What if your organisation could do all of the following faster than the market: move talent around, use people’s skills rather than job titles when making decisions, and even prevent capability gaps from becoming business problems? These are basically the things that happen when your organisation is a skills-based organisation (SBO)—and companies in the GCC region are increasing their pace of transformation in this area substantially.
The transition from job-based HR models to skills taxonomies, skills-based jobs, internal talent marketplaces, and fluid career paths is going everywhere: across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Oman. It is no longer merely a trend; rather, it is a strategic imperative that is being fuelled by the following factors:
Still majority of HR leaders are perplexed with the questions of how to begin, where to concentrate, and in what manner to integrate skills in such a way that their business benefits. This guide offers you a 12-18-month practical roadmap that is tailored to GCC organizations, is easy to understand, focuses on tasks for implementation, and can be accomplished even by small HR teams.
Traditional HR systems in the region are very much job-description-centric and usually are not in sync with the changing business skill requirements. Companies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are experiencing the following:
Global research studies also point to this necessity of change. A report by Deloitte reveals that 85% of CEOs consider skills to be the new currency for workforce planning (source: https://www2.deloitte.com ). Adopting a "skills-first" approach in talent management allows employers in the GCC to stay competitive, resilient, and prepared for the future.
This HR roadmap is divided into four stages, and it also has concrete actions that HR teams can take without changing the entire HR system drastically.
Stage 1 (Months 1–3): Build Your Skills Foundation.This stage is about establishing the groundwork for the skills-based ecosystem.
1. Conduct a Skills Maturity AssessmentAssess the current state of your:
The point is to identify the gaps and determine the level of readiness.
2. Define Skills for Critical Roles FirstDon't get involved in mapping every job; just take the lead with:
Develop a skills library with four categories:
Items you have at hand to start could be:
The idea is to have a standard language of skills that departments can share.
Stage 2 (Months 4-6): Translate Skills into Jobs & Structure.This stage simplifies the definitions of jobs, roles, and career progression in a contemporary manner.
4. Create Skills-Based Job DescriptionsChanging traditional job descriptions to a skills-first basis of JDs:
Skills-based JDs enable leaders to select and nurture talents in a more precise manner.
5. Redesign Career Paths Using SkillsDevelop career lattices in addition to simple linear ladders. So workers can:
Connect every movement to skill progression rather than time at the company or a title.
6. Align Skills with Performance & KPIsTransform the performance management of the organization from activities to:
This is very important for the behaviour change to be truly embedded.
Stage 3 (Months 7–12): Operationalise Skills Across HR SystemsBy one or more of the following means, the hiring process can be improved:
As a result, the quality of hire is improved, and the cost-per-hire is lowered.
7. Integrating Skills into RecruitmentBy one or more of the following means, the hiring process can be improved:
As a result, the quality of hire is improved, and the cost-per-hire is lowered.
8. Build Learning & Upskilling Plans Around Skill GapsChange from generic training calendars to data-driven upskilling:
Implement digital academies, microlearning, and instructor-led programs based on authentic capability requirements.
9. Launch an Internal Talent Marketplace (Even a Simple One)An Excel-based or internal portal version that is basic will work initially. Employees should be able to:
This energy leads to retention and the preparation of national talent for broader roles.
Stage 4 (Months 12–18): Scale, Measure & Sustain the Skills EcosystemThis is the maturity stage for long-term impact.
10. Implement Skills Analytics & DashboardsMonitor:
It makes HR more predictive and strategic.
11. Embed Skills into Workforce PlanningSkills data should be used to make decisions regarding:
Skills turn into the engine of all HR planning.
12. Create Skills Governance & Continuous ReviewSet up a governance board that:
For more research on skills-first transformation trends:
https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance
It is quite common for large companies to have 300–800 job titles. By consolidating them into job families, the number is significantly decreased.
Managers still prefer traditional hiring → Use data to influence themPresent to them that skill-based hiring leads to better quality-of-hire metrics.
HR systems not equipped for skills → Start manuallyStarting with a simple taxonomy and Excel dashboards is perfectly fine.
Employees unsure about progression → Publish skill-based career pathsBeing transparent helps to establish trust and, hence, the level of employees' engagement grows.
Converting to a skills-based company is a major change that affects the whole business, rather than a short-term HR initiative.
However, such a change in the workforce can still be made by GCC companies with the help of a suitable plan of action, resulting in a workforce that is flexible, sustainable, competitive, and in line with the country's objectives.
Such a change can be broken down into a manageable and very real 12–18-month plan, which is feasible even for businesses that are just embarking on their HR transformation journey.
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