According to new thought leadership research from global HR
research and advisory firm McLean & Company, HR leaders must
guide organizations past the enticing promises of the theoretical
skills-based organization toward more realistic
opportunities.
TORONTO, May 9, 2024
/PRNewswire/ - As the idea of a skills-based organization gains
popularity, global HR research and advisory firm McLean &
Company explains that becoming an organization that makes
talent decisions through the lens of skills requires much more
resourcing than simply updating current talent acquisition and
management practices. In a new thought leadership resource for HR,
What It Means to Become a Skills-Based Organization,
McLean & Company explains that though a skills-based approach
to talent management can come with benefits, such as improved
employee retention and enhanced organizational agility, most
organizations are not yet ready for this type of transformation.
The path forward to skills-based decision-making is intentional and
demanding, requiring support from HR to make realistic choices
around the right approach for each organization's unique needs.
McLean & Company, the HR division of Info-Tech Research
Group, defines a purely skills-based organization as one that
"makes all talent decisions through the lens of skills and skills
intelligence, which is the ability to identify, grow, and leverage
abilities at the individual and organizational levels." The
skills-based operating model is inherently agile and can pivot to
address change quickly and effectively, but the shift from a
job-based model requires a complete reconceptualization of an
organization's relationship with what work is.
"HR leaders are influential decision-makers regarding the
feasibility, appropriateness, and scope of a skills-based
transformation," says Jodi
Callaghan, director of HR Research & Advisory
Services at McLean & Company. "HR's strategic interpretation
of the sensationalized promise of skills enables organizations to
translate the noise into realistic opportunities for the
organization. Presently, a fully skills-based organization is an
idea rather than fact, with most organizations using a traditional
job-based model. However, operating models exist on a spectrum,
with the lesser-known skills-aware model offering a more attainable
option for many organizations as they look to shift toward an
increased focus on skills. Becoming skills-aware leverages skills
in some HR practices, with opportunities given to employees based
on skills, potential, and career goals, and bridges the gap between
job-based and skills-based models."
To help HR leaders navigate the intentional and demanding path
to skills-based decision-making, the global firm has organized the
new resource into four easy-to-follow sections. The sections, which
are outlined below, have been designed to help HR understand the
variations of what it means to be skills-based, what the potential
outcomes are, and what organizations need to know to complete the
transformation.
- Overview. Section one of the firm's resource
explains the theory and foundation of skills-based organizations,
the associated spectrum of operating models, and the organizations
best suited for this type of transformation.
- Draws and drawbacks. Section two highlights what is
influencing the re-popularization of the idea and promise of
skills-based organizations as well as potential unintended outcomes
of becoming skills-based.
- Obstacles to transformation. Section three outlines the
challenges of moving along the skills-based spectrum and how
organizations can be proactive when planning to address them. HR
leaders will also find guidance on current philosophies of work,
challenges with evaluating skills, the relevance and half-life of
certain skills, and the current and future states of skills
intelligence.
- Visualize the future. Section four provides sample
questions to determine the organization's readiness for
transformation, presents real-world examples of organizations with
effective skills-based practices, and covers the fundamental
conditions required for change. The final section also offers a
list of resources to support movement along the skills-based
spectrum.
While some organizations are motivated by a sense of urgency and
the unique set of challenges they face, McLean & Company
advises HR leaders that organizations must first meet some
fundamental conditions before moving along the skills-based
spectrum, such as leadership buy-in, cross-functional
collaboration, and resourcing. Regardless of why an organization is
looking to become more skills-based, these fundamental conditions
are crucial. Desire and will alone are not enough to move along the
skills-based spectrum.
To access the full resource, please visit What It Means to
Become a Skills-Based Organization.
To attend upcoming free webinars on a variety of topics or
explore the publicly available archive of recorded sessions, please
visit McLean & Company's webinars page.
Register for Signature
2024
To register for Signature, the premier industry conference for
future-focused HR leaders hosted by McLean & Company from
October 27 to 29 at the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa
in Las Vegas, Nevada, please visit
the official Signature event page.
Media interested in connecting with McLean & Company
analysts for exclusive, research-backed insights and commentary on
psychological safety in the workplace, DEI, generative AI in
HR, HR trends in 2024, the future of
work, and more can contact Senior Communications Manager
Kelsey King at
kking@mcleanco.com.
About McLean &
Company
Through data-driven insights and proven best-practice
methodologies, McLean & Company offers
comprehensive resources and full-service assessments, action plans,
and training to position organizations to meet today's needs and
prepare for the future.
McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research
Group.
Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to
research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry
analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access,
contact kking@mcleanco.com.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-resource-from-mclean--company-suggests-becoming-a-skills-based-organization-is-not-simple-or-easy--hr-leaders-will-play-critical-guiding-role-302141352.html
SOURCE McLean & Company