Building a Bridge to the Future of Skills Based Talent Programs. With Christy Smith and Lauren Robertson

On today's episode of Science 4-Hire, I welcome Christy Smith and Lauren Robertson for an enlightened discussion about the importance of skills identification and assessment on the future of talent acquisition and development. Christy is the central market leader for career products at Mercer, supporting the commercial strategy for Mercer's skills products in the US and Canada. Lauren is an organizational psychologist working with Mercer on developing and implementing their skills-focused products and programs. In our conversation, we explore a full range of topics related to the challenges and rewards of skills identification and assessment, and the role they play in creating and evolving talent acquisition and development strategies. Our chat begins with a discussion of the definition of “skills”, suggesting it should be broad based and include the individual differences that make each human unique (aka, traits, skills, knowledge, competencies, abilities, etc.). Such a broad-based definition supports the critical importance of skills identification as a foundation for talent acquisition and talent mobility programs. My guests share the work Mercer has been doing creating such a foundation through its development of a comprehensive skills taxonomy. From here Lauren, Christy and I really dig into a review and discussion of the many talent processes that benefit from a skills-based approach, including the importance of skills-based hiring, how to overcome skills gaps, and the role of skills identification and assessment in fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We also dive into the specific skills that are in high demand in today's job market, and how organizations can leverage skills identification and assessment to stay ahead of the curve. From emerging skills in technology and data analysis to soft skills like communication and collaboration, we explore the trends and insights that are shaping the future of work. If you're interested in learning more about the importance of skills and how to build out skills-based programs in your organization, this episode is a must-listen! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charleshandler.substack.com