HR Leaders Monthly Special Issue on Skills | February 2021 | Gartner

There has been much discourse about the speed at which skills continue to change and the pressure this places on workers and organizations to keep pace. This 32-page issue of HR Leaders Monthly is devoted to the skills economy and includes eight articles on how organizations can best prepare to have the right skills when needed. The articles range from realizing agile learning outcomes through dynamic skilling, rewards considerations for companies focusing on skills, supporting employees whose skills are expiring, and leveraging skills adjacencies to address skills gaps. Regarding how to help employees whose skills are expiring (beginning on p.18), one strategy suggested by the authors is to offer Learning Leaves — where workers get to take time to learn new skills. If cost is preventative during a furlough, skills development can still be enabled through “mentoring programs, informal knowledge sharing and continuing access to on-demand learning libraries.” I also like the idea of Skills Transparency – where a firm is transparent about skills that are becoming obsolete and those emerging as critical. Such candor enables workers to prepare and take control of their career development. This magazine issue offers several ideas on executing a future-focused skills strategy and prioritizing learning investments.