Skills of the Future

In this episode, Christine Lamothe interviews Darren Jones about applying skills and competencies to cybersecurity.

Darren is an innovative and creative IT leader with over 30 years of experience in a diversity of roles – in the public sector, in the capital markets sector, as a consulting leader, and as a start-up operator and investor. Today, Darren is the National Director, Cyber Strategy and Academic Excellence at Summit2 Corporation, and Darren is helping Willis College to cement its position as the leading provider of cyber education in Canada. 

In this episode, Andrea Butler interviews Nancy Tavares about applying skills and competencies to learning and development. Nancy is a Director of Learning and Talent Development and an instructor of HR Management at George Brown College.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• There is an increasing demand for online learning. 

• There are 3 key accountabilities for a successful learning and development program. Employees have to be accountable for their own development. Managers play an important role. The organization has to have systems in place for employee development. 

In this episode, Andrea Butler interviews Lindsay Raduka about applying skills and competencies to talent planning. Lindsay is the head of people and culture at Victory Innovations.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• All business problems are people problems. Ask questions to understand the business, which can provide insights into how people fit into the solution, objective, or strategy. 

• Critical skills required to develop a strong talent plan include business acumen, creativity and innovation, and adaptability. 

In this episode, Andrea Butler interviews Allie Moss about applying skills and competencies to career development. Allie is a leader within the learning and development space who has focused on this work for over a decade.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Self-guided learning is critical right now because it enables employees and companies to remain agile. It also allows people to align their passion to their work.

• Many of the key skills the employees need right now are related to resilience and a growth mindset. Skills like remaining curious, giving and receiving feedback, setting and tracking goals, are critical right now.

• L&D professionals should strive to get real insights into what people need and where the gaps are. This can be done by asking open-ended questions (surveys or focus groups) about what people are looking for to grow within the organization

In this episode, Dan van der Werf interviews Anna Boshoer about applying skills and competencies to hiring. Anna is an HR professional with a background in education.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• For many organizations, hiring is almost 100% remote right now, which brings many unique challenges for both interviewers and job seekers. Companies need to be mindful of some of these challenges, and not judge candidates on irrelevant factors related to a virtual interview (e.g., familiarity with Zoom; technology breakdowns).

• Transferable skills (e.g., work ethic, collaboration, communication) are critical right now for organizations to hire for. These are particularly important in a virtual world right now – being able to collaborate and communicate virtually.

• Make sure your job descriptions are clear and transparent. This is really helpful for both your hiring managers and for candidates.  

In this episode, Andrea Butler interviews Tricianne Kasubuchi about applying skills and competencies to change management. Tricianne is the director of global learning and talent development at Ritchie Bros.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Change is no longer the exception, it's how we all do business now. As such, organizations need people who thrive in changing environments. 
• Organizations need people who are resilient, flexible, can navigate ambiguity and are comfortable working in the grey area with many unknowns. 
• Educating senior leaders on the importance of change management is important to make change management approaches more effective.

In this episode, Christine Lamothe interviews Rickey Simmons about applying skills and competencies to talent acquisition. Rickey is the Director of Talent Development at Stevens Transport

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Transferable skills, such as communication, leadership, and self-management, are critical right now. These skills tend to be harder to learn. Job seekers should strive to develop these transferable skills, and organizations should aim to hire for them.
• Technical skills that are more specific to the role can often be learned easier on the job. 

In this episode, Andrea Butler interviews Dave Paczkowski about diversity and inclusion as it relates to talent management. Dave is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Business Partner at Lyft. 

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Inclusion and Diversity are not about what we do, it's about how we do it. 
• Change management, flexibility, continuous learning, and effective communication are critical competencies needed to ensure diversity and inclusion. Organizations should value these four competencies. 

In this episode, Dan van der Werf interviews Emma Hunt about applying skills and competencies to hiring. Emma is the head of people at Bonsai.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• To hire people with the right skills, it’s important to have a hiring process that is structured and includes interview questions and work samples that focus specifically on the skills needed for the job.  
• Using a structured hiring process and using multiple interviewers is a great way to combat bias during the hiring process.  
• It’s critical to ensure a good candidate experience throughout your hiring process, particularly when there is a broad and competitive talent pool. 

In this episode, Christine Lamothe interviews Kara Scovitch about applying skills and competencies to talent acquisition. Kara is the Senior Director of Global People Operations at The Knot Worldwide, primarily overseeing Total Rewards, People Infrastructure, and Office.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Having competency profiles and using them for recruitment and selection is a great way to ensure you are hiring the right people with the right skills.  
• One competency that is critical right now is adaptability - being able to quickly adapt to new business goals and all the shifts caused by working remotely.