By Monica E. Oss, Chief Executive Officer, OPEN MINDS
Is there a job left in health and human services that doesn’t demand some type of tech knowledge? It appears the answer is no.
That is not surprising since estimates are that nearly six in ten workers will require tech training before 2030 and that 22% of jobs will change due to technological advancements. And the gap between tech skills and job applicants appears to be growing. A recent analysis of 4.3 million job postings found that fewer than half the number of potential candidates had the tech skills listed in job postings.
The question for health and human service organization managers is, what to do about it? Executives of tech-focused U.S. organizations in a recent survey—We’re All Techies Now: Digital Skill Building For The Future—cited several reasons for their organizations’ skills gaps. These included outdated skill sets and insufficient training (46%), lack of experience among employees (43%), and misalignment between skill sets being taught in educational institutions and the actual needs of organizations (37%).
To address the situation, 80% of managers said that upskilling the current workforce is the most effective way to reduce employee skills gaps. (Yet, only 28% of organizations are planning to invest in upskilling programs over the next two to three years.) This was followed by using skills-based hiring practices (49%) and collaborating with educational institutions to recruit graduates with particular degrees or skills (46%).
But successful upskilling initiatives have changed. Rather than one-size-fits-all training efforts, organizations need to target specific skills gaps that are critical to their long-term strategy. The upskilling initiatives need to address a range of employee learning styles—with greater emphasis on teaching practical applications, embedding real-time feedback into tasks, and leveraging new tools.
And just a note that upskilling is not for mid-level staff members. I believe that the c-suite in most health and human service organizations has the biggest tech knowledge gap. Executives need to learn how to manage the digital transformation of their organization and how to make decisions about technology purchases. Few executives are prepared for how and when to use artificial intelligence (AI) in their operations.
For health care executives, investing in upskilling may be the fundamental tool that provides strong workforce management. Organizations that integrate training into their broader strategic agenda will be better positioned to adapt, compete, and deliver value in an increasingly complex care landscape—one defined by AI, virtual care platforms, and data-driven decision-making.