3 pieces of advice to achieve a successful skills-based workforce

On the 9th of June 2021, TechWolf organised the second Round Table with three CHROs; Jan Van Acoleyen (Proximus), Inge Diels (Deloitte) and Cathy Geerts (SD Worx). Read about their thoughts on the skills-based workforce in this three-piece blog series.

1. Keep up the speed

The speed of change in the organisation is high and the periods in which the pace slows down are scarce. That is why you also have to activate employees who initially opt for stability. To them, standing still means going backwards in real terms. SD Worx facilitates that process by evolving from job descriptions to three generic roles. The underlying functions contain a number of common elements. Cathy Geerts: "Look for similarities rather than differences." Jan Van Acoleyen (Proximus): "That helps to transfer skills to projects where there are shortages. But work with manageable intermediate steps."

2. Switch to real-time

The information you map out must be relevant to the people managers at all times. So a static process that is limited to one time period is out of the question. "It is a challenge to deal with the volatility and to stay up-to-date at all times," Jan Van Acoleyen knows. Cathy Geerts adds: "Your tools function in real-time, the technology keeps on running." Organisations demand that knowledge workers constantly keep their profiles up to date. The static nature of a CV, however, contrasts with fluctuating personal aspirations. "Many systems do not yet sufficiently capture that emotional component. Ideally, you should integrate that human story into an efficient business model," says Inge Diels (Deloitte).

3. Opt for a light model

Mapping and analysing skills should not be a bureaucratic exercise. That would inhibit people's willingness to learn and commitment. "Choose a method that is not burdensome for the individual, the manager and the organisation", advises Jan Van Acoleyen. The companies in the Fortune Global 500 rankings are now working diligently with people analytics. Hard competencies are easier to capture and more relevant to manage for certain industries than, for example, motivation and eagerness to learn. Jan Van Acoleyen opts for a light model that allows generating the right people analytics. "Look at what investments are needed to do data capture in your existing systems, what you do with the info provided and whether it is still relevant."

Read part 1 of this series: "Willingness to learn is crucial for employability"

Read part 2 of this series: "Technology puts the right pieces in the puzzle"