Skills of the Future

Applying Skills and Competencies to Learning and Development - with Lee Boudreau

In this episode, Andrea Butler interviews Lee Boudreau about applying skills and competencies to learning and development. 

Key takeaways from this episode:

• L&D needs to be proactive, and always looking ahead. For example, be forward-thinking about how technology can support L&D.  
• Intercultural competence is a critical skill for L&D professionals right now. The ability to think, act, communicate with, and work with people from all kinds of different backgrounds is extremely important for L&D and business in general, and if we are inclusive and interculturally competent we can attract more diverse talent, retain more diverse talent, and grow more diverse talent.

Applying Skills and Competencies to Onboarding - with Williams Nken

In this episode, Andrea Butler interviews Williams Nken about applying skills and competencies to onboarding. 

Key takeaways from this episode:

• When done right, effective onboarding positively impacts your bottom line because it builds loyalty with your employees.  
• Who should be responsible for onboarding? HR leader? Hiring manager? It’s really a team sport – it takes the organization-wide collective to bring a new employee onboard. However, someone needs to be accountable to make sure onboarding is a success.  
• Competencies and skills that are important right now include communication skills and empathy.

Delivering Performance and Developmental Feedback - with Candice Hollingsworth

In this episode, Andrea Butler interviews Candice Hollingsworth about delivering performance and developmental feedback. Candice is the Director of Talent Development at Bosa Properties.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• The challenge with delivering feedback is that some people are scared to give feedback, and as a result, they either do not give it or they really water it down so that it is no longer useful. Or people give feedback that is too generic and not specific enough.
• To give effective feedback, it’s important to focus on the behaviour you observed. Try to limit the judgement or limit jumping to conclusions. Speak specifically about the behaviour that was observed and what the impact of that behaviour was. Use the SBI model for giving feedback (Specific, Behaviour, Impact).
• Capabilities that are helpful for delivering and receiving feedback include self-awareness, empathy, communication, listening, and asking good questions.

Strategies for Attracting and Retaining Talent

In this episode, Andrea Butler interviews Kathrina Nhan about strategies for attracting and retaining talent. Kathrina currently serves as the Managing Director of People and Culture at GroupM Canada.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• When looking to win the war on talent, it's important to re-examine your employee value proposition (EVP) and what you are doing to demonstrate your EVP day-to-day in your workplace.
• On the attraction side, it's important to showcase your organizational values in an authentic way. They should be more than just words on a page. 
• On the retention side, it's important to really listen and engage with employees. Foster strong relationships and really get to know your people, particularly when your workforce is more remote. 

Applying Skills and Competencies to Leadership Development - with Jenny Hill

In this episode, Andrea Butler interviews Jenny Hill about applying skills and competencies to leadership development. 

Key takeaways from this episode:

• The ability to learn new skills and competencies is critical for leaders right now, especially given how quickly the world of work is changing. Successful leaders need to be able to navigate these changes and challenges. 
• Leadership development should not be something specifically for leaders, but something that can nurture leadership skills in everyone. Leadership development programs should be accessible for everyone within the organization. 

Promoting Employee Mental Health and Well-being

In this episode, Andrea Butler interviews Susan Mahaffee about promoting employee mental health and well-being. Susan currently serves as the Global Director of People and Organization for Mars Incorporated.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• The most engaged employees are often the ones most prone to burnout. Leaders at every level within the organization need to check in with their people and ask how they are feeling and what can be done to help support them where they are. It's important to remove the roadblocks that you are able to remove. 
• Employers who encourage and support mental health in the workplace are going to win in the marketplace and ensure they do not lose really great talent.

Applying Skills and Competencies to Performance Management - with Asad Allibhoy

In this episode, Dan van der Werf interviews Asad Allibhoy about applying skills and competencies to performance management. Asad is the People & Culture Lead for Traydstream, which is a rapidly growing FinTech based in the UK

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Performance management must be a more iterative and ongoing process rather than an annual or semi-annual event. Use iterative feedback loops in real-time. Emphasize skills development and mentoring to prepare people for the skills they will need in the future.
• 5 key competencies that are critical for almost any business are problem-solving skills, interpersonal skills, leadership/management skills, domain expertise, and functional knowledge.

Applying Skills and Competencies to Hiring - with Leanne Randall

In this episode, Andrea Butler interviews Leanne Randall about applying skills and competencies to hiring. Leanne is the Director of People and Culture at Pagnotta Industries.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• In addition to skills that are specific to the job, transferable skills that are critical for every job are a strong work ethic, a good attitude, and a willingness to learn.
• Be specific in job postings to give candidates a detailed view of the job requirements.
• Conduct stay interviews in addition to exit interviews. Ask current employees why they stay here and what they like about working here, and use that information when hiring.

Applying Skills and Competencies to Performance Management - with Sonali Goel

In this episode, Andrea Butler interviews Sonali Goel about applying skills and competencies to performance management. Sonali is the Director of Talent and Development for Macmillan Publishers

Key takeaways from this episode:

- It is critical to incorporate organizational values into performance management.

- 3 skills that are critical for successful performance right now include:

• Resilience – ability to take setbacks in stride and learn from them.
• Agility – ability to shift focus as circumstances change.
• Entrepreneurship – ability to step away from the day-to-day and find a way to look at things differently. Reinvent yourself as needed.

Reducing unconscious bias during the interview

In this episode, Andrea Butler interviews Anat Weiss about reducing unconscious bias from the interview. Anat is the director of HR at Varonis

Key takeaways from this episode:

- Don’t use the “beer test” when hiring (e.g., asking yourself or your team if they would enjoy an after-work drink with the job candidate).

- Help people recognize that they all have biases. It’s not about making biases go away, but about recognizing when it’s happening, and not let bias seep into the decision-making process. Be very specific about what you are looking for in a candidate. Identify the most important skills and competencies and assess them consistently across all candidates.