Shifting the way we think about the skills of an individual

The traditional view of an individual includes the notion that knowledge alone would provide enough insights into each individual and in turn the collective talent pool. In?today's fast paced world knowledge alone is not a true reflection of the individual and as a consequence an organizations overall talent pool. If the most valuable assets organizations have are their people, then not knowing their skills strengths, gaps and interests is a significant risk that threatens the success of an organization and ultimately their people.

In recent years we have seen a significant increase in disruptive changes including remote workforce, cyber security challenges, robotics, AI - impacting how we live, work and play. Everyone is developing skills regardless of age and this is now being accelerated by new technologies.?In 2023 learning how to use technology is an expectation. New apps, Chat GPT, new tech stacks, new products and processes at work are all causing an urgent need for on the job learning regardless if we are working on site or remotely.?

In our private lives, we have digital identities on social media, we use apps to manage our finances, emails, health and fitness, take photos and record videos. We have suddenly evolved skills that the previous generation did not have and many of us have upskilled ourselves without attending traditional institutions to do so.??

Short, sharp learning cycles are here to stay?-?If our generation are the users of new and innovative technologies, then the generation that is on the horizon will be the new creators and innovators of new technology. This means a new wave of skills are being evolved and developed. Learning is an ongoing journey based on shorter micro learning cycles focused on skills. Educational institutions are not the only source of skill development and the modern workplace is now a new place of learning. Organizations that have an awareness of their peoples current skills are able to perform better whilst accelerating plans for the future.

The Traditional View - Knowledge?- In the workplace unpacking the traditional view of an individual (knowledge) includes the Job Description, CV, Title, Qualifications, Certificates, Results. You are qualified because you have knowledge. "they have knowledge and this means they know what they are doing" OR "they have been trained so they are capable of delivering under all circumstances". This false illusion does not work well in a world with significant change occurring.?Knowledge alone is not a measurement of capability.

But who am I??In our workplace we have a name, we have a title and that is how we are often identified. No real understanding of which roles or skills we have developed throughout our life and professional careers. A restricted view based on the current role. "You are an engineer or a business development manager. Maybe you are a business analyst". - that is who you are right?

I am more than just a job title.?In the skills based environment you are not defined only by your role because the role restricts who you are.?In a skills based organization the concept of knowledge is only one dimension to the individual. It is important but it does not live in isolation because change and the associated impacts are not static.?

Two highly critical dimensions each individual has?-?Discover who I am?-??(interest level and skill level).

Skills?& Skills Levels?- measuring these against targets enables us to identify skills strengths and gaps and in turn this is a measurement of capability. Skill profiles unpack the individual into more than just a role. A high skill level means a very high capability and low skill level is high risk where costly errors can occur including time delays in output (not a scenario any individual enjoys let alone the collective impact across an organization).

Skills Interest levels?are an expression of the desire to use a skill and or the passion to develop a skill. I may actually have a passion to develop a set of skills but not necessarily be forced into a role because of these.?

In a fast paced and highly dynamic environment bringing these 3 dimensions together provides us with a more complete understanding of not only each individual but the entire talent pool. The advantages in being skills based are significant and measured by ROI.?

Lets explore some examples in?Talent Management

Talent Allocation?- High Interest level + High Skill Level + Knowledge in allocating an individual to a workflow will = optimum outcomes in performance and in satisfaction levels for the employee.

Talent Development?in the current role (High Interest Level + Low Skills Level = Training or Coaching to develop knowledge). Post training a reassessment is conducted to validate the skills gap has been reduced.

Talent Development?for a future role (High Interest Level + Low Skills Level = Training or Coaching). The decision to allocated training is based on the skills gaps when the current skills profile is compared to the future skill levels expected in the future role.

The same exercise can be applied across Talent Acquisition, Talent Retention, the measurement of upskilling and training?programs, Career Mobility to name a few.

In 2023 the reality is you are competing with organizations that are already skills based and these are not isolated to the IT / software industry.

Finance / Banking, Manufacturing, Engineering, Education, Government in fact all industry verticals have a skills based plan and model in place.?

In closing I hope these insights will help provide a high level summary as to the shift into a skills based view of your talent pool.

We at Skills Base are always open to any feedback or additional insights so feel free to add comments or book in a time to meet online.