5 must-haves for building a skills-based workplace

Traditionally, work means completing the list of tasks in your job description. But more companies are now realising the limitations of fixed roles and are moving towards a skills-based workplace instead. If that sound like a huge transition, don’t panic! Here are 5 must-haves for getting started.

It’s hard to imagine life without jobs as we know them, but it’s easy to see the challenges that traditional job structures lead to. Teams end up working in silos with poor communication. Employees are under-utilised because their job description doesn’t cover something they would be great at. The only way to solve these challenges is to take a new approach when structuring work and hiring. Instead of sticking to one team’s requirements, try to source competencies and abilities that are missing across the company as a whole.

Of course, it’s only possible to hire for skills when you know where the knowledge gaps are. That’s where skill-mapping comes in. The right HR partner can help you develop a framework for organising employees’ skills that meets your priorities and budget. There are many choices for collecting the data you need, from self-assessments to manager evaluations and even aptitude tests. The skills inventory that results is an invaluable tool for making strategic decisions on talent management, training and hiring practices.

New skills don’t only come from new hires, though. It’s essential to provide employees with opportunities to learn new things, including skills that might not be immediately relevant to their role. Soft and transferable skills empower employees and improve their experience at work while giving them greater flexibility in their career. It’s also important to encourage employees who want to learn hard skills that go beyond their role, as long as you can provide opportunities for them to apply those skills.

A skills-based workplace can’t function without flexibility, and that includes the flexibility to put new talents to the test without leaving the company. Make internal mobility a priority by creating an internal talent marketplace and publicising all new roles internally. Then even before employees choose to learn new skills, they know how those skills could be applied within the organisation. Browsing roles on offer can also inspire people to consider new directions that might be a better fit than their current role due to skills required, hours worked or location.

Changing roles is one option, but many employees are looking for more variety in their work without having to sign a new contract. Increase employee engagement and motivation by enabling job roles to expand and contract flexibly, depending on an employee’s ambitions, needs or limitations. This also means you’re much less likely to face a skills shortage when any one person falls sick or quits. At the same time, you’ll improve your retention rates by making sure employees feel confident discussing their job options with their own manager before turning to an external recruiter.