Chances are you don’t have $700 million to spend on training your workforce. But guess who does? Amazon, of course. According to a recent report by CBS This Morning, the online retail giant “will spend more than $700 million to provide 100,000 employees with new skills for the digital age by 2025.”

You might be thinking, “Hooray for Amazon, but how does this help me, the HR professional?” Well, when we look at Amazon’s approach on a much smaller scale, we can identify practical approaches to prepping for the tech-based workforce in our own world.

 

“Behind each of these roughly 800 [robots] is a skilled employee.”
At Amazon, more robots mean more productivity—but to keep up, more people are needed to package all that volume. If anything else, this understanding can help you put employers, employees, and job candidates at ease.

Yes, robotics can seem like a threat to the human workforce, but innovative technologies can also create new opportunities for people. When dealing with a tech-centric workforce in an HR setting, a little peace of mind can go a long way.

How can you embrace automation to work smarter and focus on customers? Find out in this article by SHRM: The Automation Revolution.

 

“I got a lot of technical skills out of it that helped me get promoted.”
This particular Amazon worker cited employee programs for “relaunching her career” after a 6-year hiatus. If your organization—or those you work with—are creating a shared environment among people and robotics, you must provide ample opportunities to learn on the job. This isn’t exactly breaking news, but are you doing enough for your people?

For some ways to upskill and retrain your workforce, check out these suggestions in this article by Forbes: The Digitally Transformed Workforce: How to Upskill and Retrain to Retain Talent

 

“As technology changes work, they have the opportunity to advance in their career and take advantage of those changes.”
Amazon has the resources to create its own on-site “grad school”-like programs with collegiate-sounding names, such as “Machine Learning University,” and “Amazon Technical Academy.” Could you create a similar experience for your employees or job candidates? Consider tapping a well-trained employee to offer quick courses, webinars, or tutorial videos to help people evolve their skill set. Many emerging tech companies are also forming partnerships with local colleges and universities.

To get started, here are 6 Popular Employee Training Methods (With Examples) from Wyzowl.

 

Are you in the market to simplify your HR initiatives? At Broadleaf Results, we have the talent and expertise to help you best manage your workforce.

 

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