How to close skills gaps at scale

In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, organisations are struggling to keep up with constantly changing skills needs. While recruiting new talent might seem like a straightforward solution, it isn’t sustainable in the long run, writes Jonathan Tabah.

Many organisations are transforming so rapidly that they can’t acquire all the skills they need – the talent is either too scarce, too expensive, or both. This puts pressure on organisations to build skills internally, but most organisations simply aren’t building skills fast enough to meet their demand.

One of the biggest issues is the expectation placed on developing proficiency. Traditional development programs, such as formal training, mentorship, and individual development plans, help employees develop proficiency in the skills needed to fill in-demand roles. This seemingly logically sequenced approach, however, delays movement into a new role until employees have fully developed skills.

Instead, HR leaders must shift from building proficiency to identifying “skills promise”, which Gartner defines as an individual’s willingness and ability to learn new skills from a minimum foundation. Employees hired based on promise are 1.9 times more likely to perform more effectively than those hired for proficiency.

Despite this, only 28 per cent of 3,200 employees surveyed by Gartner reported that their organisation places importance on leveraging skills promise.

To turn this around, organisations should select employees for prioritised role requirements, instead of seeking candidates proficient in all skills. HR can then establish targeted learning networks to support on-the-job training of those employees with promise.

Understanding skills promise

One of the biggest challenges in shifting to fill roles based on promise is identifying employees with promise. Waiting to find an employee with all the exact skills listed for a role significantly shrinks the pool of potential candidates.

Instead, narrow requirements down to the common foundational skills required for the role to reach a wider group of candidates. The remaining skill gaps can then be filled while the employee with promise is in the role. This enables them to add value sooner rather than waiting for full proficiency across all requirements.

While some role-defining requirements may be necessary, prioritising foundational skills and behaviours enables a talent bench to be created that can be readily upskilled for high-demand roles.

Address manager reservations

Managers often hesitate to hire talent that aren’t fully proficient in all required skills. A Gartner survey revealed that 51 per cent of managers request recruiters to only focus on recruiting employees with all the desired skills when recruiting internally.

Leading organisations help managers understand the value of promise through evidence-based value stories, showcasing the benefits of hiring promise talent. These should include quantitative and qualitative data, contrasting open role skill requirements with existing skills, onboarding and development needs, and previous internal success stories. The goal is to build manager confidence in hiring promising talent.

Maintain performance while learning

Employees with skills promise can contribute value while learning on the job, but they do require holistic support. Typical individual learning solutions aim to build proficiency over time, supporting long-term skills preparedness and career development goals. However, this approach doesn’t mitigate immediate performance risks.

Leading HR functions work with leaders across the business to integrate learning solutions with workflow adjustments, such as changes to project sequencing or team structure. This helps them realise early value from talent with promise while accelerating their time to performance.

Integrated learning and team-based workflow adjustments have a significant impact on skills preparedness compared to individual development support. Collaborating with business unit leaders helps define output that employees with promise can achieve at their current skill level, the support they need to deliver expected output, and pathways to unlock that support.

Agreed guardrails on ownership and contribution enable teams to get work done, while those with promise come up to speed.

Structure learning networks

Offering support to employees hired based on promise is crucial, though there’s currently an overreliance on managers for this support despite their high levels of burnout.

To reduce the burden on managers, organisations can implement skills-based learning networks, which include the employee, their manager, learning and development, talent management, and a subject matter expert.

Skill-based learning networks create an environment where employees learn together from expert resources, practice together, coach one another, and do so organically and sustainably. This approach provides employees with a community of experts rather than ad hoc peer connections.

Structuring learning networks to scale expertise significantly enhances skills preparedness compared to one-on-one support. It’s important to identify employees with critical knowledge about emerging skills and facilitate expertise sharing across team boundaries.

Jonathan Tabah is the director of advisory in Gartner’s HR practice.