Skill Based Internal Mobility Playbook 1725029654

Skills-Based
Internal Mobility
Playbook
Skills-Based Internal Mobility Playbook
Skills are five times more

predictive of a person’s
future performance than
their education. 1
Many organizations think they are The MPI Internal Mobility Working Group
implementing skills-based practices members, made up of VP and C-suite HR
but haven’t built the shared language, leaders in major corporations, developed
culture, structures and technology this Playbook to share their learnings,
systems needed to support it. Amid the challenges and lived experiences
current war for talent, and with a mind implementing this comprehensive
towards the rapidly shifting future of change management process. There is
work, skills-based mobility can make extensive research on topics we address
companies more attractive and nimbler. in this Playbook, which we include in
our resources for further learning, but
The Business Roundtable Multiple our focus is more practical. Our hope
Pathways Initiative (MPI) seeks to is that this Playbook can highlight key
reform companies’ hiring and talent considerations and prompt discussion
management practices to address and action within companies, recognizing
inequities by emphasizing the value of that each company’s journey with
skills acquired through many means, skills-based approaches is unique and
rather than just formal degrees. this is just a starting point.
01
What is skills-based internal mobility? direction of the movement. Adopting skills-

based internal mobility practices will likely
Education (degrees), formal training (credentials) invite other reflections about compensation,
and past jobs (experience) have widely been used external hiring and overall talent strategy, and
as proxies for an individual’s capability in the we encourage companies to be mindful of how
workplace. Skills-based practices focus on the this approach can expand and build within an
specific skills that an individual has, regardless organization. It is important to note that large-
of how those skills are acquired. A focus on scale implementation of skills-based approaches
skills-based practices also requires a shift away is relatively new, and that many companies are
from “cultural fit,” a practice that has historically still early in this process.
benefitted those with privileged identities and
experiences who can more easily assimilate to
corporate cultures. Why skills-based mobility?
This Playbook focuses specifically on skills- Skills-based mobility is essential for

based internal mobility within a company. This supporting business strategy and addressing
can be movement in any direction (upward, talent gaps while ensuring everyone has an
downward, lateral) and is defined more by the equitable opportunity to thrive in their career.
opportunity and recognition of skills than the
The language of skills crosses all learning.

– Multiple Pathways Initiative Working Group Member
02
A win for companies shifts alongside it, focusing on skills provides

a more consistent assessment framework.
The war for talent is as real as it has ever been. By focusing on the skill sets needed for a given
In 2021, job openings hit a record high for at least role and ways to validate those skills, companies
five months in a row, and every region in the have a fast track to a ready pool of internal
country noted extensive labor shortages.2 talent that already knows their business well.
One of the biggest driving factors for an employee
Most importantly, skills-based mobility
in deciding to stay with their employer is the
can address prominent challenges for many
ability to see and access a clear career path.3
different corporate functions:
Companies leading the field in skills-based
approaches cite the business benefits
• C -Suite: As more companies make
commitments around equity, diversity
of skills-based internal mobility, such as: and inclusion for their employees,
skills-based mobility can provide a pathway
• Increased retention and reduced hiring, for actualization of that purpose.
onboarding and training costs
• Increased innovation and business agility • Business

unit leaders: The process of skill
due to retention of company knowledge validation helps businesses understand and
frequently re-assess what skills are needed
• Increased employee engagement for the business to succeed today and into
and satisfaction the future and to build those skills internally
as they are needed.
• Increased predictability of
employee performance • HR:
Skills-based mobility creates
opportunities for employees to grow and
• A lignment between talent strategy develop and for the business to access and
and business strategy
build the skills that are needed for business
• A nticipating skills gaps and business success.
needs in a rapidly changing context
• R ecruiting: Clear career paths and mobility
opportunities are a prominent consideration
Skills-based mobility is an important approach for
for jobseekers, and in tight labor markets,
retaining and growing existing talent.4 Turnover is
skills-based mobility can be a differentiator.
expensive, and not just due to the cost of hiring a
replacement. Retaining and growing talent means
• L earning and development: Having a clear
that the company is retaining knowledge of its understanding of requisite and current skills
systems and processes and familiarity with the allows L&D teams to cater their programming,
customer base and products. benefits and education to the needs of the
business and its employees. (See Chapter 3)
Skills-based mobility can also provide a more
readily available and capable talent pool as • T echnology/IT: Skills-based approaches
business needs adapt to a rapidly shifting world. offer an organizing framework to allow the
As technology advances and the nature of work identification, development and tracking of
03
skills that advance the business. at 30 percent higher rates than women during
(See Chapter 5) early career stages, and entry-level women are
significantly more likely than men to have spent
• S upervisors: Skill validation provides five or more years in the same role.7
supervisors with a clear structure for
assessing their team’s skills and activating Corporate HR systems have historically prioritized
their full potential. Additionally, growth education credentials as the primary signal of
opportunities such as gigs may help skills acquired, but that comes at the detriment
supervisors attract and retain talent on their of those who face barriers to formal education.
teams. (See Chapter 2) Moving into a skills-based approach is a big
win for individuals unable to secure more
conventional credentials like college degrees
A win for employees
because it honors the experience they already
Though inequity of opportunity existed long have. This shift advances equity by increasing
before the pandemic, the last two years have the transparency of the mobility process, taking
shed light on the barriers to mobility faced by a more expansive view of skills and expertise
many in the workplace, particularly historically and reducing the potential for implicit bias in
marginalized communities. bias in promotions. Everyone deserves a family-
sustaining wage and career opportunities, and
In addition to business benefits, skills-based skills-based mobility is one way for employers to
mobility is good for employees, especially support that.
lower-wage workers who historically have not
had many mobility opportunities. The state of Contents and guidance for using
income inequality in the United States is already this Playbook
astounding, and the COVID-19 pandemic has
While there are many additional resources that
only deepened the chasm. We also know that
expand on what we discuss here (referenced
barriers and bias in education systems from K-12
in the Appendix B), our goal is to highlight
through postsecondary inhibit and discourage
practical insights for companies interested
formal credential attainment for historically
in implementing skills-based practices. This
marginalized groups.5
Playbook walks through the process of adopting
While education and policy changes can help skills-based internal mobility strategies,
address these challenges, employers themselves highlighting the learnings and experiences of HR
have an important role to play in supporting leaders in the Multiple Pathways Initiative.
equitable economic mobility. Currently, mobility
opportunities within companies are not
accessible to all. One study at a national retailer
showed that white employees were 2.4 times
more likely to be promoted within a given year
than Latinx employees and 4.7 times more likely
than Black employees.6 Another study found
that, in the United States, men are promoted
04
Skills-Based Internal
Mobility Playbook
Chapter 1 covers the initial steps of planning, Chapter 4 highlights insights on measurement
strategy and stakeholder engagement. This will and learning for skills-based approaches,
be relevant for HR and business leaders. incorporating the metrics framework developed
by the Business Roundtable MPI Metrics Working
Chapter 2 discusses the process and Group. This is most relevant to HR leaders and IT,
considerations for skills validation or ways of as well as business and C-suite leaders interested
assessing and confirming existing skills. in metrics.
This is relevant for HR leaders, IT, supervisors,
and learning and development teams. Chapter 5 discusses opportunities and
challenges related to technology and systems
Chapter 3 outlines the considerations for that can enable the adoption of skills-based
connecting people with opportunities (e.g., internal mobility. This is most relevant to HR and
gigs, jobs, formal learning opportunities, career IT leaders.
pathways). This is great content for HR leaders,
learning and development, supervisors,
recruiting and IT.
Michigan State University, Hunter, John E. & Ronda F. Hunter, “Validity and Utility of Alternative Predictors of Job Performance.”
i
2
“U.S. job openings hit record high as employers struggle to find workers”, Reuters, 8 Sept. 2021, https://www.reuters.com/business/us-job-openings-rise-record-109-million-july-2021-09-08/.
3
“Advancing Frontline Employees of Color,” FSG.
4
A recent study showed that 34 percent of HR leaders report using a skills-based hiring strategy that focuses more on competency in hiring rather than over-relying on college degrees, and an additional 42 percent of
respondents say that their organization is exploring and considering these approaches. Their top motivations for using skills-based approaches include more rigorous and better hiring outcomes (66 percent) and diversity,
equity, and inclusion (62 percent). Source: Wellspring Initiative.
5
Degree Attainment for Black Adults: National and State Trends; The Education Trust.
6
“Racial Bias in the Manager-Employee Relationship: An Analysis of Quits, Dismissals, and Promotions at a Large Retail Firm,” Institute for Research in Labor and Employment (IRLE) Working Paper #178-09, March 2009.
7
Time for a new gender-equality playbook, McKinsey Quarterly, McKinsey & Company, February 2017.
05
Chapter 1
Planning,
strategy and
stakeholder
engagement
Chapter 1 Planning, strategy and
stakeholder engagement
• H ow would skills-based mobility fit into our
company’s culture? For things that don’t feel
like a fit, what aspects of our operations, roles
or culture are getting in the way?
For employers eager to adopt skills-based
mobility practices, the journey begins with •W
hat is our appetite for this kind of change? If
it’s low, where/how should we develop a pilot
candid reflection, clear boundaries of what
to build the proof of concept?
the company want to achieve and engaging
stakeholders at all levels to bring them along •W
ho are the major stakeholders impacted by
in the process. Many companies begin this change, and how will we engage them?
adopting skills-based practices through
•W
hat resistance do we expect from different
a clearly defined pilot to build alignment and stakeholder groups? How does skills-based
buy-in and create a test case for scale. mobility fit into their priority list today and
into the future?
In order to begin implementing skills-based
strategies, organizations must first get aligned •W
hat resources will be needed to support
this work, and how can we make space in our
internally on their definition of skills and
budgets?
understand how skills-based approaches
support both talent and business strategies. • H ow does skills-based mobility fit into other
The early steps of planning and strategizing core HR processes and systems such as
require a clear definition of skills and alignment job classification, recruiting, performance
management, etc.?
internally on what mindset, process and system
shifts are needed to support business success
Before jumping to solutions, it’s important to sit
and career mobility. Keep in mind that this is, with the potential discomfort from this reflection
at its core, a change management process that process. Understanding the challenges deeply
takes time, consistent communication and and reflecting on their root causes, drivers and
strong cross-stakeholder engagement. potential barriers brings an important clarity
to what the problem is and how skills-based
mobility may address it.
Initial reflection
Every company is unique, and there is an entry Identify the business opportunity and
point to skills-based mobility for everyone. In desired outcomes
considering feasibility and how to get started,
reflect on the following: After this initial reflection, companies can discuss
which issues could be addressed through skills-
•W
hat is the risk to our business and our based mobility. What are the business and talent
employees if we do not adopt skills-based
imperatives that skill-based approaches can help
approaches?
07
Chapter 1: Planning, strategy and stakeholder engagement
the organization meet? The challenges often fall level/tenure) to highlight gaps, with particular
into one of the following categories: attention on how diverse representation may
vary across levels. Supplement this data with
Business Growth Imperative: Finding the right
employee feedback and stories to ground the
skills sets for today and the future
data in the real, human experiences and highlight
• H igh internal mobility can fuel innovation, the broad array of systemic and individual
expand internal networks, improve motivation factors driving one’s experience. For example, an
and productivity, and break natural silos education requirement may be keeping entry-
across the company. level staff from advancing to managerial roles
when that position doesn’t necessarily require a
• H igh competition for talent requires very bachelor’s degree. The bottom line is that no one
attractive value proposition. data point is sufficient, as skills-based strategies
require multiple data sources to tell the story.
• L imited talent pools with either
traditional qualifications or unrecognized,
transferable skills.
Step 2
Talent Growth Imperative: Attracting and
retaining diverse top performers in a hyper Engaging stakeholders across the organization
competitive marketplace in this early stage of defining the problem
and setting strategy will help companies
• H igh turnover in entry-level roles. uncover underlying root causes and potential
challenges to navigate. Making leadership and
•M id-level roles left unfilled for long periods managers aware of data-supported disparities
of time.
in performance management, advancement,
• L ow rates of advancement, especially compensation and hiring can open the door
for women, BIPOC and other historically for skills-based approaches. It is important to
marginalized groups. recognize that stakeholders will be at different
levels of knowledge and experience, and true
• L ow rates of employee satisfaction and/or transformation requires consistent engagement.
performance for new hires. Having a core set of data and messages that c
an be adapted to the audience can help target
the right people with the right message at the
Step 1
right time.
Analyzing hiring and employee data with a
cross-functional group builds the organization’s Once the set of challenges is defined, review
understanding of the current state of business the list with key business partners, including HR
challenges and opportunities. Gather data on professionals and managers, in order to:
turnover, retention and advancement, and
1. U
nderstand which of these challenges are
disaggregate by demographic factors (e.g.,
most present today and what is driving them.
age, gender, race/ethnicity, education level) and
business factors (e.g., business unit, geography, 2. C
larify the link between talent challenges and
08
broader business challenges, or how skills-

based strategies can support the business
• S pecificity as to which roles, skills and/or
employees the organization is trying to target
vision and strategy (e.g., innovation, agility). through skills-based mobility.
3. Discuss hypotheses for future talent and skills • A sense of how expected changes in roles,
needs. technology and requisite skills will need to be
adapted for over time.
Example • C onnection between the talent challenge and

the business opportunity.
Vistra began conducting listening sessions
with their employees in the summer of
Example opportunity statements:
2020 to understand their perspectives.
These sessions had different focus areas, • T wo critical parts of the company are not
such as women in the workplace, the working together to seamlessly serve
Asian-American experience and working customers. Mobility across those groups
parents. Through these sessions, the will create empathy, encourage sharing of
company’s leadership consistently heard knowledge and practices, and generate new
that employees felt like they were unable ideas for improving the work.
to apply for jobs internally. This realization
led to the initial step of reviewing more
• E xit interviews in vital “feeder” roles
highlight a lack of understanding about
than 900 job descriptions to remove
career paths and next steps as a primary
education requirements wherever legally
driver for attrition of promising talent.
possible. Skills-based approaches helped
the organization realize the barriers in their
Define the scope of the strategy
hiring norms and processes so they could
be eliminated. Once the challenge is identified, next comes
defining the solution. What will the company
take on, who is involved, and what should be
Step 3 considered for implementation?
Companies approach pilots in different ways.

Next, compile reflections from these sensemaking One approach is to focus on one skillset that’s
sessions into a clear opportunity statement. relevant to multiple business units or functional
This statement should connect the talent areas to demonstrate the universal nature of
challenge that will be addressed by skills-based skills development and build a broader base
mobility with the broader business goals. This of leadership support. Digital and analytics
opportunity statement will capture the high-level skills is one example of a skillset that generally
goals of skills-based mobility and can act as the cuts across multiple areas in a company. Other
anchor for other components of the strategy. companies have found a contained pilot to
be advantageous. By starting in a specific
This statement should include the following:
business unit, plant or store location, they have
a manageable and clear set of stakeholders
09
to engage, and can use that pilot to build their purchased over time and what capacity
fluency, test systems and processes, and build the is needed to set those systems up. In the
company’s understanding of how this could work scaling process, ensure that the technology
for them. is assessed for potential bias and speak with
tech providers about their bias mitigation
Engage key stakeholders to understand and
efforts. (See the technology chapter for
prioritize the pilot opportunities, considering both
more detail.)
the potential benefits and the complexity of
what the pilot is trying to do or, in other words, • S hifting mental models: Transitioning the
the likelihood of success. For a company that organization to more skills-based approaches
is new to skills-based hiring and advancement, requires the individuals that make up the
picking something that can fairly easily be organization to see and understand skills
accomplished can help make the case for differently. Though there will be clear
further integration of skills-based approaches. education and communication points
However, it’s important to pick something that is throughout the change management strategy,
aspirational, visible and is challenging enough be mindful of what kinds of messages and
to shift people’s mindsets about talent and skills. cadence of communication is needed to shift
mindsets over time.
Though the pilot is an important first step,
building a road map towards scaling will help • Resourcing:
Adopting skills-based mobility
ensure that the effort grows beyond the pilot. practices will require staff time (e.g., HR,
The road map should outline: L&D, IT functions) and likely investments in
systems to manage and validate skills, as
• Scope and intention of pilot: Where and well as other technologies. This is part of the
how will it happen, what questions will the
pilot help us answer and what will we need reason leadership engagement is important
to continue learning about? —building buy-in is critical to getting budget
allocations. Tracking both the cost of
• A ssessment checkpoints: During and implementation and the business impact
beyond the pilot, build in pause points to or cost savings, will help the organization
reflect, ask questions and get input from understand ROI as well as resourcing needs.
stakeholders (especially frontline employees,
supervisors and business leadership).
(See Measurement and Learning chapter for Engaging key stakeholders
more detail.)
Connecting with stakeholders throughout the
• C onnection to technology strategy: There organization early and often is essential to
are important technological elements that success. Each stakeholder group has its own
support skills-based mobility, and many interests in and impacts from the potential pilot,
companies get started without all of the and building buy-in at multiple levels is critical.
systems they will need to support their Here we offer initial considerations for how to
journey. Be clear internally about how the engage each stakeholder group, but it’s important
pilot will start with existing systems and to remember that engagement should be ongoing
technologies, what needs to be built or to support the change management process.
10
Stakeholder: Business leadership Stakeholder: HR functions
Why they are important

Why they are important: HR professionals are
Senior VPs and C-suite level leaders across the essential in the implementation and maintenance
business function as champions of skills-based of skills-based approaches, including hiring
mobility, signaling the importance to the rest of managers, recruiters and those in charge of
the organization. That these leaders understand professional development or skilling. They create
both the opportunities of skills-based mobility the processes and structures, set hiring strategy
and the work it takes to implement is critical and lead implementation.
in creating the desire and flexibility to pilot
something new. How to engage
One of the first shifts for many companies
How to engage adopting skills-based approaches is changing job
First, engage business (non-HR) leadership in descriptions, often to remove formal education
the process of analyzing and making sense of requirements such as a bachelor’s degree.
data analysis and employee feedback. This helps Engaging HR professionals in this process
deepen their understanding of how skills-based involves looking at job descriptions and mapping
approaches can address business challenges out key skills and levels of competency, which
and build buy-in so leaders can act as champions leads to a powerful realization that skills
for the work. can be acquired through many paths.
Next, including leadership in the skills mapping HR functions play a crucial role from
process can help build their understanding of early planning stages throughout
the broad array of ways in which skills can be implementation, supporting the change
developed and utilized. The mental model of management effort with trainings,
“formal education = skills” is one that needs to communications and supportive processes.
be reoriented as companies adopt skills-based
approaches. Formal education is one way of
attaining skills, but lived and work experiences
can impart those same skills. By directly
participating in matching skills to roles and
validating the mechanisms for confirming
those skills, leadership begins to see
skills-based strategies in action.
11
Stakeholder: Managers and supervisors different strategies may be needed to bring

different managers along. Meeting people
Why they are important where they are creates room for understanding
From the early stages of problem definition and growth.
through implementation, mid-level managers
There are many ways in which senior leadership
are both one of the most critical stakeholders
can reduce perceived risk for managers:
to engage and one of the most difficult.
People in these roles often have a lot on their • Remove roadblocks: Explicitly stating that
shoulders and are focused on meeting the managers will not be penalized for hiring
goals set for them and keeping the business someone internally and training them
running, so adding something to their plate up helps reduce the perceived risk of skills-
could feel overwhelming or misaligned if not based mobility.
done intentionally.
• Provide timely training: For recruitment-
related trainings, especially with topics
How to engage
like implicit bias, syncing up training with
First, it is important to build managers’ recruitment cycles provides just-in-time
understanding of and buy-in for skills-based education and reduces the risk of that
approaches. Prove the business case for skills by: knowledge dissipating before it can be applied.
1. Using information from the problem • Tie it to performance: Adding skills like
statement exercise to connect directly with “inclusive leadership” or “DEI” to performance
manager mindsets. reviews helps formalize this priority on par
2. Articulating how skills-based approaches with other business priorities. Be clear about
directly address many workforce challenges what the job objective is and what it looks like
that managers face. in practice.
3. Grounding the shift to skills-based approaches • Recognition: Find ways to highlight and
in the external context of the labor market and celebrate leaders who are using skills-based
demographic changes. practices and tie it to the business aspect of
their job rather than a social benefit or
In addition to the business considerations, “nice-to-have.”
there are also essential mindset shifts that must
happen. As the people responsible for supporting • Support learning: Connect managers who
people transitioning into new roles and receiving are doing skills-based mobility well with those
folks who were promoted or moved laterally who aren’t.
within a company, managers must endorse the
validity of skills-based approaches for employees
to have a positive mobility experience.
Every manager may be at a different point in

their journey with skills-based approaches, and
12
Stakeholder: Employees
Why they are important
In the process of adopting skills-based strategies,

employees are both the recipient of the change
and an actor in the change process. Centering
the needs and preferences of employees in the
design process yields a more successful result,
while transparent and targeted communications
ensure that they are adequately informed
and empowered.
How to engage
In the early stage of pilot development, touchpoints

with employees should focus on getting their
input to define the problem and understand the
challenges they face. Surveys, focus groups, and
town hall sessions can be used to gather input from
employees, especially frontline employees and
their managers, in the early stages of defining the
problem and outlining a potential solution. There
are two key purposes here: solicit input on what is
not working and how to fix it and communicate the
company’s dedication and intention in moving to
skills-based approaches. The former is important
to ensure a holistic and validated problem
definition at the start, and the latter helps build
buy-in and understanding.
As the company implements skills-based strategies,

ensuring frequent touchpoints and transparency
provides real-time information to make adjustments
as needed. Employees themselves can also be
effective champions of skills-based strategy, so
ensuring that early pilot participants have a positive
experience can smooth the path for scaling later.
13
Examples
As Vistra implemented skills-based hiring strategies, its Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) met with each
hiring manager for “hiring conferences” before offers were made. In these conferences, the CDO
and manager would review the candidate pool and job description and understand why the leading
candidate is the best fit for the role. Rather than pushing hiring managers to pick internal candidates,
building in this pause helped shift mindsets to think about skills more inclusively. The company
supported this with an internal policy that hiring managers would have to interview and provide
feedback to, but not necessarily hire, every internal candidate whose skill levels matched or exceeded
the job description.
In beginning their skills-based program, one working group company used a multi-faceted approach
to build understanding and buy-in with employees. First, top HR leaders held dozens of in-person
sessions with employees to understand how they thought about their career paths and the future of
work. Once the pilot was ready to launch, the team held 35 town hall events to promote the program
and had a physical registration booth on-site the next day to make follow-through easier. One of the
most influential parts of those town halls was a brief, 2-minute video that included employee voices
on how they experienced the challenges for which this pilot was solving.
Recruiting and HR data management Having a clear sense of the company’s data
foundation from the early stages will help surface
As companies are in the early stages of planning challenges or gaps that can be solved for and
their skills-based strategy, it is essential to addressed over time. Engaging IT early on will
assess how recruitment and employee data ensure the pilot is grounded in what is feasible
platforms function today—their capabilities, and helps build the trust and foundation for
their interoperability and who has access to what will be a continued partnership throughout
what information. For many companies, their implementation and scaling. As a leader from
recruiting system and employee data system are KeyBank shared: “Our work really depended on
separate entities and information collected in the deep partnership with our tech folks. It doesn’t
hiring process doesn’t always make it into the happen overnight; you have to figure out what
employee’s record. Shifting these data systems you do in the short term to get what you need,
can take time, but these challenges shouldn’t then plan long term for how to get where you
prohibit companies from getting started. want to go.”
14
Chapter 2
Skills
validation
Chapter 2 Skills
validation
It is important to be able to identify skills and develop systems to validate and track them for the
company to stay competitive and agile. Skills validation is the process of cataloging, measuring and
qualifying of skills acquired, in terms of credibility and substantiation to support employee mobility
and maximize business benefits. This process is covered at a high level in this chapter but can take
months or years to complete and should be updated regularly. (See Appendix B for further learning
on skills taxonomies, validation and more.)
The framework below can be adapted and simplified as needed at various points in a company’s
journey or used as a planning tool for future skills-based work. American Institute for Research has
identified a framework for skills validation including the following steps:
Exhibit 1. Skill validation characteristics
Skill identification Skill measurement System integration Benefits and outcomes

and tracking
• Identify
and define skills • Multiple methods of • Outcomes and results
needed for successful job or
task performance
skill acquisition are available
to employees
• Systems, tools and processes are measured at both
the individual and the
are easy to use for employees
and supervisors organizational levels
• A lign to industry standards •M
ultiple measurement
and taxonomies methods that differentiate
• Validated skills can be tracked • Data are used to demonstrate
proficiency levels are across the entire organization that the system is working or
• Clearly
define skill employed and integrated into workforce to help make improvements
proficiency levels
planning
•M
easurement is efficient • System allows for continual
• Define
skill profiles across and integrated into daily
• Tools to track progress evolution as industries shift,
career or job levels so work schedules skill requirements change or
and job growth are
that a progression is clear jobs are added
available for use by
to employees and • V alidation tools are employees, supervisors
the organization checked for disparate impact
and the organization • Return on investment is
and treatment defined and measured
• V alidation is well timed • alidation is integrated

V
with all HR and training
This framework is the guiding structure for this chapter—please note that discussion of benefits and
outcomes can be found in the “Measurement and Continuous Learning” chapter.
16
Chapter 2: Skills Validation
Skills identification understood and transferable, which is helpful for

both employer and employee. A recent survey
The 70-20-10 rule states that 70 percent of of HR leaders showed that 75 percent reported
learning and development occurs on the job, 20 using some type of technology system or bank
percent through developmental relationships and of competencies and roles when creating job
10 percent through formal channels like degrees, descriptions, and about half the time, these are
coursework and training. There is an immense integrated with external systems.11
opportunity to better capture skills acquired
through job experiences and developmental The skills identification process involves taking
relationships and to use that information to an inventory of skills that are required within
support advancement opportunities. roles and defining the company’s perspective
on competency and skills acquisition. Many
The first step in this process is to identify and companies then use that information to develop
define existing and required skills for roles across skill profiles and progression paths that facilitate
the organization. This is where a skills audit internal mobility for employees and help them
and skills gap analysis process might help. For prioritize which skills to develop.12
companies new to skills-based strategies, this may
be a longer process as the baseline is established It is vital to position skills with respect to the
but can be made easier by focusing on roles organization at large and the industry more
or skillsets in a contained pilot. Recent studies broadly. As they are defined internally, skills
indicate that skill/competency frameworks are and competency levels should be understood
refreshed about once every 18 months by employees, managers and leadership and
on average.8 ideally have relevance outside of the company
(e.g., peers in the industry would recognize it).
Skills taxonomy is a system for classifying skills Revisiting skills regularly, such as once a year, will
within an organization. It contains the skills or help ensure the company is staying up to date as
“skills clusters” that are important to role function automation and other factors shift the future of
and business goals.9 ESCO and O*NET are two work. Monitoring the changes in the workplace
examples of open-source skills taxonomies, and current skills gaps in the company can help
containing thousands of skills.10 HR leaders understand opportunities to reskill
and upskill the workforce.
Skills taxonomies can vary based on industry and
even among business units within a company To summarize, the process for skill identification
depending on their function, which may require is as follows:
specialized processes. The process of maintaining
and updating taxonomies can be tedious and 1. T
ake an inventory of current skills and those
slow, leveraging technology and machine learning needed to support business success across
can keep this process dynamic. Though internal roles, with representative input from a cross-
alignment is essential, external alignment with section of employees.
industry standards or open-source taxonomies
2. Align on skill definitions and competency
can help ensure that the skills are broadly
levels within them, using industry standards
17
where relevant and coordinating with existing First, the team mapped learning content to roles,
performance assessment processes. articulating badges at the role level (e.g., Apparel
Associate, Cake Decorating Associate) with
a. Some companies go a step further to
attached skills and skill descriptions. From there,
articulate how important a skill is to the
the workforce could engage in learning content
business—is it nice to have, important
related specific to a role and its required skills.
or business critical?
Upon completion of those learning modules their
3. Establish skill profiles and progression team lead would receive a validation checklist to
paths to illustrate options for lateral and confirm if they have seen those skills in practice,
upward mobility. and if so, the badge for that associate would be
approved and tracked in the learning platform.
Lastly, it is important to incorporate incumbent Some key learnings from this process include:
employee voices in the skills identification process
because the employees doing those jobs will be • C apturing past experience: Walmart
decided to grandfather badges for associates
the best at articulating the required skills. Inputs
with a certain tenure, implying that a track
from managers and other business leaders who
record of success in that role is indicative of
previously held those roles are also helpful, but
having those skills. However, the related skills
soliciting an up-to-date perspective from a current
for that role are not attached to the employee
employee is key. There may be nuances in the
until they are validated through the standard
skills required on-the-job that could be missed
learning and assessment channels.
by those who are not intimately familiar with the
role. This transparency and two-way feedback • D ifferentiating for competency levels: After
also help to build trust and buy-in. beginning to implement they realized that
a one-size-fits-all badge was not sufficient,
they needed to articulate levels. The first
Example level, knowledge, indicates that someone has
done the learning through the Academy. The
Walmart created a badging process to
next level, experience, captures when those
support skills validation across their
learnings have been validated on the job and
organization, starting with a focus on
confirmed by a supervisor. The last level,
associates in frontline roles. Their initial
expert, indicates the highest competence,
problem statement was that the organization
someone who is seen as the go-to resource
was unable to capitalize on existing skills
for that role. The exact competency levels are
in their workforce because they did not
still being ironed out, and the team is mindful
have visibility, and their workforce did
of how to ensure objectivity in this process.
not have visibility on what skills were
required for different roles. The badging • S trengthening governance: In such a
solution integrated their learning platform, large organization, it became clear that a
the Academy (with mobile and in-person governance process for how decisions would
components), with skills validation and be made needs to be developed. This will
data management. help to bring credibility and clarity to the
18
badging process and ensured consistency

in implementation. The group expects to
• P erformance record in roles where specific
skills for success are validated.
have a badge intake process through which
business leaders can submit a badge idea— • A n independent third-party assessment.
this idea is considered by a governance group
to understand how widespread the use case • C ertifications or credentials from well-
recognized institutions in a specific industry
would be (e.g, global vs. segment-specific),
or role type, such as SHRM for HR roles.
assess if the badge is new or duplicative of
existing badges, what skills would be related, It is important to recognize that any assessment
if there is existing learning content and if they process that depends on human input, such
will proceed with establishing that badge. as self and peer assessments, is inherently
subjective. This is a challenge in the skills-based
movement but has not prohibited companies
Skills measurement
from making progress. Self-assessments are most
Skills are acquired in three main ways: effective when the employee understands the
experience, training and education. The latter purpose of the assessment, such as supporting
two can be easier to measure, since their an initial inventory, and they have trust with
presence or absence on an employee record is a both their manager and employer. Objectivity
signal for skills acquired through a given training of such assessments can be improved by asking
program or education credential. However, employees to give evidence to support their
some companies have found it difficult to track decision, like describing when and how they
education credentials for current employers demonstrated a specific skill.13 Peer or manager
across systems and have had to engage assessments can be influenced by implicit bias,
employees in data collection by asking them as with any other manager-led assessment. The
to enter education credentials into the combination of self- and colleague/manager-led
appropriate system. assessment helps to mitigate these challenges.
Skills earned through experience require For data entry and these various assessments,
additional work to measure and validate, but employees may need support and
many companies and supportive technologies encouragement to put in the effort. Companies
have found effective ways to do it. Whatever have found that establishing champions at critical
path is chosen, it’s important to consult in-house points in the organization, such as managers of
counsel to ensure the process adheres to large teams or leaders of ERGs, can encourage
current laws. Skills measurement is executed in participation. With this, it’s important to
a few ways, including: communicate why the data is important and how
it can help employees develop in their careers.
• S elf-assessments for soft or hard-to- The approach to skills measurement may vary
measure skills such as time management,
across organizations or even within them.
communication, leadership, etc.
What is particularly important is that
• P eer assessments from other employees employees themselves understand the skills
or managers. taxonomy, competency levels, assessment
19
processes, and how that relates to their path potential remains an opaque process in
and progression. most organizations, and this lack of
transparency makes mobility for employees
even more difficult.
Systems integration and tracking
In order to create a cohesive and functional skill Example

system, methods for recording and tracking skills Western Union is in the early stages of
are required to create efficiency and continuity. implementing a skills-based approach across
Establishing a functional skill validation strategy the company. Some of the key components
early in the adoption of skills-based practices of that process include:
facilitates the scaling of these processes over
time, and technology-enabled solutions such as • S kills identification: Employees are
AI and algorithms play a key role. invited annually to voluntarily update
their skills and career interests using the
To address issues of transferability and Workday platform. The company also
interoperability of skills, transferable digital enables employees to review their skills
skills records or learning and employment and include any that are considered
records (LERs14) are portable and recognizable critical to the company. This is positioned
records for employees to take from job to job, as one way employees can take
with a common language and understanding of ownership of their careers.
definitions. More organizations are becoming
familiar with LERs and incorporating digital • S kills validation: To increase the value
records as they design internal processes. of skills, the company is also piloting
Companies should digitize their skills information skills validation driven by machine
as early as possible in their skills-based journey learning. This process uses information
to facilitate expansion down the road. from employees’ talent profiles to
validate the source of their skills and will
Given the complexity of collecting information continue to be validated as
and designing processes, technology is an they participate in available development
essential tool to scale skills-based internal and learning opportunities.
mobility. Badging is a popular method of tracking
validated skills through an accessible and • P ersonalized recommendations:
transferrable technology platform. Additionally, The company is piloting Workday’s
other tools like virtual reality and machine Career Hub portal to match employees
learning can help facilitate scaling the validation to relevant connections, mentors,
process for large employers. learning and opportunities. It will also
enable employees to participate in gigs
Considering the reliance on technology in the that support both business outcomes
skills matching process, some companies are and employee development.
concerned about losing the opportunity to gauge
employee potential. The assessment of employee
20
Challenges
Challenge Potential solutions
Data volume Technology is an essential part of skills-

Capturing, storing and maintaining based mobility, enabling scale and data
a skill database for all employees management. However, companies can
requires a significant amount of data find a way to begin with the systems
and systems capacity they have, such as integrating skills into
employee records.
Gathering data points from multiple

Validity of skill measurement
perspectives and seeking examples to
Self-assessment, peer assessment and
back up the statements in the assessment
manager assessment of skills are subject
can bring more validity to the process.
to bias and may be imperfect
Bringing together multiple data points with
qualitative inputs such as focus groups or
storytelling can help illuminate the bigger
picture and mitigate potential bias. There
are also emerging innovations in gamified
assessments that allow employers to
gauge skills more objectively.
8
https://www.imsglobal.org/sites/default/files/wellspring/Wellspring_II_Employer_Research.pdf.
9
https://www.td.org/atd-blog/skill-data-dictionary-part-2-taxonomies-ontologies-and-more.
10
https://www.aihr.com/blog/skills-taxonomy/.
11
https://www.imsglobal.org/sites/default/files/wellspring/Wellspring_II_Employer_Research.pdf.
12
https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/2021-07/AIR-Skill-Validation-2021-7-9.pdf.
13
https://blog.avilar.com/2018/10/17/how-to-assess-your-workforce-create-skills-inventory/.
14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_o3TKsyvkI.
21
Chapter 3
Matching people
to growth
opportunities
Chapter 3 Matching people to
growth opportunities
Once the skills are validated, the next step is to connect people to opportunities. To retain
employees, employers need to provide development opportunities and create clear onramps to those
opportunities. The culture of people development at the organization should be flexible, agile and
frame career paths in a fluid way to support skills-based mobility.
The outputs to look for in this part of the change management process include:
• A ccessible and equitable internal platform for connecting employees with growth opportunities
(e.g., gigs, jobs, career paths, other learning opportunities) with a clear link to skill development.
• R elevant and actionable career plans based on skills and career interests.
•M
entorship and training support to grow skills where needed.
23
Chapter 3: Matching people to growth opportunities
The Vision: Career agility Employers implementing skills-based mobility

find the concept of career agility to be helpful.
The key to skills-based mobility (in any direction) An agile career is a self-reflective career path,
is to create multiple opportunities within a career guided by business needs and designed to
track for growth and advancement. Contrary optimize an employee’s growth and mobility.
to the notion that career trajectories are a Identifying the particular group of skills that
linear, one-track path, thinking of mobility in an are relevant to an organization’s growth
expansive way provides more opportunities for and competitiveness and matching them to
individuals to find fulfilling careers based an employee’s career path goals create
on both existing skills and their personal interests. a perfect meeting space for agile careers
Additionally, the rapidly shifting nature of within enterprise strategy.
work and technological advances require a
nimbleness to adapt, supporting this philosophy
of career agility.
Source: Marti Konstant, https://www.martikonstant.com/blog/what-is-an-agile-career/.
24
Given the nature of skills-based mobility and new avenues of career growth and exploration to
the intentionality it creates for the employee to employees while addressing morale,
be in the driver’s seat, both agile careers and flexibility and efficiency, engagement, and
skills-based mobility create a foundational path rewards for managers.15
to upward mobility. This is essentially a “jungle
gym” approach to career trajectory, creating How gigs support equitable economic mobility,
different levels of momentum and movement with data from Workday:
for an individual based on their goals. This can
manifest in many ways within an organization and •W
hen we looked at different demographic
groups, we found that our Asian, Black and
create paths for advancement. Leaders helping
women employees were more likely to show
employees chart career paths must be deliberate
interest in a gig.
and intentional what skills are needed for their
career progressions. Examples include thoughtful • 8 7 percent hosts of gigs expressed the
considerations around employees’ interests, gig worker introduced new perspectives to
past life and work experiences, and potential for their team.
future growth.
Through opportunity marketplaces within an
Highlighting and creating growth organization, employees can have access to gigs
opportunities and jobs and select the ones that match their
skillsets, goals and capacity. It is important that
For the company’s bottom line and for equitable these opportunities are available to the entire
economic mobility, employees must be able employee base to avoid bias and preferential
to identify and pursue growth opportunities treatment and are clearly defined by required
in their careers. There must be a culture of skills and proficiency levels.
talent development supported by transparent
communications, clear pathways to The Connection: Job platform
opportunity, and mechanisms for technical
and soft skill development. Skills-based mobility requires accessible and
equitable platforms for communicating, which
can be established through including key
The Opportunity: Gigs, jobs, learning
stakeholder input in the user design process.
and mentorship
For many companies this may take the form
Based on role structure and company culture, of an internal website that is available to all
employees can seek opportunities through a new employees or a tech-enabled solution.
role, be it upward, lateral or even downward,
As one HR leader reflected: “Transparency in
or through gigs. A gig is a short-term project
opportunities is very key—employees need to
with a defined scope of work requiring specific
be able to see the full range of opportunities.
skills. Gigs can be a project where new skills
It can’t be word of mouth or through their
are acquired, leadership abilities are honed,
network, rather a central place for everyone
networking and engagement is established,
to see career paths and mobility options within
or areas of interest are explored. They provide
25
the organization so they can make decisions informally for passive internal recruitment
based on their interests and skills.” efforts. These organic methods are important
to have in addition to technology, to track and
Opportunity platforms should be: understand skills capabilities. Regardless of
the exact structure, consistent, development-
• A ccessible: Make sure any digital platform focused dialogues with employees help build
is mobile-friendly for those who don’t have
their confidence and empower them to seek
computers and translated into multiple
new opportunities.
languages if there is a multilingual workforce.
Engage the HR team and frontline employees
to ensure other accessibility concerns are
Example
addressed.
At Workday, internal mobility is currently
• C hecked for bias: Software and AI programs at 30 percent, supported by informal
are designed by people who have biases mentorship and sponsorship
of their own, and that can influence how a efforts. It expects to see this number go
program is built. As companies consider the up consistently. Additionally, its annual
platforms and technology that can support performance review process focuses on
skills-based mobility, make sure there are empowering the employee by framing their
testing periods and check points to surface goals and aspirations with curiosity, rather
any embedded biases. Efforts like the than a conventional performance-based view.
Data and Trust Alliance aim to mitigate bias
over time.
The Supports: Mentorship and training
• T ested with employees: Any technology
solutions should be selected or designed with Having awareness of and access to job
the user experience and/or input in mind. opportunities does not itself guarantee an
If the goal is broad adoption, seek feedback employee a job. An important part of connecting
from the employees who will be engaging people to opportunities is having a support
with the technology and include their network to help them build their skills and
perspectives, needs and habits in the advance their career goals. Employees may need
decision-making process. training, guidance or mentoring to achieve their
goals and career trajectories. Frontline managers
• C ompatible with company systems and and hiring managers who are positioned as talent
strategy: The platform should be relevant and cultivators can provide support to develop and
accessible across the business, interoperable advance employees into new opportunities, as
with other company technology systems, and well as create space for them to grow beyond
aligned to the chosen skills taxonomy. their job descriptions.
Informal channels can help highlight growth Mentorship or networking support: Though
opportunities and create visibility for employees. skills-based strategies help level the playing
Talent acquisition teams and frontline managers field and mitigate some of the inequities of
are at the forefront of driving this conversation relationship-driven advancement, there is a
26
recognition that mentorship and networking are The best way to support historically marginalized
still valuable. Creating more structure for and individuals is to effectively mentor and sponsor
access to mentorship opportunities ensures them, which is why sponsorship is a helpful
that everyone, regardless of their life experience complement to skills-based advancement.18
or exposure to professional environments, can Receiving the insights, guidance and advocacy of
benefit from the career advice and support a sponsor is pivotal in moving employees forward
of a mentor relationship. Tips for successful in career trajectories.19
mentorship programs include:
• E mpowering mentors to advocate for their Example

mentees in the face of resistance and Chevron has launched a structured
skepticism from other leaders who may not sponsorship program to foster advocacy
see their potential. relationships between leaders and
employees with the aspiration of developing
• E nabling mentors and mentees to build a leadership pipeline that better reflects the
authentic relationships by discussing their
diversity of its workforce. The organization
differences and understanding any resulting
began a pilot of its program with its finance
impacts on their perceptions, behaviors
function, as it has clearly defined career
and decisions (e.g., resulting from diverse
paths and cuts across business groups.
backgrounds and perspectives).
The organization identified employees with
• Incorporating mentorship into employee strong, sustained performance who may
resource groups (ERGs) and pairing frontline have experienced potential headwinds (e.g.,
employees with leaders that belong to the employees who were not part of established
same ERG and thus already have a shared development programs, are from remote
experience or identity can accelerate trust- work locations or who recently returned
building between mentors and mentees and from extended leave of absence) and
foster a sense of belonging. 16 matched them with senior leaders
as sponsors. The sponsors use their
Sponsorship: Sponsorship is a helpful positional power and relationships to
complement to mentorship, in which the build visibility for their sponsee and help
sponsor plays an active advocate role in their identify opportunities.
sponsored employee’s career development.
The sponsor models self-advancing behavior
and helps their sponsored employee get the Connections to learning opportunities: As
appropriate recognition and advancement companies more directly link skills to job roles,
opportunities within the organization. 17 employees need to understand what skills are
Sponsorship includes amplifying the sponsored required and have opportunities to develop those
employee’s accomplishments, nominating them skills for upward or lateral movement. Companies
for opportunities, connecting them to high- can drive a learning-first culture by providing:
status individuals and defending any negative
perceptions that might exist about them. •W
ell-advertised, accessible and curated
learning content linked to specific skills.
27
• T echnology to support matching learning

content and development opportunities to Examples
employees’ current skills. One working group company introduced
a digital literacy campaign as a first step to
• P rocesses and systems that support skills-based approaches. The culture within
direct managers in actively understanding the organization shifted from a training-
their employees’ skill gaps and based development philosophy to one based
development progress. on learning. This shifted the locus of control
to the employee and equipped them
with a curated list of essential digital skills
of the future.
Pwc shared detailed data on diversity of its

U.S. employees in 2020 to uphold the notion
of transparency leading to progress and trust
for the organization. The report had several
positive effects on internal and external
stakeholders and helped the organization
stay fixated on navigating transparency and
accountability through action.20
Challenges
It is important to mention that there are challenges in implementing this work, as with any change
management strategy. Understanding the potential barriers before they surface can help the company
prepare for them and find ways through and around to reach its goals.
Challenge Potential solution
Change management challenges: Building in accountability mechanisms such

Despite the removal of systemic barriers and as reviews with a senior HR or DEI leader or
creation of new skills-centered processes, disaggregating advancement data can help
hiring managers and frontline supervisors ensure progress continues.
may revert to traditional markers of
competency (e.g., formal education) without
consistent support.
28
Challenge Potential solution
Legal and contextual challenges:

Deep partnership with HR and legal teams
There may be industry-based and legal
can help you identify where there are legal
complexities to eliminating traditional
education or credential requirements that
credentials and education from job
must remain in place.
descriptions.
Despite these challenges, companies are pressing forward with skills-based approaches for the good of
their business and their people.
15
https://hr.cornell.edu/experiential-development/what-gig.
16
Advancing Frontline Workers of Color, FSG.
17
https://hbr.org/2021/10/whats-the-difference-between-a-mentor-and-a-sponsor.
18
https://hbr.org/2021/06/dont-just-mentor-women-and-people-of-color-sponsor-them.
19
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2019/09/17/understanding-the-impact-of-mentorship-versus-sponsorship/?sh=1e5ed04940ad.
20
https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/reinventing-the-future/take-on-tomorrow/diversity-transparency.html.
29
Chapter 4
Measurement
and continuous
learning
Chapter 4 Measurement and
continuous learning
Capturing learnings, measuring outcomes and creating continuous improvement cycles ensures
that skills-based mobility strategies improve and adapt as they develop. From the early stages of
development, companies need to align on outcomes and goals to monitor as they go. Due to the
emerging nature of skills-based practices, the exact measures may shift as each company figures out
what works best for them.
Regardless of how a company defines success, starting those conversations early and engaging key
stakeholders, ranging from leadership to frontline workers, is essential. For business leadership,
engaging in the measurement and learning process builds buy-in for the rigor of skills-based
approaches and articulates the connection between HR strategy and broader business goals. For
employees and managers, it provides them an opportunity to share their experience and brings clarity
to how this approach can support their individual mobility. Establishing a culture of learning and agility
from the outset supports a clear and aligned understanding of the baseline, highlights incremental
changes over time, and helps companies adapt their strategy as they go to maximize impact.
Metrics and the definition of success for mobility should

be grounded in the broader impact a company
Step 1: Defining success seeks. What does the business ultimate hope
to achieve, and what metrics from skills-based
Every organization’s definition of success will look mobility can support that? Linking your mobility
different and may change over time. However, strategy to this broader corporate purpose can
there are common high-level goals that most help influence key stakeholders and leadership
corporate leaders seek with skills-based mobility, as to its importance. For examples of metrics
such as retention, career mobility, and diversity beyond mobility, see the Appendix D for the full
in management and leadership (see sample MPI Metrics Framework.
metrics developed by the MPI Metrics Working
Group below). Articulating a few measurable
outcomes for mobility is a great way to launch Step 2: Creating a foundation for success
this process and set the vision for how skills-
based mobility can support business goals. Before the implementation of skills-based
This will also help the organization prioritize mobility even begins, having a clear and
when encountering tradeoffs and help make dedicated executive champion helps emphasize
adjustments along the way. the business value of this work, align key
stakeholders and encourage resource allocation
It’s important to note that mobility may be one for the effort. From there, you can start to
aspect of the organization’s broader skills-based establish the data and systems foundation to
strategy that includes hiring and other elements, support continuous learning.
31
Chapter 4: Measurement and continuous learning
Define and align on metrics you want to track Determine cadence for collecting data
Setting up a foundation for measuring skills-
Once the company understands its data systems
based mobility practices may require creativity
and how they will be leveraged to support skills-
with currently available sources of data while
based mobility, establish a regular cadence
companies continue to mature their data systems
for collecting the necessary information. Most
to support this work. Companies must define
companies find a quarterly or biannual cadence
the key metrics, objectives and outcomes that
for data collection to be the right balance of
are most important to them, paying attention to
frequency and effort. More involved efforts like
industry standards but staying focused on the
qualitative input and user feedback can happen
stated business goals. Creating a baseline can
once or twice a year.
also help the organization understand where it’s
building from and track progress as the effort
develops. In addition to employee data, this Establish clear reporting structures
baseline can be strengthened by qualitative input
via surveys, focus groups and engagement with Assess which stakeholder groups need what
business leaders. data, how they need to receive it (format and
language), and how it will help them in order
to create appropriate reporting structures that
Figure out where data is housed and who support their decision-making. Designing the
has access reporting structure to support decision-making
will help drive towards increased clarity and,
It is essential to take stock of a company’s IT and
over time, the business objectives.
systems capacity to measure and track the key
data. This can start with building the data, IT or These reporting structures could be data
HR tech teams’ understanding of skills-based dashboards, monthly or quarterly reports.
mobility, how it supports business goals and
what capacities are needed to support it. Since
skills-based approaches are implemented by a Sample metrics
wide range of functional teams, not just by HR, We collaborated with the Business Roundtable
a clear articulation of roles and responsibilities Metrics Working Group, facilitated by Grads of
can help reduce confusion or duplication. Life, to align on key metrics from their research.
Companies should understand where data The Metrics Working Group identified a list of
is housed, how to merge different data sets, critical metrics to track a company’s adoption of
disaggregation capabilities, and who has and skills-based practices and piloted data collection
needs access to data. In seeking to understand efforts to test feasibility. The following are select
what data is available, to whom and when, the metrics that pertain to mobility for employees,
baselining process can act as a trial run for and the full metrics framework can be found in
future data collection. Additionally, through this Appendix D.
process, companies can assess the resources they
allocate for HR technology and what additional
investments may be needed to support this vision
over time.
32
1. Outcomes for employees: Retention & career advancement
a. Average level/band of employees with/ • P ercent of roles that have articulated clear
without a four-year degree or bachelor’s skills-based career pathways associated with
equivalent, segmented by job family. them (and list of those that do not).
b. Number, percent and percent change • P ercent of employees without a four-year

in promotions among employees with/ degree or bachelor’s equivalent who have
without a four-year degree or bachelor’s used learning/skill development resources
equivalent. associated with career paths.
c. A
verage time in band/time to promotion
for employees with/without a four-year Integration & scale
degree or bachelor’s equivalent.
• N umber, percent and percent change of
2. Outcomes for business: job postings that have adopted role-specific
skills-based interviewing and/or assessments
a. Percent change in retention (company (and list of those that have not).
overall, by business unit, and by level
and disaggregated by race and gender). • D ollar and percent difference between
HR budget allocation for non-traditional
b. Percent change in representation of talent pipeline development/sourcing and
people of color and women in the university recruiting budget.
company overall, by business unit and
by level. • N umber and percent of hiring managers that
posted a job without a four-year degree or
bachelor’s equivalent in the past year.
Practice adoption measures
These measures indicate how deeply skills-
Once the data foundation is established,
based approaches have been integrated into
companies can track their development by using
talent processes, company systems and budgets.
practice adoption measures to understand the
Altogether, they help tell a story of practice
maturity of the effort over time. These measures
adoption and help a company reflect on where
can help the company understand where they’re
they need to invest more resources. In addition
facing challenges in implementation, and what
to these measures, pay attention to adoption
is working well. Examples of practice adoption
and utilization of skills-based frameworks
measures, also sourced from the MPI Metrics
and language. The uptake and understanding
Working Group, include:
of these concepts are helpful indicators
for how widespread and well understood
Leadership buy-in and accountability
implementation is.
• H as CEO made an explicit commitment to As most companies begin skills-based mobility

becoming a skills-first employer? (Yes/No)
efforts with a pilot, consider how your pilot is
33
defined (e.g., within a business unit or single mitigate unintended negative consequences.
location, a cross-cutting skillset) and the scaling Consistent communication will help ensure
implications for data and measurement. early identification of potential challenges.
Additionally, this pilot should be connected to the
• As companies advance beyond the pilot
company’s broader strategic goals and vision for it
stage, leveraging pilot participants as
to be sustainable.
advocates for the program can create
further engagement and enthusiasm as
Continuous learning the effort scales.
Skills-based internal mobility is new territory for • We recommend regular collection of
all companies and requires time and patience to qualitative feedback (focus groups,
perfect. Continuous learning mechanisms can surveys, etc.) to understand employee
support this learning and adaptation and help experience of mobility and whether
identify any potential unintended consequences skills-based practices are having the
that arise through implementation. intended impact.
Stakeholder engagement Communication and transparency
• S enior leaders: Senior leaders within HR and • A ctive transparency and clarity around
especially across business units are important data collection and use helps to mitigate
champions for skills-based strategy, and potential concern and may illuminate new
their engagement is essential. Bringing them ideas for how data collection could work.
along in understanding what process shifts This may involve tailoring specific messages
are being made, how that affects different for different internal stakeholder groups and
stakeholders, and the ultimate potential for intentionality about the types of data shared
business impact can help build buy-in and with each. Openly communicating how
understanding. Implementing something new metrics are designed and what decisions they
may provoke a lot of questions, but surfacing inform is important to build trust within an
them is essential in order to address any organization and increase self-reporting and
skepticism or concern. See Appendix B for participation.
resources and cross-stakeholder networks to
support continued learning and engagement. • S trong communication and transparency
can reduce the risk of biased outcomes
• Employees:
Engaging with employees, because more people are paying attention to
especially hourly workers and their implementation. But this will only happen if
supervisors, for their feedback and input in the communication channels go both ways
the learning process can help create effective and stakeholders at all levels feel like their
and adaptive solutions. Understanding how feedback on the process is welcome and
the implementation of skills-based mobility is won’t result in retaliation.
(or isn’t) landing with the intended audience
can illuminate necessary shifts and potentially
34
Example
Vistra created a DEI dashboard using HR
• L istening sessions: Just as it’s important
to engage employees and managers in
data, informed by multiple focus groups of the other stages of this process, engaging
managers and frontline employees. Each them in learning and sensemaking can also
HR director has an assigned “data buddy” be meaningful. Once there is a sufficient
that is a senior VP at the company. They data snapshot and understanding of how
meet quarterly to review DEI data and have implementation is working, companies can
access to the dashboard at all times. This host listening sessions to share the data
builds understanding at the senior VP level and understand how it resonates with the
of the key challenges in hiring and mobility, lived experience of employees. This can help
and creates accountability for checking in on source stories and other qualitative nuances,
DEI progress at all levels of the organization. as well as highlight potential opportunities
Managers’ and supervisors’ performance and unintended consequences of
assessments include their contribution to skills-based mobility.
achieving the company’s objectives.
Data utilization
• D ashboards: Many companies find

dashboards to be an effective, low-lift way
of making key data points available to relevant
stakeholders. Where this dashboard lives
and what it looks like will vary from company
to company, but the essential elements
are data that is regularly updated, brevity
and accessibility.
•Q
uarterly or semiannual strategy review:
Build learning sessions into strategy review
meetings as a way of making data-informed
decisions and real-time adjustments.
This does not mean overhauling the strategy
if the data isn’t showing the desired results,
rather reflecting on what is working,
what unexpected outcomes may
be presenting, and if there are any shifts
needed. Ideally this should include
non-HR leaders in order to bring in other
perspectives on implementation.
35
Example
Chevron shared employee demographic data during a downsizing to help employees understand
the impact on diversity. This transparency helped build trust with the workforce during a challenging
period and respond to employees’ concerns. Chevron also informed employees about the selection
process, which included a process to check for diverse candidate slates, diverse selection teams,
inclusion counselors to help check against unconscious biases in selections, and unconscious bias
training to those involved in selections.
Note: Data included is for illustrative purposes only.
Anticiated in-scope Anticiated in-scope

Average selection team
population (pre-selections) population (post-selections)
SAM SAM SAM

4%
31% 29% 29%
14% 14%
14%
PLE PLE PLE

4% 4%
5% 5% 5%
2% 2%
77% 75% 75%
69% 71% 71%
31% female globally 29% female globally 29% female globally

23% U.S. ethnic diversity 25% U.S. ethnic diversity 25% U.S. ethnic diversity
Male Female Caucasian Asian Black Hispanic Other
36
Challenges
Challenge Potential solutions
Disconnected data systems: Multiple, It is essential for there to be a deep

separate data systems such as applicant partnership between technology, HR and
tracking systems (ATS) and human resources other departments to be able to effectively
information system (HRIS) record different communicate and create successful data
information and are often disconnected systems. This is a time-consuming endeavor
in function and usability. Access and and will need to be carefully cultivated over
interoperability of systems is a major time. Building towards one shared data
challenge for organizations as they adopt this home rather than silos will help mitigate this
new way of working. challenge.
For example, at KeyBank, they plan for short-

term minimum viable products that inform
their long-term data vision. Establishing a
clear HR tech strategy aligned with the goals
of their skills-based mobility efforts ensures
that they are building in the right direction.
Measuring things that don’t exist today: Particularly on the educational attainment
Since skills-based practices are relatively new data, there are a few options for companies
in their development it can be challenging to gather that: partnering with a third-
to create baselines or measure progress. As party clearinghouse that gathers national
companies tested the metrics above, they education data, employee self-reporting,
found educational attainment data to be and a transferable digital wallet/learning and
particularly difficult to track. employment record (LER).
37
Chapter 5
The role of
technology
in skills-based
mobility
Chapter 5 The role of technology
in skills-based mobility
Technological solutions are critical to supporting skills-based internal mobility at scale, allowing
organizations to drive business outcomes. Technology can be used to track and integrate hiring
and employee data, validate and manage skill databases, create equitable platforms for promoting
growth opportunities, and support learning and measurement. Companies can choose to buy or build
these components based on what they already have, what resources exist, and how the different
systems exchange information and interact with one another (interoperability). Thinking through your
technology strategy from the early stages helps align your capacity and systems with the broader
vision for skills-based mobility. The resulting change management process involves adding digital tools
is an important competency for organizations to consistently build and stay agile and competitive.
Skills-based mobility depends on the three main data systems or technologies that represent
the supply of skills (validation and tracking), demand for skills (opportunity platform) and
supportive employee data base for all skills management. For more information on each, go to
the chapter indicated.
Three Technology Systems of Skills-Based Mobility
• Employee
and hiring data: Recruitment data
and other information on the employee’s
career journey. (Chapter 1)
• S kills validation and tracking platform (or

learning and employment records (LERs)):
A platform or system that captures, validates
Supply Demand and tracks employee skills, credentials,
Skills validation Opportunity employment, performance and experience
and tracking platform across a breadth of roles. (Chapter 2)
•O
pportunity platform (job board): An
internal job marketplace solution to showcase
jobs, short term projects (gigs) and other
learning and development opportunities.
(Chapter 3)
Employee and hiring data
39
Chapter 5: The role of technology is skills-based mobility
Technology plays a critical role in efficiently

scaling skills-based mobility due to the vast
• C reate a cross-functional team with key
stakeholders, such as L&D, Legal, Information
amount of skills data required and different Security, HR, and HR tech or IT, to strategize
systems to manage and potentially integrate. and problem-solve.
Though technology is essential to skills-based
approaches, these systems should be monitored • C atalog current technological systems used
and assessed to identify bias or unintended within the organization and assess how they
consequences. It is critical to create mechanisms may help or hinder this process.
that support equity, efficiency, productivity and
accuracy using tech solutions and thoughtful • A ssess budget, team capacity and timelines
to determine what systems or capacities the
stakeholder engagement.
company will build internally, and what you
may be able to purchase.
Systems planning
• E stablish the technological minimum
Embarking on this change management journey viable product to launch the process
requires specific attention on the technology and focus on the most feasible pilots to
and systems that enable skills-based mobility. lay the groundwork for eventual scale,
Initial reflection questions for your company with regular learning touchpoints to
could include: support continuous improvement.
•W
hat is the ultimate business outcome • Incorporate stakeholder feedback
towards which we are orienting our strategy? mechanisms to understand how
implementation is working.
•W
here do we begin? How might we create
a robust, dynamic and adaptable data
foundation? Organizations can build their own tech systems
or purchase software/tech platforms from other
• H ow can we use what we have now to get providers. Organizations should build solutions
started, and what might we need to build or with an eye to external interoperability, contexts
buy over time? and trends. Purchasing a technology solution may
limit a company’s ability to customize systems
•W
hat are the cutting-edge innovations in this but saves the effort of building competitive
space, and how can we leverage them?
tech competencies. Purchased solutions
• H ow can we manage constraints and should be vetted for long-term sustainability
challenges re: technology? and soundness, as well as interoperability with
existing systems. Furthermore, organizations
Key considerations for the planning process: should be cautious about becoming over-reliant
on external software solutions due to potentially
•W
hen determining your problem statement pitfalls such as systems crashes, security risk, etc.
in the initial stages, incorporate tech
considerations and assess what might be
required to support the problem for which
you’re solving.
40
Design and implementation considerations helpful to ensure that employees, especially

frontline workers, have dedicated, compensated
After companies have done their initial time to complete any skills assessments or
assessment of current technology and validation efforts.
built out their plan, the work on design and
implementation begins. Whether you are One of the benefits of skills-based internal
leveraging existing technologies, buying software mobility is that employees have more agency
tools or building your own solutions, the most and knowledge about their skills and what is
important considerations are user-centered required for different roles in order to shape
design and interoperability. their career decisions. In order for this outcome
to be achieved, the technology solutions should
In the same way we advise companies to engage offer more transparency than was previously
frontline workers and supervisors in the available. The goal is to democratize career
planning stages of the entire skills-based mobility paths in a way where they don’t depend on
strategy, so too should they be included in the relationships or cultural capital, which requires
technology strategy. Understanding who has employees to have visibility into career
access to what technology, literacy and language opportunities, requisite skills, and training or
needs, complexity, and user interface preferences learning opportunities to develop those skills.
can help companies create solutions that
resonate across the entire company. Additionally, Lastly, when designing the systems to
this process helps to build trust, buy-in and support skills-based strategies, pay attention
transparency for employees. For the technology to interoperability between the different
to be successful it needs to be utilized, and first technologies used within your company, as
understanding the needs of a wide variety of well as interoperability with industry norms,
stakeholders and then testing technologies with especially with skills taxonomies, frameworks
them can maximize utilization. and definitions. On the first point, the
interoperability of systems will facilitate more
Beyond this testing and design phase, companies efficient data sharing and learning across the
must consider the change management process organization. With the latter, though our focus
of adopting new technologies. Rolling out training here is internal mobility, it’s helpful if employees’
to convey why this technology is important, skills are captured in a way that positions
how to use it, and how it supports talent and them for mobility more broadly. Using skills
business strategy will help to build buy-in and taxonomies and definitions that support business
understanding. Beyond the roll-out phase, outcomes and align with industry norms allows
consistent communications and support, such your company to 1) more easily assess new talent
as a helpdesk, can ensure employees have access against common standards, 2) position your
to the right information when they need employees for career success in any company
it. Additionally, performance support materials and 3) optimize learning content to support
(e.g., mini training modules) can provide context skill development.
on skills-based mobility and guide users on how
to participate and why it’s important. It’s also
41
Challenges and opportunities
Challenges Potential solutions/opportunities
AI bias: It is important to note that technology There are many organizations, platforms and
solutions aren’t a cure-all solution for bias. collaboratives that are actively counteracting
Software and AI programs are designed by bias. Efforts like the Data and Trust Alliance
people who have biases of their own, and will help to mitigate bias over time, as will
that can influence how a program is built. AI regular internal reviews to understand what the
has advanced significantly in this area, and impact and outcomes the technology enables.
several solutions are designed with the ability Additionally, any technology solutions should be
to check for bias. Still, as companies consider chosen or built with the user experience and/
the platforms and technology that can support or input in mind. If the goal is broad adoption,
skills-based mobility, building in testing periods seek feedback from the employees who will be
and check points can help you surface any engaging with the technology, and include their
embedded biases. perspectives, needs and preferences in your
decision-making.
Systems integration and internal There are many stakeholders involved in skills-
interoperability: With the trend of LERs and based mobility (e.g., talent acquisition, retention,
digital wallets emerging as a kind of digital people analytics, workforce planning, L&D), so
verified resume, each company has to consider it can be helpful to orient everyone around the
how to merge this with existing systems. same business outcome and work backward
Many companies have siloed systems that exist from that to determine what functionality,
in different parts of the organization, which access, and how data needs to move across
can create barriers for HR practitioners and systems. This process should also consider
employees. volume, data security, and user experience in
those data transfers.
Long-tenured employees: Individuals that Some companies have decided to grant badges,
have long-tenured careers may not have digital skills or other indicators or competence
records of their experiences and trainings. to employees with a certain tenure and
The translation of on-the-job skills acquisition performance record. The assumption is that
may get lost to conjecture or guesswork. In the if the employee has been successful in the
absence of a process to adequately document role for, say, 12 months, then that is sufficient
this information, there may be a limited demonstration of the requisite skills. This can
representation of such employees. This can lead be an interim step to help bring long-tenured
to a disruption of effective mobility and growth employees up to speed and give them time to
of such employees and the overall skills-based complete assessments or other processes to
mobility process. further validate their skills.
42
Acknowledgements
This Skills-Based Internal Mobility Playbook was created through a collaboration of Business
Roundtable member company leaders and expert partners as part of the Multiple Pathways Initiative.
Working Group Companies: Working Group Chair Companies:
• A bbott • H umana
• A merican Express • P epsiCo
• Assurant
• Borg Warner Primary Partner:
• CF Industries • F SG/Talent Rewire

• Chevron
• Humana Supporting Partner:
• JPMorgan Chase
• KeyBank • Jobs for the Future
• Medtronic
With Support From:
• PepsiCo
• Progressive • Walmart
• SAS
• State Farm
• Synchrony Financial
• Tractor Supply
• Vistra
• Walmart
• Western Union
• Workday
Special thanks to our co-chairs who helped coordinate and engage the group in the co-creation
of this resource:
• Kate Roach, PepsiCo

• Erin Champlin, Humana
• Roger Cude, formerly with Humana
The Working Group was facilitated by Kim Shin of Talent Rewire and Fay Hanleybrown of FSG, with writing
support from Talia Alongi and Ruchi Nadkarni.
43
Appendix
Appendix A Key
Definitions
Learning and employment record (LER):
A digital record of learning and/or experience
that can document both wherever it occurs,
Competency: The knowledge and ability to do including in a workplace, through an education
something at a level of proficiency defined by program/experience or through military training.
validating organization.
Skills: A discrete activity that requires knowledge
Credential (digital credential): A milestone in and/or ability, and are most often defined as
a training path that includes multiple skills, such hard (e.g. how to operate a register) or soft (e.g.
as certifications, diplomas, degrees (i.e., Retail customer service, problem solving).
Associate Cert or Bach in Retail Mgt).
Skills-based internal mobility: The movement
Digital wallet: A technology tool that is either of talent laterally and vertically within an
in an app or web form, which allows for an organization based on an employee’s practical
individual to capture their Learning and skills and performance rather than solely formal
Employment Records (LER) and share. They can qualifications.
also include connectivity to career pathway, job
search resources and training, or employment Skills taxonomy: The language used to define
application simplification, etc. individual skills and competencies. These
definitions allow for machine readable translation
Gig: Short term, defined projects or on-the-job across all skill programming (i.e., job families,
experiences that match an employee’s skills or technical competencies, validation, etc.).
interests. Gigs allow organizations the ability to
get work done and employees to enhance their Validation: The process whereby an individual’s
skills and establish new connections.21 skill is validated by a peer or leader on-the-job
review process, technology-based assessment
Internal mobility: Internal mobility is the (online or virtual reality), or other approved
movement of employees (vertically and laterally) processes. Once validated, an individual’s
to new career and development opportunities proficiency level and other information
within the same organization. This includes relevant to the learning or experience can
promotions, demotions, new positions, be reflected in a badge, LER or other machine-
mentorships, cross-team, or additional projects, readable technology.
job shadowing and job swaps.22
21
Cornell HR, “What is a gig?”
22
AIHR, “Internal Mobility: An HR Professional’s Guide.”
45
Appendix B Resources for
further learning
Skills-based internal mobility builds on a broad base of HR and people development concepts. Though
this Playbook covers tactical advice, here are resources that may be helpful on your learning journey:
Ongoing field-building efforts
The technology to support skills-based strategies is always evolving, and difficult to capture in a static
resource such as this one. Efforts like the Open Skills Network and T3 Innovation Network, with the
support of organizations such as the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Digital Promise, are
supporting the digital transformation of skills-based talent marketplaces with an equity mindset, building
the structure, connectivity and learning for this field. Organizations like Learning Economy Foundation
are also actively developing resources to help make open data standards, LERs and digital wallets more
meaningful and accessible.
Though there are a wide range of platforms available and new providers popping up, grounding in your
company’s intended outcome for skills-based mobility will help determine the best fit. The abundance of
new technologies and efforts to embed equity and anti-bias into these processes offer hope for the long-
term transformation of HR practices.
Learning resources
Planning, strategy and stakeholder engagement Skills validation Matching people to growth opportunities
Measurement and learning The role of technology
Title Source Description
The SHRM Foundation, with funding

from Walmart, surveyed the American
workforce about untapped talent pools
Beneath The Surface: to gain a fuller understanding of the
A Unified Approach To SHRM state of the inclusion of these groups
x x
Realizing The Value Of Foundation in the U.S. workforce. SHRM and the
Untapped Talent SHRM Foundation believe that inclusion
plays an integral role in the development
of social and economic change in the
workplace
A report outlining the research

Untapped Guiding SHRM
and benefits of untapped and x
Principles Foundation
unconventional talent pools
46
Appendix B: Resources for further learning
National Working paper around income

Skills, Degrees and Labor Bureau of inequality by degree status and the
x
Market Inequality Economic important role of on-the-job training
Research in human capital formation
Report that outlines the experience of

Navigating with the
STARS who continue to experience the
STARS: Reimagining Opportunity
decades-long trends in wage decline and x x
Equitable Pathways @ Work
limited upward mobility and ways to
to Mobility
remediate this with equitable recovery
Article around the business benefits,

Internal mobility and
challenges and effective strategy setting
skill adjacencies – the Learnit x
of skills-based internal mobility for the
future of hiring
current workforce
Human Webinar covering the various facets

Internal Mobility and
Capital of skills-based internal mobility using x
Skills-Based Hiring
Institute a sample set of companies
Report outlining analysis with

insights to support jobseekers and
Unlocking experience- McKinsey
expand employment opportunities
based job progressions and x
through job progressions geared
for millions of workers Company
towards unemployed workers from
low-wage jobs.
Report urges for better analysis and

Joint Center
disclosure of outcomes by race to
Improving Training to for Political
ensure that training programs are
Brighten the Future of and x x x
effective for African Americans. Effective
Black Workers Economic
training programs are critical to help
Studies
Black workers obtain “good jobs”
Report outlining 23 evidence-based

Advancing Frontline practices for advancing racial equity and
FSG x x
Employees of Color fostering working environments where
all people feel valued and can thrive
47
Network of employers, education

providers, policy makers, military, non-
Open Skills Network OSN profits, and other partners dedicated to x x x
changing the world by advancing skills-
based education and hiring
Report which outlines the behind-the-

scenes programming and relationship-
building work that practitioners
engage in with employers, describing
Unpacking the Work of Aspen
how practitioners have tailored their x x
Work-Based Learning Institute
programs to meet the needs of young
adults of color and to support employers
in their work to develop, structure, and
support WBL opportunities.
The case study collection presents

examples of effective employer
practice on progression across three
sectors (retail, hospitality, health and
social care) and six countries (United
Developing Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden,
Employee Career Paths SHRM Italy, Spain). The examples provided are x
and Ladders from both small and large employers
and represent a diversity of approaches
to progression. It is hoped that the
case studies will stimulate awareness
amongst employers about the issue of
progression for workers on low incomes.
Progression in IES Institute

Webinar covering the various facets
Employment: Employer for
of skills-based internal mobility using x
Toolkit & Case Study Employment
a sample set of companies
Collection Studies
Upskilling to engage
your people: attracting Article highlighting trends and
and retaining talent Pwc business case for upskilling during x x
during the great ‘The Great Resignation’
resignation
48
A brief step by step tactical guide to

Soft Skills: Upskilling Aspen develop a soft skills planning program
x x
Planning Guide Institute to maximize benefits for employees
and enterprises
Digital Credentials Report summarizing recent research

Wellspring
and Competency on the application of digital credentials x
initiative
Frameworks to education and employment
A research-based framework on skills

Measuring Skills at Work:
AIR validation, AI tools and systems and x
Lessons from the Field
tracking of skills learned on the job
Playbook designed to highlight examples

of employers modeling new ways
Upskilling Playbook Aspen of business that advance workers
x
for Employers Institute and support long-term business
competitiveness via investments in
workers through upskilling strategies
Report identifies 12 evidence-based

practices companies can employ to
Advancing Frontline
FSG help break down barriers women face x
Women
in the workplace, while simultaneously
creating a competitive advantage
10 advance planning steps to help you

get started the chances of successfully
Aspen
Planning for Success implementing a new upskilling program x x
Institute
through careful planning, precise
execution, and clear communication
Choosing the Right Aspen Report outlining six types of

x
Program for Your Needs Institute upskilling programs
49
Understanding The Article which explores the implications

Impact Of Mentorship Forbes.com of mentorship and sponsorship in x
Versus Sponsorship the workplace
This study aims to identify patterns and

Northeastern themes related to how employers
University are approaching and supporting lifelong
The New Landscape for
Center for learning for their employees, including
Workplace Learning:
the Future employers’ motivations, attitudes, and
Employers and Workers x
of Higher investment priorities. In addition, the
Managing the Digital
Education timing of this research sheds light on
Transition
and Talent the impact of the pandemic and the new
Strategy trends that are emerging in the working
and learning ecosystem.
Using People Analytics Harvard Article that covers the various pros
to Build an Equitable Business and cons of people analytics and its use x
Workplace Review in the workplace
50
Appendix C Skills-based internal mobility
illustrative technology providers
In the process of developing this Playbook, employers shared a range of technology products and
services that they use to implement skills-based mobility. The following list captures the solutions that
were surfaced from company experience and secondary research. These providers have not
been vetted in any way, and this appendix is not meant to be a list of preferred providers but rather
a sample list of providers that can provide technology solutions and/or support.
Skills validation Opportunity platform Employee data
Provider Description
Article which explores the implications of mentorship and sponsorship

Badgr x
in the workplace
Credly Digital badging platform, workforce insights and digital credential network x
Skill development and internal mobility, skills data and analytics, multiple
Degreed x x
solutions opportunity platform
Multiple solutions platforms like Xcredit, including Micropathways,

Ed Design Lab x x x
Badged to hire, etc.
Customizable solutions for operational processes and streamlining of

Eightfold x x x
technology across organizations
Gartner
Real-time labor-market analytics tool based on large scale data analytics. x
TalentNeuron
Internal talent marketplace helps enterprises democratize career development,

unlock skills and future-proof their workforces, by utilizing a powerful AI engine
and relying on years of experience and implementation Internet of Education,
GLOAT x x
the democratization of credentials, interoperability innovation platform.
Credential mapping across life and work experiences, career pathing accessible
and verified via apps
Internet of Education, the democratization of credentials, interoperability

Learning
innovation platform. Credential mapping across life and work experiences, x x
Economy
career pathing accessible and verified via apps
Personalized, science-based technology that supports skill

PAIRIN development and career services across workforce development, x x x
governments and educational institutions
51
Appendix C: Skills-based internal mobility illustrative technology providers
Skills validation Opportunity platform Employee data
Provider Description
Multiple solutions platform spanning skills building, validation, career pathing,

Questionmark x x
training etc.
Multiple customizable solutions candidate matching and other data

Radancy x x
driven solutions.
Skillable.com Full stack platform for skills development, validation and enablement x x x
Workday Skills gaps, strengths, career growth platform x x x
Xcredit Life and work experience skills validation platform x
52
Appendix D Metrics
framework
53
Appendix D: Metrics Framework
54
55

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Skills-Based

Skills are five times more

What is skills-based internal mobility? direction of the movement. Adopting skills-

This Playbook focuses specifically on skills- Skills-based mobility is essential for

The language of skills crosses all learning.

A win for companies shifts alongside it, focusing on skills provides

• Increased innovation and business agility • Business

broader business challenges, or how skills-

Example • C onnection between the talent challenge and

Companies approach pilots in different ways.

Stakeholder: Business leadership Stakeholder: HR functions

Why they are important

Stakeholder: Managers and supervisors different strategies may be needed to bring

Every manager may be at a different point in

Why they are important

In the process of adopting skills-based strategies,

In the early stage of pilot development, touchpoints

As the company implements skills-based strategies,

Exhibit 1. Skill validation characteristics

Skill identification Skill measurement System integration Benefits and outcomes

• V alidation is well timed •  alidation is integrated

Skills identification understood and transferable, which is helpful for

badging process and ensured consistency

In order to create a cohesive and functional skill Example

Challenge Potential solutions

Data volume Technology is an essential part of skills-

Gathering data points from multiple

The Vision: Career agility Employers implementing skills-based mobility

Source: Marti Konstant, https://www.martikonstant.com/blog/what-is-an-agile-career/.

• E mpowering mentors to advocate for their Example

• T echnology to support matching learning

Pwc shared detailed data on diversity of its

Challenge Potential solution

Change management challenges: Building in accountability mechanisms such

Challenge Potential solution

Legal and contextual challenges:

Metrics and the definition of success for mobility should

1. Outcomes for employees: Retention & career advancement

b. Number, percent and percent change • P ercent of employees without a four-year

• H as CEO made an explicit commitment to As most companies begin skills-based mobility

Stakeholder engagement Communication and transparency

• D ashboards: Many companies find

Note: Data included is for illustrative purposes only.

Anticiated in-scope Anticiated in-scope

SAM SAM SAM

PLE PLE PLE

77% 75% 75%

69% 71% 71%

31% female globally 29% female globally 29% female globally

Male Female Caucasian Asian Black Hispanic Other

Challenge Potential solutions

Disconnected data systems: Multiple, It is essential for there to be a deep

For example, at KeyBank, they plan for short-

Three Technology Systems of Skills-Based Mobility

• S kills validation and tracking platform (or

Technology plays a critical role in efficiently

Design and implementation considerations helpful to ensure that employees, especially

Challenges and opportunities

Challenges Potential solutions/opportunities

• Increased innovation and business agility • Business

Example • C onnection between the talent challenge and

• V alidation is well timed • alidation is integrated

• E mpowering mentors to advocate for their Example

• T echnology to support matching learning

b. Number, percent and percent change • P ercent of employees without a four-year

• H as CEO made an explicit commitment to As most companies begin skills-based mobility

• D ashboards: Many companies find

• S kills validation and tracking platform (or

• CF Industries • F SG/Talent Rewire