Organisations that take a strategic approach to workforce development significantly outpace their peers when it comes to readiness, engagement, and organisational culture, according to a new report from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

The report labelled these organisations as "Skills Strategists," which it defined as organisations that take a consistent and strategic approach to learning and development, particularly on strategic alignment, learning assessment, learning design and delivery, as well as on processes and tools.

Skills Strategists are better positioned to close skills gaps and strengthen workforce readiness, according to the report.

They are 2.5 times more likely to agree that their L&D initiatives are effective at filling skills gaps, and twice as likely to rate skills retention at their organisation as good or excellent.

Skills Strategists are also more than five times as likely to report stronger employee engagement and organisational culture, and are more likely to report stronger financial and non-financial business outcomes.

"Our research shows that organisations taking a strategic approach to workforce development are better positioned to close skills gaps, improve engagement, and drive stronger business outcomes," said James Atkinson, vice president of thought leadership at SHRM.

"That's a powerful reminder that investing in people remains one of the smartest investments an organisation can make."

How to be a 'Skills Strategist'?

Despite the benefits of a consistent and targeted L&D approach, the report found that only four per cent of firms are focused on long-term skills needs.

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