A skills-based approach to talent management is increasingly recognised as a strategic asset in today's fast-evolving business landscape. As organisations face unprecedented changes driven by rapid technological advancements, globalisation, and shifts in workforce dynamics, the traditional role-based hiring and development models are becoming less relevant. Instead, focusing on skills not only enables companies to align their workforce more closely with current and future business needs but also enhances their agility and competitiveness.

According to the World Economic Forum, 50% of all employees will need reskilling by 2025 due to the adoption of technology. Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, recently spoke about the impact of AI on skills, highlighting that the skill sets for the same jobs have changed by 25% since 2015 and as AI accelerates this trend, employees can expect their job to change as much as 70% by 2030.

Embracing a skills-based approach offers several tangible benefits: it promotes a more inclusive hiring process by focusing on what individuals can do rather than where they have studied or worked; it drives innovation by bringing together diverse skill sets that are often overlooked in traditional models; and it increases retention by providing clear career pathways and development opportunities that are aligned to employees’ capabilities and aspirations.

In this Expert Interview, I sit down with Dr. Lassaad Essafi, CEO at EDLIGO and delve into why a skills-based approach is not just a strategic imperative but a significant driver of business value, drawing upon recent studies and real-world examples Dr. Lassaad Essafi demonstrate the impact taking a skills-based approach has on organisational performance and resilience. As well as sharing how, companies can implement and benefit from this approach, ensuring their workforce is equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly changing business environment. 

1.  Why are skills-based approaches growing in interest and importance?

Skills-based approaches are gaining significance as they offer individuals a pathway to navigate the evolving landscape of work, characterised by technological advancements, globalization, and the need for continuous learning. In this era of rapid change, traditional career trajectories are giving way to a focus on acquiring adaptable, transferable skills that can transcend industry boundaries. Employers are increasingly seeking candidates who possess a diverse range of capabilities, and skills-based approaches empower individuals to cultivate these sought-after skills, enhancing their employability and enabling them to thrive in a competitive job market. By emphasising lifelong learning and the development of skills that complement automation and AI, these approaches equip individuals with the agility and resilience needed to succeed in today's dynamic and unpredictable world of work.

Based on our clients' experiences, implementing skills-based strategies has proven effective in addressing these challenges, demonstrating tangible benefits such as improved talent deployment, enhanced retention, and increased workforce satisfaction. With business executives globally acknowledging the significance of this approach, it signifies a fundamental shift towards a more dynamic and skill-centric talent management paradigm.

2.  In a landscape where it is becoming more widely acknowledged that skills and competencies can drive organisational success, could you elaborate on how EDLIGO aids organisations in transitioning to a skills-driven model, and what measurable impacts you have observed?

With EDLIGO, organizations transition to a skills-driven model through a comprehensive approach. First, we assist in creating and improving competency frameworks for employee competency assessments, digitizing the process, enabling both creating new compelling employee experiences and an efficient execution of the competency review. Next, we enable organizations to identify their current skills, competencies, and future readiness, identifying gaps for targeted development. Our platform offers personalized learning and career path recommendations to empower individual growth.

Moreover, we measure the impact of skills and competencies on business outcomes, providing insights into organizational capability and talent opportunities and risks for both external customer engagements and important internal initiatives. This curated perspective goes beyond mere skill collection, emphasizing the skills that truly impact individual, team, organization and hence business performance. By offering actionable insights, EDLIGO helps align talent strategies with business objectives effectively, resulting in improved performance and impact.

Organizations using EDLIGO see significant improvements: enhanced employee engagement and satisfaction, increased workforce agility, higher talent retention rates, and improved organizational performance metrics. These benefits stem from personalized career development, targeted up-/reskilling initiatives, and a skilled workforce aligned with organizational goals. They result from precise interventions facilitated by data analysis and AI, identifying talent and projects at risk, ensuring proactive measures for sustained success.

3. How do you see continuous learning and upskilling shaping the career paths of professionals over the next decade, and what role will technology play in this transformation?

In the coming decade, continuous upskilling will play a pivotal role in shaping professionals' career paths, fuelled by evolving job markets and the need to adapt to emerging technologies. According to research by the World Economic Forum, 44% of workers' skills will face disruption in the next five years, highlighting the urgency for continuous learning.

Organizations must prioritize targeted upskilling efforts, leveraging technology like EDLIGO for personalized learning experiences and actionable insights. By identifying skill gaps and focusing on performance-driving competencies, EDLIGO ensures professionals receive tailored training to excel in their roles. Embracing continuous learning and leveraging technology-driven upskilling opportunities will be crucial for navigating career trajectories successfully amidst rapid technological advancements.

4.  Many organisations struggle with initial significant challenges in defining which skills truly matter for performance enhancement. How does EDLIGO help streamline this process, and what approach do you recommend for companies to effectively determine and develop impactful skills within teams?

EDLIGO simplifies the process of identifying impactful skills through a robust Talent Analytics approach. Firstly, our platform assists in analysing great amounts of labor / skill data using the power AI and crafting tailored competency frameworks aligned with performance enhancement objectives. Secondly, leveraging AI-driven data analytics, EDLIGO identifies specific skills driving team performance by analysing historical data and skill profiles. A data-centric approach to skill determination and development entails regular skill assessments, advanced analytics for identifying high-impact skills, and targeted learning initiatives. Cultivating a culture of continuous feedback and learning further enables organizations to adapt to evolving skill requirements and boost team performance efficiently.

5. Organisations often view the process of creating a data-driven map of skills as time-consuming and complex. How does EDLIGO's toolset simplify this process, and what steps have you taken to lower the barriers for companies hesitant to adopt these methods?

EDLIGO simplifies the creation of a data-driven skills map with both its prior research and experience in selected industries / sectors and its intuitive toolset. Our platform offers user-friendly interfaces and customizable features, streamlining data input and analysis. We provide comprehensive training and support for smooth implementation. Additionally, flexible deployment options  allow companies to adopt at their pace. Implementations typically take 4-6 weeks. With proven experience from SMBs to large enterprises and multi-national corporations, we address concerns about complexity and offer tailored support, enabling strategic decision-making through skill mapping.

6.  What are the most effective ways to maximize the return on investment (ROI) of learning and development initiatives in organisations?

EDLIGO maximizes the ROI of learning and development initiatives through aligning training programs with organizational goals and employee skill gaps identified through data analysis. The platform leverages technology and AI for personalized and efficient identification and delivery of training content, ensuring engagement and effectiveness. Additionally, our platform offers personalized learning paths tailored to individual learner preferences and needs. Further, EDLIGO measures performance improvements, project team performance, talent retention rates, and other key metrics, demonstrating the impact of learning and development investments. For instance, EDLIGO provides an overview of engagement, skills, gaps, and performance of team members working on key projects, predicting potential project failures, and taking preventive measures such as upskilling, reskilling, or restaffing to ensure project success.

7.  Could you share some case studies or examples of companies that have implemented EDLIGO's solutions? How have they benefitted in terms of talent strategy and business outcomes?

Capgemini, a global leader in technology and consulting services, faced several challenges, including concerns about future readiness, talent mobility, and competency mapping. With EDLIGO, Capgemini gained a comprehensive view of its talent landscape, enabling the organization to identify proficiency gaps, personalize learning plans, and prepare team members for future roles. Additionally, EDLIGO facilitated the development of career mobility plans, allowing employees to visualize multiple career paths and prepare accordingly. By leveraging EDLIGO's competency mapping capabilities, Capgemini identified growth areas and top performers, streamlining decision-making related to workforce planning, talent development, and performance management.

The implementation of EDLIGO yielded significant benefits for Capgemini across all levels of the organization. Employees gained access to career insights, personalized learning paths, and competency assessments, enhancing their engagement and ownership of their career development. Managers benefited from improved visibility into their teams' skills, career aspirations, and needs, particularly in high attrition scenarios. Leadership obtained a holistic view of talent, enabling strategic decision-making aligned with organizational goals. As a result, Capgemini experienced a high response rate and positive feedback from users, with over 95% of in-scope employees and managers participating in the initiative. Moreover, the organization saw an increase in employee engagement scores, with the overall engagement score rising by 0.5 points out of 10. Additionally, Capgemini achieved equal promotion rates for males and females, demonstrating proactive role enablement and alignment with organizational priorities and DEI objectives.

THANK YOU

Thanks to Dr. Lassaad Essafi for his time and for sharing with us how EDLIGO is transforming the skills-based workforce. If you want to find out more about the great work Lassaad and the team at EDLIGO are doing, follow him on LinkedIn.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Lassaad Essafi is the co-founder and CEO of EDLIGO. In this role, Lassaad works with partners and clients to leverage the power of data and equip decision makers, educators and administrators with the right data, insights, and foresight they need to drive focused action and achieve tangible outcomes.

Lassaad is very passionate about entrepreneurship, research and development particularly in the areas of data and analytics. Prior to his current role, Lassaad led worldwide the Customer Insight & Experience Analytics business line in Nokia Siemens Networks. He also held several key functions across Siemens, and O2 Germany Product Management, Sales, Consulting, R&D, Solution Delivery and Project/Program Management. He was the co-founder of the Education Data Center in the Ministry of Education of the United Arab Emirates and was its director for during its first two and half years of inception and setup.

Lassaad holds a Doctorate of Engineering in Computer Science from the Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen Nuremberg in Germany. He is also graduate of the Advanced Management Program of Duke, Babson and Siemens.

David Green is a globally respected speaker, author, and consultant on people analytics, data-driven HR, and the future of work. With lead responsibility for Insight222’s brand and market development, David helps our clients create value through people analytics. David is the co-author of Excellence in People Analytics (Kogan Page, July 2021), and the host of our Digital HR Leaders podcast. Prior to co-founding Insight222, David worked in the human resources field in multiple major global companies, most recently at IBM. He has lived in both UK and France and worked all over the world during his career. He has been a director of Insight222 since 2019.

Building a Data-Driven Culture in HR

Our Learning services support HR professionals and People Analytics teams in building the skills needed to create and sustain a data-driven culture. We work with all teams from HR Leadership teams, HR Directors, HR business partners, and people analytics functions through to up skilling the entire global HR organisation.  ​​

Our Immersive Learning Experiences (ILXs) offer innovative, hybrid learning programs designed to accelerate building a data-driven culture, suitable for all HR professionals and People Analytics teams.  These interactive journeys equip participants with the necessary skills to accelerate data-driven decision-making within their organisations. Blending self-paced learning with expert-led instruction and real-world simulations, our programs ensure participants not only learn data-driven consulting skills, but also master their application in a business context. ​