Companies Leverage Their In-House Experts
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Critical Function
56% of managers surveyed said that increasing the expertise and competency levels of their employees' tech and STEM skill sets is a "significant" or "urgent, top-level" priority. -
Piecemeal Process, Part I
42% said their organization is trying to accelerate the rate of learning for mid-career employees only in "pockets of effort," and not in an integrated manner. -
Piecemeal Process, Part II
One-third said this scattered approach also applies to relatively new employees. -
Demand Drivers to Develop Expertise
Rapid changes in knowledge/technology domains: 60%, Changing product/project mixes: 50%, Retirement of long-tenured experts: 41%, Outstripping of expert supply due to growth: 36%, Workforce globalization: 36% -
Effective Ways to Increase Expertise
In-person or virtual training: 59%, Mentoring or apprenticeships: 59%, Technical networks: 55%, Programs for high-potential employees: 53%, Communities of practice: 52% -
Best Practices: Designate a Dream Team
Identify an elite group of experts to launch a center of excellence to distribute knowledge and technical know-how. -
Best Practices: Understand the Skills Required
These include knowledge of facts, theories, research, procedures, etc.; learning from hands-on experience; in-depth knowledge of products, services and processes; and soft skills. -
Best Practices: Avoid Top-Down Processes
Top tech performers thrive on exciting projects and peer interaction. They have low tolerance for administrative initiatives coming from corporate. -
Best Practices: Encourage Novices to Ask Questions
Less-experienced workers are reserved about asking questions. Cultivate a culture in which people are expected to make inquiries about practices, purposes and outcomes. -
Best Practices: Make It Easier to Share Information
Promote department- or company-wide discussion groups, wikis and blogs to distribute and discuss the latest trends, reports and metrics about your industry.
With technology and business markets constantly shifting, organizations recognize that they must do a better job of developing in-house experts on IT and other scientific, technical, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines, according to a recent survey from APQC. The accompanying report, "How Smart Leaders Leverage Their Experts," reveals a growing concern over the lack of internal programs to leverage existing, advanced-level knowledge among staffers through mentoring and information-sharing programs. To address this, companies are seeking to capture the accumulated insights of senior team members who are approaching retirement, while giving younger employees more opportunities to develop as professionals on the job. "A large percentage of firms need to rethink, redesign or re-emphasize the techniques they are using to bridge the expertise gap," write Carla O'Dell and Lauren Trees, the report's authors. "In addition, technical leaders are still grappling with ways to address rapid change and build the knowledge and expertise needed for the future." APQC, which stands for the American Productivity and Quality Center, is a nonprofit organization specializing in benchmarking and best-practices research. More than 750 professionals took part in the research.