Best strategies in skills utilisation

A report summaryGraham Thom and Alasdair Yuille12 January 2010

2

Introduction

Our taskThe challengesKey findingsReflections

3

Task

To conduct a set of case studiesFocussed on the key sectors, plus constructionReporting

Overview report Individual case studies Updated literature review, more impact focussed

4

Challenges

Identifying suitable casesConvincing companies to participateMeasuring the benefits

5

Findings - motivation

Driven by: senior management and the culture and values that they wish to

be held by the company a response to market forces, including staff attraction and

retention, and the desire for a quality product In all cases the implementation of practices had evolved

over time to meet specific issues as they arose in the business affordability

Important to have buy-in and leadership by managers at all levels. the ethos with which actions are pursued appears as important

as the individual practices themselves

6

Findings - activities

No really big surprises!A wide range of practices undertaken by businesses

interested in getting the best from their staff. Our findings are broadly consistent with the wider

literature: appraisal systems and regular communications about the firm

are the most common practices there is more frequent reporting of employee involvement and

getting the HR practices right than of reward and commitment practices

no silver bulletAlthough… differences around market strategy and

needs of production (cuts across sectors)

7

Findings - measurement

Firms strongly associate their performance with skill use practices in one case company turnaround was seen to have been

underpinned by the introduction of such approaches However, most firms do not formally measure the

impact of skill utilisation on bottom line business performance

Firms do often monitor proxy issues such as recruitment and retention staff motivation

8

Reflections

Underpinned by a lot of issues that are not about skills per se

… more about organisational development

Important to have building blocks in place

skills use then focuses on job and production

process design learning transfer

Multi-skilling job rotation

Approach to product market

Approaches to skills utilisation

Company leadershipand culture

Policies and practices relating to staff

9

Contact

Graham Thom

Associate Director

SQW Consulting

t. 0131 225 4007

e. gthom@sqw.co.uk

w. www.sqw.co.uk