Session Focus: This session focuses on one foundational element of accelerating workforce readiness: developing, maintaining, and leveraging a skills database.

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of understanding and effectively utilizing their employees' skills. This session delves into the critical process of creating and maintaining a comprehensive skills inventory to enhance talent mobility within organizations.

Key Takeaways:

1. Building a skills database is crucial for enhancing internal talent mobility and retention. It allows employees to see potential career paths within the organization and helps match internal talent with job opportunities more effectively than external job boards.

2. Implementing a skills database requires careful planning, including defining competencies, aligning skills with job profiles, and choosing the right technology. Starting with a pilot project in a specific department can be an effective strategy.

3. A well-implemented skills database can provide strategic value beyond HR, including improving the company's value proposition to clients and supporting business growth strategies. It enables data-driven decision-making about talent deployment and development.

The session emphasizes the importance of employee engagement in this process, as highlighted by Kris Doveika: "The idea is that the person sees the value in the learning and achieving that specific competency at a specific proficiency level and actually progressing in their career."

By focusing on these key elements, organizations can create a more dynamic, adaptable workforce ready to meet future challenges and opportunities. This session provides valuable insights for HR professionals, learning and development specialists, and business leaders looking to optimize their talent management strategies.