These personnel development measures will make your company fit for the future

Skilled labor shortages and demographic change are currently threatening our economy more than ever. Companies are finding it difficult to fill vacancies and are investing a lot of money in recruiting. But there is an alternative that can solve many problems in the short to medium term: with clever personnel development measures, you can train your employees to become the specialists you need. Train competencies and soft skills, impart new expertise and develop leaders. Discover effective personnel development measures that will make your company fit for the future.

Personnel development measures aim to further develop the competencies, knowledge and skills of your employees. This continuous (further) development maintains the competitiveness of your company and strengthens you in the fight against skilled labor shortage. It increases the motivation and performance of your employees and ensures that valuable knowledge is retained in the company. 

The world of work has changed dramatically in recent years. Many processes now take place digitally, employees work hybrid or completely remotely, and working hours are becoming increasingly flexible. These changes are also having an impact on personnel development. In the past, large classroom training sessions, printed learning materials, or training at far-flung locations were required. But thanks to digitization and new digital processes, this has changed.

Personnel development now also takes place digitally and hybrid learning is gaining in importance. Flexibility and individuality are the focus. Digital methods allow you to tailor your HR development to the individual needs of your employees, making training more efficient and successful.

The foundation for many successful workforce development efforts is e-learning. Use technology to shift from costly classroom training to flexible learning. Give your employees the freedom to drive their own development. Provide them with access to high-quality online courses, check knowledge levels, and document and analyze learning outcomes in an audit-proof manner.

Mentoring involves a transfer of knowledge between a mentor and a person who wants to develop (mentee). Mentoring is a common personnel development measure for the development of managers. However, it is also suitable as part of the onboarding process to welcome new employees to the company. When training young professionals or dual students, mentoring can provide support to successfully integrate young people into the workforce.

Good mentoring can also be easily replicated digitally. E-learning, video chats and asynchronous communication make it possible. Use mentoring as an effective personnel development measure and build your own mentoring program. The only requirements are: Trust and respect, open communication, clear goals and responsibility on the part of mentors and mentees.

Harness the power of gamification and teach soft skills in an innovative and effective way. With scenario-based learning, they create realistic simulations to train, for example, sales conversations or other everyday situations. Instead of practicing the right behavior in awkward role plays, your employees can use the virtual conversation trainer to improve their communication skills.

Simulated conversations and situations are very effective and open up new possibilities when planning your staff development activities. With Knowledgeworker Coach you can create immersive scenarios in a few simple steps. Try our demo scenarios and explore the many possibilities of scenario-based learning in staff development.

Blended learning refers to a learning method that uses a combination of traditional face-to-face instruction and digital learning formats. It thus integrates the best of both worlds by combining the use of physical meetings and virtual learning environments. Offer your learners a mix of face-to-face sessions and online learning activities. For example, face-to-face instruction can take the form of workshops, seminars, or discussion groups, while the online component is delivered through e-learning platforms, virtual classrooms, or Web-based content.

Focus on being as hands-on and team-oriented as possible in face-to-face meetings. Refrain from frontal teaching. Theoretical content is best conveyed in the e-learning modules. Give your employees time for reflection and discussion.

With microlearning, you offer your employees small, easily "digestible" learning morsels to impart specific knowledge or skills. As a rule, this HR development measure involves short and focused learning units, usually presented in the form of videos, infographics, quizzes or short texts. Divide the learning material into easy-to-understand portions to make learning more efficient and less overwhelming. The so-called microlearnings can be consumed flexibly on all kinds of devices and regardless of location.

Microlearning is an excellent measure that can be combined with other personnel development measures. The short learning units are particularly suitable for deepening and repeating knowledge that has already been learned. By combining them with gamification, motivating learning games can be created. By using flashcards, you ensure that the knowledge remains in people's minds for a long time.

Give your employees mobile devices like smartphones or tablets to learn or allow them to use personal devices. Provide learning content that is optimized for mobile use. Mobile learning gives your learners a flexible and personalized learning experience. You can use learning content in short learning situations, such as during breaks, commutes, or free moments. Varied formats such as videos, interactive exercises, podcasts or e-books can be used.

Mobile learning gives your employees maximum flexibility. Whether on the sofa, on the train, or even at the beach - mobile learning is possible anywhere. Smartphones fit in every pocket and are already part of most people's everyday lives. Open up new opportunities for lifelong learning and professional development for your employees.