In the past businesses were more structured and their organizations generally experienced longer life cycles. People were valued for their sector/product knowledge and functional /technical expertise and the people development policy usually focused strongly on the hard skills of employees.
The opening of domestic markets, international competition and the increased search of shareholder value all lead to an increased rhythm of change and a strong short term focus, which requires substantially different behaviors and profiles in business organizations.
The skills focus is therefore shifting from
hard skills to soft skills, as businesses
need people with leadership capacities, the
ability to take initiative, drive people
and projects, communicate and make decisions.
This change in skills requirements represents
a significant change in the respective profiles
and skills of an existing organization. In
order to be able to achieve your business
targets, you need the right people with the
right skills. In order to understand what
you need and what you need to change – either
via skills development or via recruitment – you
need to measure your existing skills against
future skills required.
For transversal, very international responsibilities such as Purchasing and Supply Chain, we believe that it is essential to get the right balance in hard skills and soft skills in line with your company’s objectives and culture.
At a time where changes are more frequent and talents become rarer, a regular skills assessment also increases an organization’s rate of talent retention. If your team and team members view the assessment as a constructive process, they will use it individually to identify and close personal skills gaps to help them improve their individual careers, first of all in and for the benefit of your organization. |
