How to Build a Skills Strategy That Survives the AI Era

We've been talking about skills, Chris, in HR for 30 years probably, right? Why now are we actually moving? We need to look differently at the way work gets done, and how do we decide when we use a human and when we use an agent? And skills, to me, are the core foundation of that.

Like, one skill an agent has is it can work 24/7.

I would need three different humans to do that.

That's amazing.

And then when I look at work and I think what kind of work can be done 24/7, then that's a great job for an agent.

Whereas if I only based in the US and I only have people in the office for eight hours a day, well, having an HR available 24/7, it doesn't really add any value.

This is the important thing we need to start thinking about is what is the unit of work? Previously, a person comes to me and says, "Ciara, the unit of work I need to get done." And I say, "Okay, what level do you need the work done at? What kind of functional expertise do you need? What time zone do you need the role on? How much money do you have to spend?" And I'll recommend a level in a country, in a specific area, and I'll go and I'll hire that.

I now want my HR team asking the leader, "What's the unit of work you need to get done? Walk me through the work." It's thinking differently about how work gets done.

That's the biggest shift I'm having my HR team make, and we're trying to get across to leaders.

This is how we need to be thinking about things.

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