Make the most of staff skills

Small business owners could benefit from greater staff satisfaction and addition skills if they use employees' talents in areas other than their core responsibilities, according to new research.

The study by learndirect Business found that 57% of employees had an activity outside of work that could be of use to small businesses.

Of this set of people, 45% said they would feel more motivated if allowed to use these skills at work, 32% said they would feel more empowered and 26% said they would be more likely to stay at the company for a longer period of time.

Tapping into hidden skills could also directly impact the business, with 45% of employees claiming it would increase efficiency and 37% of high-level managerial employees it would boost productivity.

According to the research, the top five hidden skills gain through work are:

IT skills: 36% said they know how to create a blog or build a website
Writing skills: 28% of staff claim to have written letters or articles to the local paper that have been published
Numeracy skills: 27% of staff claim to be good at sudoku
Creativity skills: 26% write poems in their spare time or have an interest in photography
Sales and marketing/ecommerce skills: 23% regularly buy and sell online through sites such as eBay or Amazon

But 59% of staff have never discussed their addition talents with employers, a figure that rises to 74% in semi or unskilled roles, and 82% said they were not actively hiding such skills from employers. Only 22% said they wouldn't want to tell anyone at work about their outside interests.

We're calling on both employers and employees to talk to each other about hidden skills and realise this hidden potential. Not only does it make good business sense but it also motivates and empowers employees

"Effective training is the key to unlocking hidden skills and ensuring employees meet the day-to-day business objectives," said Kirstie Donnelly, director of products and marketing at learndirect Business.

"For example, an employee may run a football team or do voluntary work for a charity. These activities will have given them presentation or organisational skills that can be used to inspire or motivate clients and colleagues.

"We're calling on both employers and employees to talk to each other about hidden skills and realise this hidden potential," she added. "Not only does it make good business sense but it also motivates and empowers employees."