HBR IdeaCast

IBM’s Ginni Rometty on Skill-Building and Success

Mar 7, 2023

Ginni Rometty, former chairman and CEO of IBM, is a trailblazer in promoting skills over traditional degrees in hiring practices. She reflects on her personal journey, influenced by her mother’s resilience and adaptability. Rometty champions a 'Skills First' approach to recruitment, emphasizing inclusivity and continuous learning in the workforce. She discusses the importance of long-term strategic planning in business transformations and introduces the concept of 'good power' to foster positive societal change. Her insights inspire a shift towards nurturing talent in tomorrow's economy.

30:04

Creator website

Episode guests

Ginni Rometty

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Skill Building and Learning for Success - H.B.R.I.D.E.A.C. from Harvard Business Review

02:08

Intro

2min

Building Skills for a Changing World

12min

Skills First: Redefining Hiring Practices

9min

Navigating Business Transformation and Long-Term Strategy

2min

Balancing Business and Societal Needs: The Role of Good Power

4min

Insights on Positive Change and Leadership

2min

For years, employers have used university degrees as a major requirement for hiring. But, for many jobs, success depends more on skills -- and the ability to adapt and learn -- than on piece-of-paper credentials. Ginni Rometty, former chairman and CEO of IBM, realized this early on -- first by watching her mother and other female relatives support their families and later by seeing what it took to rise to the top in her own career. At the helm of IBM from 2012 to 2020, she pushed the company to adopt skills-first recruitment and development practices, and now she's encouraging other organizations to do the same through her work at the non-profit OneTen. Rometty is coauthor of the HBR article “The New-Collar Workforce,” and the book Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World.

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