Talent strategy: Build, buy, automate, augment or eliminate?

The skills-based organization will evolve into something more sophisticated.

For the last several years, HR has discussed the "skills-based organization." I believe that idea will survive—but evolve.

The first generation focused heavily on:

• Skills taxonomies
• Skills databases
• Skills assessments
• Skills matching
• Learning recommendations

The next generation will need to answer a more difficult question:

Which capabilities should we build internally, buy externally, automate with AI, augment with AI, or eliminate entirely?

That turns talent strategy into a form of enterprise portfolio management which is a very different approach!  Future CHROs and Chief Talent Officers will increasingly need to understand:

Business strategy + workforce economics + technology + organizational design + capability development.

This is important because it moves people in Talent and Development closer to the strategic center of the business.