How the Skills Revolution Can Propel Your Organization Forward

L&D professionals have been hearing extensively about the skills revolution. In fact, the skills-based approach to the workplace has been a key topic at CLN's events this year and is poised to continue transforming the business world for the rest of 2024 and beyond. This new approach places individual skills above credentials such as academics and opens up opportunities for internal mobility and the development of a skills marketplace. The following are several critical benefits of implementing a skills-based approach within your organization:

Increased Adaptability

The skills-based organization operates with a comprehensive job taxonomy, an organized framework in which each role within the company is categorized by the specific skillsets that it requires. When a new role opens, talent leaders can more easily upskill/reskill employees – if they are interested, of course – in the specific skill areas required to move to the open position. With technology advancing so rapidly and society shifting constantly, this flexibility allows companies to adapt and change at the same pace as the world at large.

Enhanced Career-Pathing Options

Clearly defined job descriptions based on skills allow employees to fully understand the criteria needed to achieve a desired promotion or lateral move and take action to gain those particular skills. Further, employees might discover that their current skills lend themselves to job functions they previously wouldn’t have necessarily considered due to simply not seeing the relevance of their capabilities. The low emphasis on academic credentials within a skills-based organization also allows employees to access new opportunities.

Strengthened Employee Retention

Employees are more likely to remain with their current company when career development opportunities are offered, allowing organizations to retain top talent and avoid the extra costs associated with onboarding and training a new hire. Additionally, if their role is eliminated during restructuring, an employee can choose to upskill or reskill with the goal of moving into a different department or job function.

A Collaborative Work Environment

A focus on skills also lets the organization function at a project level. For instance, if one department doesn’t have the bandwidth to complete a project, or its employees don’t possess the skills needed, managers can work with individuals from other departments who have the correct skills. The company becomes less siloed as talent from different departments collaborate to build success.

To hear how L&D experts are revolutionizing skills-based transformation, attend our CLO Exchange in November. 

For in-depth information on the process of transforming into a skills-based organization, check out CLN’s report: Building a Skills-Based Organization Through Comprehensive Skills Mapping.