As you're setting goals for 2021, employee training should be at the top of your list. Seventy-nine percent of CEOs say that the skills gap is a threat to future growth, and the research supports it. 

In 2019, four out of five recruiters reported difficulty finding candidates with the right skills. Some of the skills missing were technical skills like data analysis and engineering. Others were "soft skills" like problem-solving and critical thinking. 

When there's a skills shortage, it drives up wages among qualified workers and makes growing a business more difficult. One solution is to invest in ongoing employee education. 

Training workers allows your business to stay competitive, and it shows employees you care. Workers who receive on-the-job training and education are happier and more engaged, which leads to less turnover. Ninety-four percent of employees say they would stay with a company longer if it invested in their learning and development. 

Unfortunately, workplace learning was one of the "earliest and hardest-hit business activities" during the COVID-19 crisis, according to McKinsey. In-person workshops and conferences were cancelled, and many on-site training seminars were postponed indefinitely. Other companies simply didn't have the budget or the bandwidth to invest in employee education.

But your organization can't afford to put off employee training another year. Here are three areas of your business that should be a top priority for training in 2021:

1. IT

With 88 percent of organizations encouraging remote work during the pandemic, IT departments had their hands full. It's likely your staff was too busy troubleshooting and dealing with new security risks to make time for ongoing education. In 2021, you need to ensure that your IT workers are getting the training they need. Not only will this help your workers be more effective in their roles, but it can also boost retention.

The technology sector has a notoriously high turnover rate. Surprisingly, the two most common reasons workers cite are flat salaries and a lack of career development. Providing ongoing training gives workers an opportunity to advance and carve out a clear career path.

With the year ahead still mired in uncertainty, it's a good idea to choose a certification program with flexible training options. For example, IBEX IT Business Experts offers IT certification training courses in a variety of formats such as virtual, instructor-led, and e-learning to fit your team's needs.

2. HR

At the start of the COVID-19 crisis, HR teams were hit with a cascade of new (and often-changing) responsibilities. Early on, it was up to HR to address employee health concerns, revisit sick-leave and emergency policies, and reduce employee counts if employers couldn't operate normally. Now HR leaders are navigating the quagmire of state and federal laws to grapple with workplace safety, remote work, and reskilling workers for a post-COVID-future.

For example, a report by payroll service provider, OnPay, found that 65 percent of small businesses plan to incorporate remote work opportunities for their employees after COVID-19. That means HR will play an increasingly important role in identifying which workers can make that shift and helping employees adapt. 

When employees work remotely from more states, it also means HR teams will have new compliance issues to address. They'll be tasked with creating new virtual onboarding and training programs, too. And companies that plan to reopen offices will also need HR to parse new safety regulations and implement programs like employee contact tracing.

3. Sales

Since the start of the pandemic, nearly 90 percent of sales activities have moved online. While the lockdown didn't have a great effect on prospecting activities, it's certainly impacted other areas. Reps have had to adapt their pitches to video conferencing and learn to conduct sales demos virtually. With most teams now dispersed, good communication has taken on added importance. 

One of the most important tools in any sales team's arsenal is the CRM. With most reps still working remotely, sales teams need to have up-to-date information on every single lead. The problem is that most reps don't fully utilize the CRM. Salespeople cite the CRM as their biggest frustration, and many don't understand the benefits of manually entering customer data. As a result, they spend their days wrangling spreadsheets, manually scheduling follow-ups, and chasing down prospect notes.

To improve CRM adoption and usage, you need to invest in training. The good news is that all the most popular CRMs offer comprehensive training - often for free. Salesforce has an entire library of how-to videos and offers free hands-on workshops. Zoho CRM offers online and on-site training, and HubSpot Academy offers free certifications on its sales platform.

The abrupt shift to remote work left virtually no sector untouched. All your employees were forced to adapt - with or without adequate training. Now that we are living in the new normal, it's time to make employee training a priority. Investing in training this year will increase your team's effectiveness, grow your bottom line, and show employees you care.