T-shaped employee indicates any individual who has cross-functional competencies to achieve the work without depending on other people. The concept is still a new idea for many corporations. However, it has become a worth-discussing topic due to the various talents and benefits T-shaped individuals bring back to the company.
Talents of T-shaped employee
Obviously, people are born with diverse talents and abilities. Some individuals are one-trick ponies, offering just their specialty, whilst others seem to be jacks of all trades, with a vast array of abilities. A T-shaped employee lies precisely between these two extremes. However, being on either end of the spectrum is not always a negative thing, and you can offer your staff with the tools and assistance they need to become more T-shaped.
As the matter of fact, T-shaped individuals are very beneficial to any organization. Examples of talents shown by numerous T-shaped individuals are:
- A thorough understanding of a given subject.
- A context that is larger than your specialized skill set.
- A fundamental understanding of how persons and society function.
- Understanding of the industry in which you operate.
- Knowledge of the fundamentals of the business world.
- Soft skills, which are also known as interpersonal or people skills. These are subjective and more difficult to assess, such as teamwork.
- Communication is crucial for any team. To learn more, please visit our course.
- Time management. Attend our Time Management Training session to learn more.
- Basic IT capabilities.
- Tolerance and an open mind.
Advantages of employing T-Shaped employee
It is commonly acknowledged that hiring T-shaped employee is not only advantageous on an individual level – for example, as a manager – but also company-wide. Those individuals thrive in their primary duties due, in part, to their core competencies and their ability to learn rapidly, but they are also adept at doing various activities around the firm. Consequently, they help to the expansion of the firm.
Specifically, they give the following benefits:
- Core talents: T-shaped employee succeed at their primary tasks within their job function. This also implies that they are valuable resources. The profound knowledge that employee will demonstrate to drive debate ahead and inspire action is unquestionably a tremendous asset to the organization as a whole.
- Better communication. Largely as a result of their interpersonal abilities, they can empathize with individuals and comprehend their requirements — across the whole organization.
- Better teamwork skills. This goes hand-in-hand with the capacity to communicate effectively throughout the organization, as they are able to address issues and operate efficiently across the whole organization.
- T-shaped personnel are adaptable enough to take on new jobs without sacrificing the quality of their work, meeting their immediate objectives while contributing to the firm as a whole.
- They see the big picture. Those who primarily possess a highly precise set of skills (I-shaped personnel) are very valuable. However, they have a tendency to develop tunnel vision, focusing only on their own topic area and ignoring other areas of significance. T-shaped employee, on the other hand, may apply their specialized expertise and eagerness to learn to various business sectors and initiatives.
In conclusion, a T-shaped personnel is the ideal employee model every employer wants to have in their firm. Any individual not only fulfill the task they are in charge of but also complete the organization’s big picture. Hiring T-shaped people gives the employer ease of mind. You can always increase your employment opportunities by participating in an institute that applies the “T-shaped” principle in its teaching curriculum.
To understand more about Paris-U’s programs, read here.
Reference
Lewis, A. (2022, July 19). What is a T-shaped employee?: T-Shaped Skills & Resources. The Hub | High Speed Training. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/t-shaped-employee
