FAQs
Looking to learn more about SkillPair? Wondering exactly how we’ll work together? Look no further because we’ve compiled our most frequently asked questions to provide as much clarity as possible!
How does SkillPair work?
First, SkillPair meets with you to determine who can benefit from upskilling. Then, selected team members complete a series of short assessments. These assessments measure strengths and limitations, skills or competencies required to meet everyday duties, and desired skills for personal or professional development. Unique learning styles and approaches to problem solving are also assessed. Once we know where each team member’s competencies lie and how they learn best, we pair team members (or peers) together where they coach each other towards learning new skills over a number of consecutive weeks.
How do you determine which team members should use SkillPair?
Determining who should use SkillPair depends on your company’s goals. Here are just a few of the most popular use cases we see:
- Companies that are moving away from siloes towards broader roles and skill sets. In these cases, the entire team uses SkillPair.
- Companies that are focused on building stronger engagement between leaders and junior team members. In these cases, leaders and junior team members use SkillPair.
- Companies that have strong opportunities for advancement and internal movement. In these cases, the entire team uses SkillPair.
As you can see, SkillPair adapts to your company or team’s particular needs. That’s why understanding your company’s objectives and goals helps us strategically identify which team members will be the most empowered by using SkillPair.
What skill sets can our team expect to upskill in?
SkillPair’s assessments identify competency levels across the most in-demand skills, making it easy for your team to upskill in these sought after areas. Here are just a few examples:
- Working in teams or groups: leadership, self-management, cooperation, managing conflicts, and leading various types of teams
- Constructing and analyzing case studies: data collection and analysis (qualitative and quantitative), problem solving, critical thinking
- Using technology and social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint, Google Docs, Blackboard, Ref Works, graphs and charts, data presentation, and more
- Soft skills or competencies: communication, time management, conflict resolution, networking, performance management, and more
What learning styles and/or leadership habits are identified?
Our series of Learner-Leadership assessments provide a comprehensive profile of each team member’s leadership preferences, learning behaviours, and decision-making approaches to problem solving. This makes it easy to determine which team members to pair since we know who will work best together and will make the biggest impact. It also means engaging in peer coaching and the process of upskilling is effective and impactful, right from day 1.
How does SkillPair determine which team members to pair for peer coaching?
Our series of Skills-Competencies assessments identify each team member’s competency level across a number of skills. The results tell us who is highly competent in a skill (or various skills) that another has expressed they’d like to learn. To make sure the pair will be effective in being able to learn from one another or alternatively, teach and lead the other, we weave the Learner-Leadership assessments results into our pairing process. For example, Sara may be highly competent in data modelling, while Atif has shown limited knowledge, albeit an interest in learning. Since Sara has also shown she’s competent as a leader, Sara and Atif would make a great pair.
How do team members, or peer coaches, know how to coach each other?
Making sure pairs peer coach effectively is key to impacting and empowering your team. There are two ways to facilitate the peer coaching sessions. SkillPair will meet with your lead or HR team over two full-day workshops to teach them how to peer coach and facilitate these sessions across their teams. Or, SkillPair’s facilitators will handle the nitty-gritty for you. We can help you determine what makes the most sense for your company.
How frequently should pairs be peer coaching?
Pairs spend 8 weeks peer coaching as a part of a cycle with SkillPair. A cycle includes everything from assessing and analyzing your team’s competencies, leadership and learning preferences, to facilitator workshops, peer coaching, evaluations and reviews.
What’s the outcome of a completed cycle?
As soon as team members begin the peer coaching exercises, they will gain increased morale from working with other staff. By the time a cycle is complete, your company will be able to see
Can companies work with SkillPair more than once?
Yes, companies are able to work with SkillPair for an unlimited number of cycles. The bonus being, the more information and data collected enables SkillPair to build a database of employees and pair them according to the companies needs and wants.
What do you do with the information learned from each team member?
The information gathered from each team member through the skills competencies and learner-leader assessments helps create a profile, which skillpair utilizes to determine who will be the designated coach and who should act as coachee throughout coaching engagements.
How do we get started?
That’s simple! Just request a call and we’ll connect with you to determine a time that works best for a chat. We’ll answer any questions you may have and discuss next steps.
Get SkillPair on your side
Request a call today to learn more. We’d love to show you the difference peer coaching can make.