Ask any CEO or business executive about their biggest challenges, and you will see people/talent management rising to the top of the list. This is no different for CIOs, as there is a shortage of tech talent. This has led to a whole series of employee experience and engagement research to help executives attract, retain, and develop key resources.

Forrester has a wealth of research data covering the evolution of employee-related strategies:

  1. Craig Le Clair and J. P. Gownder write about “Future Jobs: Plan Your Workforce For Automation Dividends And Deficits,” highlighting the impact of automation on the workforce.
  2. James L. McQuivey writes about “Introducing Forrester Future Fit.” This research highlights how ready an organization currently is to grasp the potential of new technology and work diligently to bring that potential to life.
  3. J. P. Gownder and David K. Johnson write about how “Employee Experience Is Crucial To Success In The Era Of AI, Automation, And Robotics.” The report highlights how CIOs and other leaders are increasingly deploying AI and automation to reshape how work gets done.
  4. Finally, Gordon Barnett and Bobby Cameron wrote about “The Anatomy Of An Operating Model.” The report highlights the move to adaptive operating models that comprise an ecosystem of operating units rather than traditional functional teams.

Some key messages from these reports are that organizations will need to change the way they operate, will need to focus on employee engagement, and should explore techniques and methods to attract and retain their resources. This is where the evolution of tech skills platforms is aiding CIOs and HR professionals. Recently, I had the pleasure of attending, with over 2,000 executives, Pluralsight LIVE in Salt Lake City to witness how Pluralsight’s tech skills platform is evolving. My key takeaways are as follows:

  1. Pluralsight’s platform, though evolving, provides a wealth of tech skills training. Major technology providers (e.g., Google and Microsoft) provide high-quality content that enables organizations to choose their preferred course curriculum. This is supported by Pluralsight’s own content providers that add value to the courses provided by technology providers. An area for improvement is that there is no certification program associated with the content, so organizations will still need to send their staff to certification exam centers.
  2. From an executive’s point of view, the platform enables the organization to create a job-related career path aligned to a training program. In addition, executives can assess progress in terms of who has completed which courses and, at an individual level, how they are progressing. A recent addition to the platform is the ability to assess the skills within an organization. Two areas for improvement would be firstly for executives to be able to define their employee strategy and track against the strategy. The second area is soft skills and non-tech skills content. Employee experience research suggests that giving employees the opportunity to train outside of job-related courses improves employee engagement.
  3. From an individual’s point of view, the platform enables individuals to influence the direction of their career. By understanding what is available, employees can assess their aptitude and competencies and determine where they want their career to go. An area for improvement would be benchmarking their competency level with the market, rather than just within the firm.

To contribute to this ongoing research on tech talent management, please contact the author.