Nowadays, it is commonly understood that a desirable employee has more than one finely calibrated skill set. Certain elements and useful talents may be transferred from one profession to another across numerous industries, making persons with such skills priceless and the demand for such a trait significantly higher.
T-shaped employees are vital members of firm operations and management teams due to their contributions to the organisation’s values and growth. This article will briefly explain a T-shaped employee and the abilities necessary for them to do their job.
Who are T-Shaped employees?
Employees that adhere to the T-shaped model have specific talents in addition to extensive knowledge and professional experience. This implies they can work on expert-level activities within their specialisation while simultaneously having the capacity (and inclination) to take on more diversified duties.
The T-shaped employee model is shaped like the letter “T”:
T-Shaped model for employees.
- The vertical bar represents the breadth of talents and knowledge in a particular field.
- The horizontal bar denotes the range of talents across disciplines as well as the ability to learn and work with others.
With the right resources and attitude, anyone can become a T-shaped individual. Turning workers into T-shaped employees is a further move that will provide benefits to the workers individually. They are able to collaborate with other people effortlessly, maintain their enthusiasm for the profession they have chosen, and contribute originality to the job.
Expecting employees of the T-Shaped model are highly valued in the labour market due to their abilities, experience, skills, and knowledge in a profession; this will be a trend in the near future.
What skills do T-Shaped employees must have?
The notion of a T-shaped employee is a quickly emerging trend in the world of employment as they have high levels of skill, expertise and experience. Examples of skills evident in many T-shaped people include:
Broad knowledge and experience in multiple areas
This relates to the breadths of the “T-Shaped” which employees have experienced in various fields with a broad knowledge base.
Excellent skills in a specific area
Relating to the widths of the “T-Shaped” model, they will dive deep into a major to gain expertise and perform expert-related work.
Take the instance of a Business Analyst (BA) position; their core skills are related to understanding the numbers and finding the meaning behind thousands of data sets. In addition, professionals perform well in technology, design or management, fulfilling as T-shaped employees. For further information about T-shaped Business Analysts, read here.
Core skills are needed for T-Shaped employees.
Along with core skills benefits, T-shaped employees also possess the ability in team working, regarding
Better communication and collaboration skills
T-shaped individuals can ultimate their skill set to complete their work task; hence, communicating and collaborating help them generate more efficiency and productivity while working in a team.
Willing to upskill
Skill is related to a personal ability to perform their job, and employees must enhance their skill base in this digitised era as technology can replace their job anytime. T-shaped employees are willing to advance and learn new skills to improve themselves.
Capable of self-evaluation and providing feedback to others
In a team working environment, feedback and reviews are the main components in enhancing performance. These employees can self-evaluate and give input on further actions for team members in managing and generating team performance due to their base of knowledge and expertise beforehand.
Teamwork environment of T-Shaped employees
Another skill set which T-shaped employees are often more likely to possess is soft skills (sometimes referred to as interpersonal skills) that are beneficial in a working environment:
Problem-solving
A problem could have a variety of solutions; hence, you always need to look up the most suitable solving direction according to your business situation. Having much experience and expertise in the specific field, T-shaped personnel can apply to generate the most suitable solutions.
Communication
Working in teams now appears in every business, which has been proven to bring a positive impact to the company. So, communicating and engaging with team members is a must in order to perform effectively in bringing value to the corporation.
Critical thinking
To give practical solutions for the project, “critical thinking” is a helping hand for T-Shaped employees and every worker. Thinking outside the box and viewing from various perspectives helps them realise the root of the problems to generate the most suitable solution.
Conclusions
T-shaped skills are now critical as they encourage the growth in breadth and depth of expertise and will hugely help employees on an individual level in their personal development. Still, it will significantly value the broader company and grow the business.
For more information about the T-Shaped teaching model at Univerité Libérale de Paris, read here.
Reference
Miller, V. (2022, July 19). What is a T-Shaped Employee? CPD Online College. https://cpdonline.co.uk/knowledge-base/business/t-shaped-employee/
What is a T-Shaped Employee? | T-Shaped Skills & Resources. (2022, February 25). The Hub | High-Speed Training. https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/t-shaped-employee/
