{"id":131452,"date":"2025-07-08T09:00:22","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T13:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/?post_type=magazine&p=131452"},"modified":"2025-07-08T15:42:43","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T19:42:43","slug":"skills-are-powering-the-future-of-work","status":"publish","type":"magazine","link":"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/magazine\/summer-2025\/skills-are-powering-the-future-of-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Skills Are Powering the Future of Work"},"author":52,"featured_media":123065,"template":"","tags":[3749,35611,35610],"class_list":["post-131452","magazine","type-magazine","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-ld-strategy","tag-workforce-capability","tag-workplace-skills","global_topic_tax-measurement-and-analytics","magazine_issue_tax-summer-2025","magazine_article_type_tax-thought-leader","magazine_article_type_tax-whats-next-in-tech"],"acf":{"sponsored":false,"gated":false,"gated_content_type":"","file_attachment":null,"gated_content":"","form_instruction_header":"To access the full article, please fill out the form below:","pardot_html_embed":"","author_override":true,"author_name":" JD Dillon","author_image":"","author_bio":"JD Dillon<\/a> is a veteran talent development leader, former Disney cast member and author of <\/span>\u201c<\/span>The Modern Learning Ecosystem<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span> With more than 25 <\/span>years of experience<\/span> in operations and enablement with organizations like Disney, Kaplan and AMC, JD helps people do their <\/span>best work<\/span> every day as <\/span>c<\/span>hief <\/span>l<\/span>earning <\/span>a<\/span>rchitect at <\/span>Axonify<\/span> and <\/span>f<\/span>ounder of <\/span>LearnGeek<\/span>. <\/span><\/span>","excerpt":"Skills are not just an HR concern\u2014they are core business intelligence that can drive agility, performance, and strategic growth across the organization.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n","main_content":"

Who can do what?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\r\nThis is the most important question in any workplace. You can\u2019t get the job done without a capable team, and capabilities are evolving daily. That\u2019s why it\u2019s essential for managers to understand their teams\u2019 skills <\/span>\u2014 not just to fill roles, but to unlock agility across the organization<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nWe hear the word \u201cskills\u201d constantly, especially in learning and development (L&D). But skills are more than just a buzzword, they represent a significant opportunity to leverage data and technology to rethink how we structure work, develop talent and make strategic decisions at every level of the business.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

From HR Asset to Business Intelligence<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\r\nHistorically, skills data has been siloed within human resources (HR). L&D teams track training; skill platforms scrape assessments and job descriptions. But the result is often a narrow view of employee capability \u2014 useful for recommending content or fueling talent marketplaces but disconnected from broader business needs.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

That needs to change.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\r\nAs organizations adopt more advanced data strategies \u2014 from predictive analytics to machine learning \u2014 there\u2019s a clear opportunity to use skills as a core input for automation, workforce planning and operational efficiency. But that shift only happens if we stop treating skills as an HR asset and start treating them as business intelligence.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nMoving forward, L&D must integrate skills data into the broader business ecosystem to optimize talent, streamline operations and create real-time insights that drive growth. In fact, one part of the workforce is already showing what this looks like in practice: the front line. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

Lessons From the Front Line<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\r\nAs companies connect people systems with operational tools, they\u2019re using skills data to make real-time decisions. In warehouses, it determines who can operate a forklift. In retail, it informs who gets scheduled for inventory tasks. In hospitality, it ensures the right employees are assigned to serve VIP guests. The same data that supports initiatives like cross-training and talent mobility <\/span>can now inform everyday decisions.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u00a0<\/span>So, why have skills gained traction on the front line while struggling to take hold in corporate settings? The answer: Clarity and scale.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nFront-line roles are <\/span>clearly defined, with many employees performing similar tasks, making it easier to measure and apply skills across the workforce. In contrast, corporate environments often involve specialized roles, where it\u2019s harder to standardize skill sets and apply them at scale.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe lesson: We don\u2019t need to map every possible skill to make progress. Broad taxonomies can be overwhelming and hard to apply. Instead, we should focus on the skills that matter most <\/span>\u2014 define them clearly, measure them reliably and embed them into the systems that run the business. This approach ensures that L&D efforts have a direct, measurable impact on performance.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThis is how L&D can move from supporting the business to powering it, driving smarter decisions, faster execution and more agile workforce planning.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

People Are More Than Skills<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\r\nGetting skills right is critical \u2014 to keep L&D relevant and to help employees navigate a changing workplace. A well-defined skills framework will enable smarter decisions, faster execution, improved growth and greater agility.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nHowever, it\u2019s important to remember that a skills profile is only part of the story. Two employees may have identical skills on paper but contribute in vastly different ways. As we build more data-driven, AI-powered workplaces, we can\u2019t lose sight of the human element. Skills matter <\/span>\u2014 but people are more than inputs. <\/span>They\u2019re the reason the system exists in the first place.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>","full_width":false,"content_band":[{"acf_fc_layout":"social_callout","blockquote":"L&D must integrate skills data into the broader business ecosystem. "},{"acf_fc_layout":"content_area","wysiwyg":"