Skill pile-ons

34 Comments

1. AnonymousDecember 9,2022 at 4:33AM UTC

   i had to read that three times to be sure I got it right. You say it’s a very large organization and your manager is asking people to take some courses that they’ll pay for.

   You’ve already decided that they’re using you and you actually say they should lower their expectations??

   it sounds to me like a great opportunity to learn something else and become more valuable so that is they’re as big as you say perhaps you will move up. Even if you didn’t - you can take the free courses and add them to your resume.

   but I’m pretty sure your attitude is not going to get you very far.

2. AnonymousDecember 9,2022 at 6:18AM UTC

   If the company is looking fir you to grow in a direction you are not at all interested in then yes, consider this the writing on the wall. This will not be the place for you and you should start looking for a new job.

   No job remains the same and growth is part of great roles unless it takes you in the wrong direction. Then it's just a job you're no longer suited for.

3. Gisele CloutierDecember 9,2022 at 1:45PM UTC

   Skills are like arrows in a quiver. You never know when you might need one but it's good to have plenty of them. Unless taking the time out to do this training is a real burden, I say go for it - they're paying for it and, who knows, you may discover a new field you would like to pursue later (even within this big company.) Do a quick search on Indeed or Monster and see what kinds of jobs call for that new skill area.

   I don't see a red flag here. I've been with more than one company that made all sorts of training "mandatory" whether or not I'd ever be in a position to use it. Oh, well, at least they're investing in their employees; many companies these days don't have any budget for training and professional development.

4. AnonymousDecember 9,2022 at 2:08PM UTC

   OP, What is the training? Agree with all the posts below. Perhaps what you need are some success stories around how these topics have been helpful. Learning outcomes, shifts in role and job title, etc. it concerns me a little that you’re already a “no” and are so certain that it won’t be valuable without getting curious about how it may benefit you and your career.

5. AnonymousDecember 9,2022 at 2:23PM UTC

   OP here. Here's the thing-- from what I understand, we're being asked to take months of training. That means less time to get work done. We're not being told that management will permit us to delay projects or taking on new ones. Between the training and workload that will not lighten up, I foresee myself working corporate law firm hours-- 70-80 hours per week-- without compensation.

   The situation reminds me of some job descriptions I've seen in my field over the years that basically scream, "we don't want to hire interns or admins so we're expecting the staff professionals to pick up the slack and work an extra 20 hours per week."

6. AnonymousDecember 9,2022 at 8:59PM UTC

   So you aren't opposed to training, you are opposed to all the work you are anticipating that you will not be compensated for?

   I would ask for clarity on how you will be juggling the work + training in your 40 hour a week job.

7. AnonymousDecember 9,2022 at 3:19PM UTC

   You have valid concerns about being expected to take intensive training while also completing the usual workload. Have these concerns been brought up with management? Ideally, you'd approach the conversation with specifics: "I have x project/task/work commitment that requires y amount of time with a deadline of z. If I'm rededicating these work hours to training, how will that change the work picture?" Possible solutions could be modifying deadlines, reallocating workload, paying overtime, etc. If you otherwise like the job, I wouldn't jump ship without talking to management and giving them an opportunity to address your concerns. If it's that large an organization, maybe they just didn't think about the domino effect (if so, shame on them, but that's a different question).

8. AnonymousDecember 9,2022 at 3:34PM UTC

   I'm a life-long learner, so forgive me if I don't understand the problem. You're being asked to attend training that could improve your career opportunities and marketability that the company is paying for, yet you feel like you are being taken advantage of. Am I correct in my assessment? All this means is that there are new skills that their workers will probably be required to utilize. If you don't take advantage of the training, the company will likely move forward, leaving you behind. If you are worried about the hours and compensation, check with your state's labor laws. Some states require that [especially] large companies that require salaried employees to work more than 40 hours per week be paid overtime.

9. AnonymousDecember 9,2022 at 6:47PM UTC

   OP here. It's not about learning, it's about managers having realistic expectations. Imagine you have a group of emergency room doctors who barely get a chance to sit down and have a quick lunch being told they'll be losing their admins and guess what? In addition to fulfilling your duties as ER doctors, you need to learn the admin's skills, i.e entire MS Suite. And your raise is going to depend on how good you're at the entire MS Suite-- never mind that you're already an amazing doctor. It's all because hospital leadership is cheap and doesn't want to hire a few more admins. I'm basically in a position where we have very demanding clients who want us to do everything including part the Red Sea and management doesn't want to tell them, well, you're going to have to lighten up the demands on our people for a few months if you'd like them to acquire that skill set. I've worked at places similar to this before where when push comes to shove, the worker bees go under the bus.

   In the end, all they're doing is constantly moving the goal post and everything we do will never be good enough because let's face it, you can't be good in everything.

10. AnonymousDecember 10,2022 at 4:29PM UTC

    The hard reality of workplace turnover is it costs an employer much more to replace a current employee than to train existing staff. Are the skills beneath what you feel you are supposed to be doing in your professional job and better left to an admin or an intern, as you explain in other replies? Will you be evaluated on the new skills or your current ones? These are essential questions, and I agree with the other persons replying that you should ask these questions before rejecting the training. I'm not clear on whether or not it is optional, so if it is not, then your choices are to go to the training or find something else with a workload that is not as overwhelming for you. Not every ER is a Level 1 trauma center. Even in an ER, admin skills are required for doctors who now have to electronically enter progress notes rather than enter chicken scratches in written ones.

11. AnonymousDecember 10,2022 at 1:51AM UTC

    I think I would need to know what the training is.

12. AnonymousDecember 10,2022 at 2:02AM UTC

    consider The macro-economic situation. Companies will be impacted by a recession. Managers will have to do more

    With less. The market has shifted.

13. AnonymousDecember 10,2022 at 12:20PM UTC

    Something isn’t making sense about your post.
    You’re being asked to take continuing education to better enhance your firm’s ability to service clients. Nothing is special about this, it’s par for the course. Organizations are continually evolving to remain competitive. Sounds like your employer is trying to distribute this skill-up equitably amongst the professional staff.

    I’m thrown off, however, when I bridge the gap between learning web design and advanced MS Word equating to an additional 30-40 hours a week in classes. My 18-month MBA didn’t require this much work! Your assessment seems dramatic for the purpose of this post.

    There are gaps in your post. You don’t seem to have any idea what you’re being asked to do so get curious and find out instead of rejecting this idea right out of the box. Mastering MS Word does not require a new degree, nor 30-40 hours a week of course work. Unless you’re working for Frank Lucas and the Star Wars franchise, neither does course work in video editing.

    As others have said, your refusal to participate in training will fast track the end of this work relationship. So shift strategy: empower yourself with info on these training options instead of being a victim, proactively volunteer for the training that requires the smallest time commitment and embrace your employer’s investment in its workforce.

    You’re in an enviable position where someone else is paying to keep your skill set current. Sounds like the train is about to leave the station with this development opportunity. If you’re really digging your heels in and refusing to move forward with this skill-up, do everyone a favor and find a new job. Your irritation and misery is palpable in this short written post. I’m sure this in multiplied in person.

14. Kris Mertins-ElliottDecember 10,2022 at 2:00PM UTC

    It does seem that there may be some expectation in the future for you (and your coworkers) to learn and use some skills to save the company from hiring marketing and admin staff you're describing. The way I see it, you always have a choice. You can choose to attempt the courses and see how it may benefit you and your career, either with this company or one down the road. Or, you can choose to not take advantage of the "training" and start looking for a new job.

15. Lyn WelchDecember 10,2022 at 11:00PM UTC

    Take advantage of all the free training they'll give you, and make sure you practice those skills - become proficient in them. It'll look great on your resume when you start to look for another job. Don't expect your current employer to pay you more - they're giving you free training. Take advantage of it. Your NEXT employer will pay you more for the valuable knowledge you've acquired.

    Guaranteed the add'l skills aren't going to require a whole new degree. Your employer is investing in their employees. Not all employers would do that. Most employers would fire the employees who refuse to take the FREE training they're offering, and hire people who already have those skills - and pay them more. And you'll be looking for a new job without the benefit of that free training you refused.

16. AnonymousDecember 11,2022 at 2:19AM UTC

    Take the training AND look for another job. That training could help you in your job hunt. As for the reason, this smells like a precursor to major organizational change. Go along with it, and you will be one of the survivors.

17. AnonymousDecember 11,2022 at 5:59PM UTC

    The OP can correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m getting the vibe that it’s not so much the training itself, but being asked to take on additional admin/production work going forward. I think that’s a valid concern.

    I’d suspect that most of us reading FGB have had a role that at some point morphed into something other than what was promised, giving us some hard decisions. It just sounds like her company is being a lot more transparent about it than most.

18. AnonymousDecember 15,2022 at 12:48AM UTC

    Not original OP, but I agree. When I started my career, each manager had a secretary that typed memos on typewriters. It was a big deal when they installed word-processing machines (this was before everyone had a desktop computer.) Fast forward a couple of years with the introduction of word processors on desktop machines, and everyone then had to type their memos. The secretaries became "administrative assistants," whose primary focus was no longer taking dictation and typing memos but being actual assistants to the managers. Of course, those managers that didn't want to learn how to type were eventually weeded out. Today, as the OP replied to one poster about doctors in an ER being so busy that they can't add another "training" to their busy schedule, ER doctors are typing the progress notes instead of "chicken scratching" them in an illegible paper folder. These skills are becoming necessary for all people in all professions these days. I just turned 67, have a degree in computer science that I learned on a mainframe computer that occupied a wing of the college science building and had less power, memory, and disk space than my first desktop computer, so I know how constantly adding tech skills to our repertoire, even if we feel they are "beneath" our position are essential to our career development.

19. Kristine RyanDecember 13,2022 at 1:32PM UTC

    At first it sounded like the company maybe had good intentions in offering to upskill employees, but missed the mark on what that looks like for each individual. I did that once - expected my team to each pick a professional skill to learn more about, rather than just encouraging general growth in topics important to them.

    As I read further, it sounds more like the intention behind the upskilling is to expand employees' abilities to do a wider range of tasks. I recommend seeking some clarity about why this initiative is happening - maybe their intentions aren't as sinister as you suspect. If you truly think they are, then consider why you are staying.

    From an emotional intelligence perspective, I would first investigate why your thoughts go directly to assumptions the company has a motive that doesn't align with what you believe you need/don't need. "Why am I resistant to participating?" "Are the trainings offered actually something I could benefit from or do I prefer to just keep my head down and do my thing?" "Why do I want to keep my head down and do my thing, and is this the right place for that?"

20. Angela P.December 13,2022 at 1:44PM UTC

    Unpopular opinion: I’d take the classes, what you’ve mentioned are rapidly becoming ‘universal’ skills.

    Anyone who doesn’t have these skills will have an increasingly hard time in the future as they lack what is considered basic tech literacy. You can, of course, opt out but I’m not sure why you’d want to or why you’d see a benefit from it.

    Older workers are frequently left behind in our economy especially when it comes to tech skills, it sounds like your employer is trying hard to do their part to avoid perpetuating the problem.
    Perhaps give them the benefit of the doubt and not just assume this is a precursor to screwing you over?

21. AnonymousDecember 13,2022 at 1:55PM UTC

    My last supervisor told me during my performance evaluation that I needed more training. In what, he had no clue and could offer no suggestions, I just needed training. So, yeah….

22. Adrienne LeightonDecember 13,2022 at 2:12PM UTC

    Your manager or her/his leaders may be aware of macro shifts in their workforce that need to occur over the next few years and they may be trying to prepare you and your peers. I would welcome the investment they are making in you and be sure to update your resume with your newly learned skills. Even if you don't use them, you'll have more empathy for those you're working with that do. And maybe, just maybe, you'll find something that piques your interest and moves you in an entirely new direction.

23. AnonymousDecember 13,2022 at 2:39PM UTC

    You sound lazy and entitled!

    I'd bet your they type of employee who when your colleagues get promoted, or get raises, you're the first to complain instead of asking "Why them and not me?" Employees who show themselves to be in constant leaning mode are an asset to their employer. Employees, such as you, who question "FREEE TRAINING" and don't want to expand their value to their emploers, shouild be put out to pasture.

24. AnonymousDecember 13,2022 at 3:06PM UTC

    Take all the training you can. Your future self will be glad you did. Transferable skills!

25. JulieDecember 13,2022 at 3:12PM UTC

    The digital age means that skills crossover and can be applied in a variety of situations. Whether you are interested in something isn’t really relevant. You should be in a state of continuous development. Silos in companies are being dissolved in favor of cross disciplinary collaborations. Sometimes it’s not about learning a specific skill but how that skill is now being applied relative to your work. You can’t be a practitioner who doesn’t understand marketing. You can’t work in advertising/training/education without knowing how other things like video editing, advanced Microsoft apps, etc. relate to your work.

    I expect my employees to watch videos I send them and broaden their knowledge about a variety of topics. Not just their single solitary job. There is no future for people who can’t collaborate across departments.

    The day you stop learning is the day you stop growing.

26. RiaDecember 15,2022 at 2:37AM UTC

    Well said

27. AnonymousDecember 13,2022 at 3:49PM UTC

    MS Word, video editing etc are now easier than ever to learn and use. These were developed in such a way as to make these tasks easier to learn so companies can teach their employees and not have to hire new employees or use contractors. Take the courses and enjoy the learning instead of fighting it.

28. Carolyn HipkinsDecember 13,2022 at 5:01PM UTC

    Not many companies are offering free training.Take the training. If you get an assignment that uses the training do it well. If you decide to get another job you can take those skills with you.

29. AnonymousDecember 15,2022 at 2:36AM UTC

    She said it was in an area for which she has no interest

30. AnonymousDecember 15,2022 at 1:27PM UTC

    I don’t get the sense the additional training is optional. All of us on this board do things during the work day we’re not interested in…they not up for debate because our employer pays us to deliver a work product.

31. Rosa GoesDecember 13,2022 at 9:15PM UTC

    I agree with others in taking the training, however, I recommended looking for another job if you think the company is going in a direction you are not interested in. Make sure you are clear to prospective employers about your interests and the type of company that could accommodate. Good luck to you!

32. AnonymousDecember 14,2022 at 4:28PM UTC

    You may not have noticed but those who post the truth do so 'anonymously.'

    Why, becuase most people can't handle the truth and attack the person who is delivering the truth.

    As you should have noticed the original poster posted 'anonymously.' They sound entityled and come across as an employee that's of no real value to their employer... they just want to stagnate. The last type of employee employers need today are those who don't want to grow.

33. AnonymousDecember 14,2022 at 9:10PM UTC

    While I feel we can all communicate with more kindness, your message suggesting that anonymous posters “lack courage” is concerning. Privacy is the right to withdraw at any time for any reason. Recipients of advice are not guaranteed our privacy and our valuable guidance.

34. AnonymousDecember 14,2022 at 9:15PM UTC

    What did you decide OP?