In an ever-changing economy, one thing remains constant: humans’ undeniable power and skills.   

Skills-based hiring, skills-based workforce planning, and skills-based decision-making are all critical for an organisation’s success. How do companies know the skills and capabilities within their workforce when they often don’t have visibility of their whole workforce?  

At the Human Collaborative, we work with our clients to help them unlock their talent to reach their full potential. Every individual’s skills should be understood, celebrated, and cultivated by themselves and the companies they work for. For a talent strategy to be effective, the current and future skills a business needs must be clear.  Only then can leaders ensure the right talent-related priorities and plans are in place to execute the business strategy.   

Years ago, I remember saying to an Executive I was working with at the time, can you imagine a day when the value of an organisation includes the skills as a line item on the balance sheet? Where the actual value of your workforce’s unique skillsets, expertise and experience is valued, like all other assets on the books.  

I am still wondering if this will happen in time. Just like 50 years ago, it was wild to think of a woman as an Executive or Board Member of a Fortune 500 company; I hope we look back at how little emphasis we placed on our workforce’s capability and shake our heads. It’s time to shift our perspective and recognise that a company’s true wealth and future lie in the capability of its workforce.    

By looking at the skills in your business across all employee types, especially those who sit outside the employee framework through contractors, external consultants, and anyone inside the contingent workforce space, you can strengthen your ability to execute your business strategy. By knowing the people, the skills, and the strengths you have in your business (or need to source), you have the backing to tackle your strategy and big goals with comfort and excitement.    

There is so much incredible talent out there, diverse niche skill sets, experienced professionals, and young professionals joining the workforce – we need to harness these skills and respect and acknowledge their actual value in directly impacting an organisation’s success.    

If you’re unsure of the skills in your current workforce or need help planning your workforce strategy, contact us today. We’d love to help.