"You Don’t Have a Skills Problem—You Have a Data Opportunity" | Learnings On Skills Governance, Buy-In, and Momentum from Kason Morris @Merck

May 26, 2025

Kason Morris, Global Director of the Future of Work and Skills-Based Organization Strategy at Merck, shares insights from his extensive experience with skills transformation. He emphasizes that skills are foundational infrastructure, not just trendy topics. Organizations should view skills as a data opportunity and leverage AI for scalability. Kason discusses the urgency of skills governance, stakeholder engagement, and the importance of momentum over perfection. He also highlights the potential of talent marketplaces for enhancing career mobility and aligning employee skills with business needs.

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INSIGHT

Skills Are a Data Opportunity

Skills are not a new concept but are newly scalable due to AI technology.
The real opportunity lies in leveraging data about skills, not skills themselves.

ADVICE

Start Skills Transformation Early

Start skills transformations now to avoid falling behind competitors.
Prioritize mindset shifts rather than tools or budgets to gain momentum.

INSIGHT

Tie Skills to Business Needs

Skills initiatives succeed when linked directly to business strategy.
Solving specific business challenges like pipeline diversification drives skills adoption.

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In this face-to-face episode of The TechWolf Podcast, Kason Morris, Global Director of the Future of Work and Skills-Based Organization Strategy at Merck, joins us in New York City to discuss why skills are not a trend—they're infrastructure.

With experience at Allstate, Salesforce, and now Merck, Kason breaks down the practical realities of skills transformation: where to start, how to prove value, and what too many companies get wrong.

He shares Merck’s own journey toward becoming a more skills-informed organization, lessons learned on data governance and stakeholder management, and why the key to progress lies in durability, not perfection.

🔑 Key Takeaways from Kason Morris on Building a Skills-Intelligent Organization

🧠 Why "Skills" Are Just a Starting Point

Skills aren't new—they're just newly scalable thanks to AI.
It's not a skills problem, it's a data opportunity.
Smart orgs aren't becoming skills-based—they're becoming skills-informed.

⏳ Waiting Is a Losing Strategy

Delaying skills transformation puts your organization behind the curve.
Momentum starts with mindset—not tools or budget.
Begin lean, focused, and aligned to the business.

💼 How Merck Made Skills Strategic

Business triggers came first: diversity in hiring, cross-functional capability gaps.
Skills work supported digital transformation, talent mobility, and architecture.
Governance structure enables scaling across business units.

📊 Getting and Maintaining Good Skills Data

Start with inference and AI tools—not exhaustive self-assessments.
Treat data as "do no harm"—transparency with employees is essential.
A three-tier governance model keeps the data alive and business-aligned.

🚀 Talent Marketplaces & the Superworker

Talent marketplaces help democratize access and power personalized growth.
AI enables “superworkers” by freeing capacity for learning and creativity.
Internal mobility still faces resistance—especially from middle managers.

🛠️ How to Sell Skills Internally

Identify “hero use cases” with visible business impact.
Use pilots to earn trust—but treat them as step 1 in a long-term journey.

Link skills work to outcomes leaders already care about: time-to-hire, engagement, agility.