How to Navigate Challenges in Skills-Based Transformation Journeys (an Interview with Christophe Cabrera)
Dec 17, 2024
auto_awesome
Christophe Cabrera, Director of IT Talent at UCB, discusses the exciting yet challenging journey of transforming a biopharmaceutical company into a skills-based organization. He shares insights on overcoming outdated methods and leveraging AI for skill identification. Cabrera addresses the complexities of managing diverse roles while emphasizing the need for agility in skills management. He also touches on defining success through internal mobility and personalized learning, making the case for a human-centered approach in this innovative transformation.
UCB's transition to a skills-based organization highlights the importance of accurately identifying and updating employee skills using AI-driven solutions.
The organization's proactive approach emphasizes internal mobility and personalized learning to enhance workforce agility and address evolving operational needs.
Deep dives
UCB's Skills Transformation Journey
UCB is on a journey to become a skills-based organization, driven by the need to make informed decisions about talent allocation in a rapidly changing environment. The evolution has gained significance over the last few years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, as external and internal pressures require swift action regarding workforce management. UCB recognized the importance of identifying skills to reassess and reallocate employees based on strategic capability plans, thus filling gaps in their workforce. This proactive approach is essential for ensuring the organization can adeptly navigate its diverse and extensive operational needs.
Challenges in Skills Identification
One of the significant hurdles UCB faced was accurately identifying the skills of their existing workforce and keeping that information current. Traditional methods of data gathering were time-consuming and often incomplete, leading to challenges in ensuring an equitable assessment of skills. The organization struggled with continuous updates due to employee turnover and changes in skill sets, which often rendered data obsolete shortly after collection. To address this, UCB is exploring AI-driven solutions that can provide reliable skills data more efficiently, allowing for better workforce management.
Leveraging AI for Skills Intelligence
UCB has begun incorporating AI and skill intelligence to enhance their skills identification process, recognizing that traditional means were insufficient. A proof of concept was conducted with a limited group to test the effectiveness of AI in producing accurate skills profiles without extensive data cleansing. This approach significantly reduced resource allocation from an estimated 100 days to just 25 days, showcasing the efficiency gains of AI-driven data analysis. The results from this initial application have led UCB to expand the rollout to a larger employee base and encouraged discussion on the value of skills identification across the organization.
Future Applications of Skills Data
Going forward, UCB plans to utilize their skills data for internal mobility and personalized learning initiatives. The organization seeks to better understand the skills landscape to facilitate employee movement within diverse departments and enhance career development opportunities. This initiative aims to pair employees with roles that match their skill sets while promoting targeted learning programs to address gaps identified in their profiles. By focusing on effective skills utilization and continuous improvement of their skills taxonomy, UCB strives to create a more agile and capable workforce.
Taking the first steps towards becoming a skills-based organisation is exciting—but what does it really take to get started?
In this episode of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast, David Green sits down with Christophe Cabrera, Director and Head of IT Talent and Company Reputation at UCB, to share an honest look at the early days of their transformation.
Unlike the polished success stories we often hear, this conversation is all about the reality of starting out: what works, what doesn’t, and how to build momentum.
Here’s what you can expect:
The biggest challenges in getting started, from outdated approaches to experimenting with AI
How UCB used proof-of-concept to build confidence in AI-powered solutions
Managing the complexities of a workforce spread across production, clinical and office roles
Keeping their skills framework agile as new competencies emerge
Defining what success looks like, with internal mobility and personalised learning leading the way
This conversation, sponsored by TechWolf, is an honest and practical look at what it takes to get started with skills-based management. TechWolf is an AI-powered solution focused on one mission: delivering reliable skills data for every role and every employee in your organisation.
With TechWolf, companies like HSBC, GSK, IQVIA, Workday, and United Airlines have accelerated time-to-hire by 32%, boosted internal mobility by 42%, and saved around $1,000 per employee annually on talent management. Visit techwolf.com for more information.