The targeted development of employee skills is a crucial step for managers who want to align their organisation with sustainable growth and competitiveness. Decision-makers in particular are often faced with the challenge of systematically developing the technical and methodological skills of their employees in order to optimally utilise internal potential and prepare them for future requirements. Developing employee skills means more than just further training - it is a strategic process that is implemented through customised measures and strengthens teams in the long term.
Building employee competences: basics and importance for decision-makers
Decision-makers in companies know that skills development is a multi-layered process. Successful employee competence development is based on a combination of different methods that take into account technical knowledge, social skills and methodological expertise. Practical implementation often takes place on three levels: practical learning in the workplace, accompanying coaching and structured training programmes. It is crucial to orchestrate this triad intelligently in order to achieve sustainable learning success and motivate employees in the long term.
For example, many companies use targeted job rotations to familiarise employees with new tasks and thus develop practical skills. In other cases, mentoring programmes offer individual support to achieve personal goals. Workshops and seminars complete the spectrum by systematically imparting specialised knowledge and promoting direct exchange.
In the IT sector, clients often report that the targeted development of methodological expertise, for example through project-based learning, significantly improves problem-solving skills. At the same time, manufacturing companies benefit from on-the-job training, where employees can learn new skills directly on the job and apply them immediately.
Strategies and methods for building employee competences
It is helpful for decision-makers to know which methods are suitable for building employee competences. A tried and tested practice is the combination of different learning formats:
- Training on the job: Employees learn during their normal work, for example by shadowing experienced colleagues or working on projects.
- Training near the job: Training courses are held close to the workplace, for example in the company's own training rooms, in order to bring theory and practice closer together.
- Training off the job: External seminars or online courses supplement the competences theoretically and broaden the horizon.
Another key element is coaching. Decision-makers make targeted use of individual coaching sessions to support employees with challenging projects, promote their strengths and develop solutions to specific problems. This type of coaching supports the targeted development of employee skills because it starts precisely where challenges and development potential become apparent.
In the service industry, it has been shown that regular reflection sessions within teams improve social skills and cooperation. Personalised learning paths that take individual needs into account are also valuable building blocks. In retail, for example, e-learning platforms can enable flexible and self-directed skills development.
BEST PRACTICE with one customer (name hidden due to NDA contract) A medium-sized technology company has made significant progress in the area of methodological skills by introducing a structured mentoring programme and accompanying on-the-job training. Employees report how the practice-orientated support has improved the quality of their daily work and enabled new approaches to solutions.
Practical examples from various industries
A manufacturing company uses job rotation to deploy employees flexibly in different production processes. This allows them to expand their expertise and solve quality-related problems independently.
In the healthcare sector, managers rely on case-related workshops to specifically promote professional and social skills. Employees report that the joint case analyses strengthen their understanding of complex situations.
In the IT sector, companies promote dialogue through hackathons and innovation workshops. This creates a creative climate in which employees learn and apply new tools and agile methods.
Practical tips for decision-makers on building employee expertise
Decision-makers can effectively support the development of employee competences by taking the following approaches into account:
- Clearly define objectives and align them with the corporate strategy to ensure relevance.
- Customise development and combine different learning formats so that learning needs are optimally met.
- Encourage regular feedback and reflection meetings in order to review development statuses and manage them in a targeted manner.
- Involve external coaches and experts as required to provide fresh impetus and support the development process.
- Open communication and actively involve employees in planning in order to increase motivation and ensure acceptance.
For example, managers in the financial services sector reported that an integrated feedback system between managers and team members made their learning progress much more visible and structured the development of employee competences.
My analysis
Building employee competences is not a single step, but an ongoing process that contributes significantly to a company's success. Decision-makers benefit from the deliberate combination of practical learning formats, coaching and structured training. Transparent communication and individualised support support sustainable skills development. Practical examples from various industries show how differently the methods are applied, but always with the aim of providing employees with the best possible support and preparing them for new challenges.
Further links from the text above:
[1] Successful skills development: 9 tips and 3 strategies - Easy LMS - Link
[2] Methods of personnel development - Caesar Academy - Link
[5] Employee development: The best methods for promoting talent - Factorial.hr - Link
[7] Introducing and implementing competence management in the company - Personio - Link
[4] Methodological expertise: Why it is crucial for your success - ARWA - Link
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