Skills Project Pilot Guide for a Successful POC

Skills Project Pilot Guide for a Successful Proof of Concept (POC)

Choosing the right group to pilot a skills project is critical to successful proof of concept, effective company launch and employee adoption. To make the most of your efforts, focus on job families that align with your organization’s strategic goals. Here’s a skills project pilot guide to identifying the best job families to start with and how to expand the project the right way.

Start with the Job Family that Needs Digital Transformation

Digital transformation is a priority for many organizations. It makes sense to start with a job family such as Information Technology (IT), where this shift is essential.

Why IT?

• Central Role in Transformation: IT teams lead the adoption of new technologies. By upskilling and reskilling within this group, you ensure those driving digital initiatives possess the latest skills to implement and support these changes.
• Broad Impact: Skills developed in IT can cascade to other departments, increasing overall digital fluency across the organization.
• Early Success: IT teams often have higher digital literacy, leading to faster adoption and early successes of the skills project.

Focus on Job Families with High Turnover

High turnover in certain job families often indicates a need for better skills development and career mobility. Employees in these roles may leave due to a lack of growth opportunities, outdated skills, or dissatisfaction with their jobs.

Why Focus on High-Turnover Job Families?

• Improved Retention: Investing in skills development can lower turnover, help retain talent, and reduce recruiting costs.
• Excellent Stability: A stable workforce minimizes disruptions and fosters a cohesive team.
• Higher Job Satisfaction: Development opportunities boost morale and loyalty, making these roles attractive to current and potential employees.

Address Hard-to-Fill Roles That Require Specialized Skills

Some roles are challenging due to specialized education or unique skill sets. These might be technical roles, niche positions, or jobs requiring a rare combination of skills. We refer to these as ‘hard-to-fill roles ‘.

Why Target Hard-to-Fill Roles?

• Close Skills Gaps: Developing internal talent to fill these roles reduces reliance on costly and time-consuming external hiring.
• Secure the Future: A skills project ensures critical roles are filled with skilled employees. This protects your organization from potential skill shortages that could impact operations. This strategic approach to talent management will secure the future of your organization.
• Tailored Training: Customizing your skills development efforts for these roles ensures the training is relevant and practical.

Expand the Project to Related Job Families

Once your skills project has taken root in the initial job family, it’s time to roll it out to related job families. These groups often share similar skills or responsibilities, making extending the project’s reach easier.

For Example:

• IT and Development: These job families often work closely together, sharing technical skills and tools. Extending the skills project from IT to Development is a natural progression that leverages existing momentum.
• Finance and Operations: Although not directly related, these areas often overlap in skills such as data analysis, process optimization, and strategic planning.

Extending the project to related job families creates a more integrated approach to skills development, leading to greater efficiency and effectiveness. It also promotes better internal mobility.

Pilot a Skills Project with Best Practices

Launching a skills project within your organization requires carefully consideration about where it can have the most impact. You can address the most pressing needs by starting with job families that need digital transformation, face high turnover, or are hard to fill. Next, expand the project to related job families to ensure sustained success and ongoing growth. With a focused strategy, your skills project can empower your workforce and drive your organization toward long-term success.

Let TalentGuard guide you through a skill project pilot for a successful proof of concept (POC). Please request a demo.