are volatile and are causing a change in the skills required at the workplace, sometimes leading to retrenchments.
It is now the duty of learning managers to adapt to these changes by upskilling or re-purposing their employees.
Amobi shared some experiences Stanbic IBTC had while trying to implement digital learning at her workplace, and how they handled setbacks.
She advised that organizations should not only give employees opportunities to learn, but they should also give room to practice acquired skills.
Amobi also stated that the human resources and information technology departments must align with the strategic intent of the organization.
Paul Ayim, a senior partner at pcl. presented a video clip to show how technology was changing learning environments. Ayim explained that digital learning is not a game of technology or fanciness; it is more a race for efficiency and competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Shane Kirwan, the EMEA director at Skillsoft presented the links between learning and staff turnover rates. According to him, many talented people leave great jobs because they don’t feel like they have room to learn and grow. He urged employers not to be selfish and encourage staff to develop themselves as they grow the company.
He mentioned that workers must anticipate and prepare for a shift that could make them irrelevant in the workplace, and organizations should carry learners along while developing learning systems.
The panellists at the roundtable agreed on the need to make workers more secure about their jobs by proactively mitigating the risk of job loss.
They emphasized the wide skill gaps in the labour market and how it is necessary to invest in building and retaining talent.
