Upskilling, reskilling and cross-skilling: What’s the difference?

Whether it's to keep up with changing business requirements or improve employee retention rates, both employers and employees look to bolster their skills and teams with training. Upskilling, reskilling, and cross-skilling are three strategic training approaches adopted in workforce development. All three have distinct differences, each offering unique benefits.

So, what are the differences, and how can organisations implement these effectively?

What is upskilling?

Upskilling refers to the process of improving current skills to enhance performance in an existing role. It is about deepening an employee’s abilities and increasing their competence in specific areas.

Upskilling is often driven by technological advancements, changes in market trends, or new strategic plans within the company. For example, a digital marketer might upskill by learning about the latest SEO strategies or digital analytics tools to manage online campaigns better.

Benefits of upskilling

• Keeps employees up to date with industry standards
• Enhances job satisfaction through mastery of new skills
• Improves productivity and quality of work

Learn more about the benefits of upskilling.

What is reskilling?

Reskilling is the process of learning new skills so an employee can do a different job within the organisation. This strategy is often employed in response to industry disruptions or company restructuring.

Reskilling helps organisations adapt to industry changes by enabling workforce flexibility. For instance, a retail worker might be reskilled to handle online customer service operations as the business shifts from brick-and-mortar to e-commerce.

Benefits of reskilling

• Prevents loss of staff through redundancies by adapting employees to new roles
• Reduces the cost and time associated with hiring new talent
• Promotes a culture of adaptability and continuous learning

What is cross-skilling?

Cross-skilling involves training employees to perform multiple roles within the business beyond their primary job functions. This strategy builds a versatile workforce that can easily pivot between roles as needed, enhancing operational flexibility. An example of cross-skilling would be training a sales associate to also handle basic customer support queries, thereby enabling them to assist across departments during peak times or staff shortages.

Benefits of cross-skilling

• Increases operational flexibility by enabling employees to manage multiple roles
• Enhances team collaboration and understanding across departments
• Provides employees with a broader career path and growth opportunities

Differences between upskilling, reskilling and cross-skilling

Targeted outcomes

Upskilling: The primary aim of upskilling is to enhance and update an employee's existing skill set to boost productivity and efficiency in their current role. It focuses on deepening expertise to keep pace with evolving requirements.

Reskilling: Reskilling enables employees to switch career paths or roles within the organisation due to changes in job requirements or to fill gaps created by technological or market changes. It prepares employees for a different kind of work than they were originally hired for.

Cross-skilling: The goal of cross-skilling is to enable employees to handle multiple job functions across different areas of the organisation. This strategy aims to create a more flexible workforce that can quickly adapt to workload fluctuations and staff shortages without the need for additional hiring.

Strategic focus

Upskilling: Focuses on strengthening the company’s core competencies by improving the quality of work and encouraging continuous professional development among employees.

Reskilling: This activity concentrates on organisational agility and sustainability by preparing employees for transformational shifts. It ensures the workforce can adapt to new business models or technologies without significant disruptions.

Cross-skilling: This strategy prioritises resilience by diversifying employees' skill sets so that they can perform various roles as needed. This is particularly beneficial when there is unexpected demand or during crisis management.

Career progression

Upskilling: Employees who undergo upskilling are often seen as candidates for promotion within their current trajectory, as they demonstrate enhanced capabilities and higher productivity in their specialities.

Reskilling: Provides an opportunity for employees to pivot their careers within the company, which can be a lifeline for those whose jobs are endangered by automation or restructuring. It can lead to entirely new career paths and opportunities within the company.

Cross-skilling: Enhances an employee’s versatility and value to the organisation but does not necessarily align with a clear path to upward mobility. Instead, it broadens their functional applicability and team collaboration, supporting lateral moves within the company.

Training approach

Upskilling: Training is often specific and in-depth, focused on advancing levels of existing skills or introducing new competencies relevant to the employee's current role. Methods might include specialised courses, accredited certifications, or professional workshops.

Reskilling: Involves broader, foundational training that equips employees for a completely new role. This might include extensive courses or boot camps that cover basic to intermediate skills across a new discipline.

Cross-skilling: Typically involves a more generalist approach, offering a broader overview of various functions without delving deeply into any single area. Training might include rotational assignments, shadowing programs, or basic training sessions across multiple disciplines.

Upskilling, reskilling or cross-skilling: Choosing the right strategy

With all three development strategies offering benefits, it is important to consider the right strategy to implement. Before making a decision, we’d recommend you do the following:

• Assess business needs: Before implementing any of these strategies, organisations must assess their current and future needs. Identifying skills gaps through employee feedback, performance appraisals, and future trend analysis can help tailor training programs effectively.
• Choose the right training methods: The choice of training methods—whether online learning, classroom courses, job rotations, or mentorships—should align with the training goals and employee preferences. Digital platforms can facilitate upskilling and reskilling by providing accessible and diverse learning resources.
• Measuring impact: To ensure these strategies are effective, companies should measure the impact through changes in employee performance, job satisfaction, and retention rates. Regular feedback sessions and performance evaluations can help refine training programmes for greater effectiveness.

Prioritising training strategies

By prioritising these training strategies, companies enhance their competitive edge and demonstrate a commitment to their employees’ growth and well-being. Implementing these strategies effectively requires planning, individual and organisational goals, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

To support your organisation with upskilling, reskilling and cross-skilling, we offer a range of training options. From introductory courses that promote cross-skilling to in-depth certification programmes that are ideal for upskilling.

Discover how a partnership with ILX could help you build an effective L&D programme that encompasses your upskilling, reskilling and cross-skilling needs.

Be ready for anything with ILX.