So how do we ensure that employees remain up to date with the changes in their industry? Upskilling can be the primary solution here.

In between the desperate need to fill job vacancies and tons of overqualified yet unemployed workers - lies the dilemma of the lost skill set that is required to fulfill particular roles. It is apparent that so far, our criteria to attain knowledge has been reliant on higher education per se. Only a few have been able to design and implement a rather holistic approach to build a skill set that aligns with the ever-growing needs of business and technology.

So how do we ensure that employees remain up to date with the changes in their industry? Upskilling can be the primary solution here. When tailored to resolve issues with the right execution strategy, upskilling can cover any skill set gaps. Not only that, it engenders growth, employability as well as accountability.

The Intellectual Property Research industry is ever-growing and with the new avenues, a lot of inputs are required to make the people entering this industry competent and resourceful.

To stay relevant, emphasis should be put on creating and sustaining a learning culture. There are multiple initiatives that Sagacious IP is taking to make each team member work in accordance with the current requirement and future demands.

Key initiatives are outlined below:

1. Induction Programme

During the induction program, we not only cover aspects related to Sagacious IP as an organization but also a curated understanding and information related to the IP Industry for the new hires. Furthermore, induction of college freshers which is a 15 days long program gives sufficient insight into different industry verticals such as licensing, searching, drafting & prosecution, trademark, etc. Not only that they also get to know laws that primarily govern IP Industry globally and different ways to research and analyze. They are briefed on the major technicalities of different projects so that they can understand the core areas which they will be working on when they complete their induction and move onto working on live projects.

2. Seminars and Webinars

Seminars and webinars are a great way to boost creativity, confidence, and employee morale. Each team member is motivated to create content, host, and participate in all IP and technology-related webinars and seminars so that they can learn and stay updated about any new reforms or major changes that are part of the IP Industry.

3. Intra-Team and Inter-Team training

Training is conducted not only within the teams but also between different teams for cross-functionality. It ensures that team members get sufficient insights into numerous cases and projects that another team is handling. This is also an excellent opportunity for knowledge-sharing sessions that ensure that inter-department knowledge is shared and developed.

4. Cross-functional training

While employees are working on a specific domain area to develop their expertise, they are also provided exposure to other areas as well. This helps in further enhancing their skill sets and making them familiar to the newer subject matter. This kind of training helps in letting team-members feel more significant. It also empowers them with an understanding of how critical their insight and analytical skills are when it comes to working on a project. It is especially useful when they may need inputs from another team which could only be possible once both teams are familiar with each other’s work expertise.

5. Knowledge sharing programs

The knowledge sharing sessions are an opportunity for employees to enhance their horizons of thought process. It also entails knowledge of different domains which may further lead to helping them grow in their given roles and future roles. The entire purpose and objective of knowledge sharing sessions is to provide a group with the opportunity to share, learn and ask critical questions or doubts that they may have on a certain subject or process.

6. Hi-Po:

The High Potential Employee program or Hi-Po is a novel way to map individuals with a lot of caliber to outperform responsibilities than they have in their given roles. They are further trained for higher roles and more critical projects that not only enhance their skill base but also make them a strong contender for senior roles. Hi-Po is a great opportunity for employees to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and aspirations and accelerate their progress through this program.

7. Competency Mapping

Competency Mapping as a process identifies key competencies of a job role and mapping employee an employee. A skill matrix is drawn for each team member and is customized for each role and rank. All employees are mapped for all the skill sets that are critical for them to perform a task. Basis the individual skill score, training is allocated to each team member in order to enhance their competencies and make them more efficient.

8. Communication Skill

One of the most critical parts of any job role is the ability to communicate effectively. The IP industry is knowledge and research-oriented industry. Therefore, it has a significant contribution to the communication skill set of each team member. It is imperative that each team member is upskilled enough to be able to communicate effectively. There are various sessions on communication skill enhancement that provides an opportunity for employees to bridge the gaps.

9. Client Management

Be it internal or external, each team member needs to hone the ability to single-handedly interact with the client. So, as a forecasted understanding, we at Sagacious IP start inculcating skills of client management in all the team members to prepare them for the upcoming tasks and roles in the future which may vary on the kinds of projects they get.

10. Online Certification program

Online Certification Programs are a great way to motivate employees to keep studying and upskilling themselves. We strongly believe in the notion that change is the only thing that is constant; hence with the changing environment and ecosystem, it is important that the team-members keep adding new skill sets and core values in their knowledge subsection so as to be ever ready for any task.

Learning as a part of the culture

To encourage employees to participate and learn new skills, their performance reviews incorporate a certain percentage for participation in upskilling activities. At times, this mandatory push at the organization-level makes sure that we do not move away from our ultimate goal of developing our human assets.

Final Thoughts

As our digital economy advances, companies may face the struggle in transitioning their business model and workforce to newer technology. It can certainly pose a grave challenge for employees whose skill set do not match with the changing business dynamics. Therefore, it is imperative for companies to adopt a learning environment wherein employees are timely upskilled to remain innovative, ambitious, and competitive.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this publishing house