Skills-based training paths also enable organisations to draw on a variety of learning experiences, creating a blended learning solution for employees. Skills can be gained in diverse ways—through classroom study, independent study, external certifications, and on-the-job experiences such as mentoring, secondments, and shadowing. "With a skills-based approach, each intervention is chosen to close a specific gap, ensuring learning time and budgets are used efficiently while employees gain clear, evidence-based routes to new opportunities," says Gosnell.
Roy Shelton, CEO of IT managed services provider Connectus Group, is clear that to make skills-based recruitment work across the HR function, organisations must integrate it holistically into their talent strategy, making sure it is there from workforce planning to onboarding and development.
"It’s vital to start by identifying core and emerging skills critical to your organisation’s success," says Shelton. "Collaborate with business leaders to develop detailed, forward-looking skills taxonomies and role profiles. This helps HR departments move away from generic job descriptions to precise, outcome-based skill requirements."
A strong change management strategy is also essential. The benefits of a skills-based approach can be shared across internal stakeholders, but it requires HR to lead the cultural shift by modeling inclusive, skills-first language and practices.
Mark Simmons, SVP of HR, GXO UK and Ireland, notes how the skills-based approach can be used to help HR plan for the future. "Organisations must continuously map both current and future skill requirements, then design targeted development pathways, such as technical training and leadership programmes, to close any gaps," he explains. For GXO, apprenticeships have proved a powerful method blending formal education with hands-on experience in fields like robotics and IT. "Recently, several GXO colleagues embarked on the UK’s first degree-level robotics engineering apprenticeship, gaining advanced skills that are critical to the industry’s future," says Simmons. "Initiatives like these benefit both new hires and existing employees, cultivating a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing."
Simmons goes on to say that embedding the skills-first mindset across all levels of an organisation is essential if businesses want to anticipate market shifts and unlock the full potential of their talent. "To build a resilient, adaptable, and engaged workforce, businesses must prioritise ongoing learning and flexible development," he says, "empowering people to grow alongside the organisation and meet the demands of a rapidly changing landscape."
This, then, is perhaps the central reason why skills should permeate organisations rather than job titles and the consequent hierarchy. In any business there is change, and change right now is rapid and significant. Job titles cannot keep pace with change, and an employee may find the job they’re doing shifting under their feet. The skills focus keeps pace with this change, ensuring the right priorities are always addressed, whether that is organisational need or the ability of the employees themselves.