The Skillsoft Learning and Talent Maturity Framework

In 1997, a groundbreaking McKinsey study exposed workforce vulnerabilities for human resource teams in their book, “The War for Talent,” yet almost 20 years later as the human capital field is desperate for a revolution, most organizations are not prepared for battle.

The dynamics of talent’s low supply and high demand are playing out across the globe, affecting every industry sector and continent. A recent study from PwC called “Redefining Business Success in a Changing World” found that 72% of CEOs are concerned about the availability of key skills and 48% are planning to increase headcount1. However, the majority of human resource teams are still employing decades-old traditional practices which don’t come close to addressing the priorities. In fact, a recent Deloitte University study2 reports that the percentage of companies rating learning and development as a “very high” priority tripled in a year, yet organizational readiness is declining at a rapid rate. Only 40% of organizations indicated they were ready to face these challenges, which was 35 points less than the year before. This inverse dynamic is more than intellectually disturbing.