What\u2019s the L&D equivalent of putting on your running shoes? Creating a simple, high-impact skills framework. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Creating Your Simple Skills Framework<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAs a key element of a skills strategy, a skills framework outlines the critical skills employees need for success at your organization, and it\u2019s grounded in what\u2019s important to your business. A skills framework also directs employees on how to develop and use skills to meet their professional goals and positively impact your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You might be tempted to first build a skills taxonomy or ontology, which define and customize all the skills your organization might need. While these tools are useful for back-end processes, building them first threatens to slow down the impact skills will have on your organization. You\u2019ll likely find yourself bogged down by seemingly endless revisions and refinements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To keep your skills framework simple, ground it in your biggest \u201cWhy.\u201d Your \u201cWhy\u201d is the one\u00a0or two outcomes your company needs to achieve most by understanding and developing skills. It can also include how any of the skills data your company generates going forward will be used.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If your L&D team has traditionally used a skills framework designed around roles and titles, keep in mind that it\u2019s most likely highly detailed \u2014 and probably captures more than what\u2019s needed to achieve your \u201cWhy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Going forward, keep it simple. (Remember, just put on your running shoes.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s look at three straightforward and simple skills framework structures that will keep you focused on your \u201cWhy\u201d and help you give employees the direction they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/explore.degreed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Social_2-1280x720-1-1024x576-2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFramework No. 1: Embarking on a New Strategic Direction<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe \u201cWhy\u201d<\/strong>: You\u2019re launching a new enterprise strategy, entering a new industry or expanding established offerings in novel ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Solution<\/strong>: In collaboration with business leaders, take a \u201ctop-down\u201d approach. Identify the critical skills needed to achieve your new strategic objectives, at the enterprise level or enumerated by business each unit. Prioritize skills that are new to your organization and that promise the highest return on investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\nFocusing your framework on critical skills directly tied to your business objectives, rather than \u201cbusiness as usual\u201d skill needs, will provide employees meaningful direction on how they can help achieve organizational outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Framework No. 2: Facilitating Greater Internal Mobility<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe \u201cWhy\u201d:<\/strong> You\u2019re challenged to increase career development opportunities and do a better job addressing talent gaps among your internal hires.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Solution:<\/strong> Organize skills by job family as opposed to individual job roles. How are these categories different? A job family is broader. Let\u2019s say you have the following individual roles: L&D associate manager, L&D manager and L&D director. The job family encompassing all three would be \u201cL&D Manager.\u201d Organizing a skills framework by job family takes significantly less time and fewer resources than by role. Later, you can revisit your framework and create individual profiles for highly specialized roles as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAnother plus is that by identifying top skills and organizing by job family provides enough development guidance for employees and keeps skills easier to activate and enable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Framework No. 3: Gauging Skill Supply Across Your Organization<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe \u201cWhy\u201d: <\/strong>You want to make more informed talent management, performance or acquisition decisions based on workforce capabilities. You want to uncover which skills need to be developed broadly. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Solution: <\/strong>Take a \u201cbottom-up\u201d approach and analyze workforce learning and development data to identify emerging skills. Instead of creating a predefined framework for employees to respond to, encourage them to self-select skills they already have. This will provide you with up-to-date skills data and can reveal skill trends you may not be aware of. In addition, it will enable your learning team to provide employees with more personalized content recommendations that enrich the employee learning experience. When you create your framework, use your skill data to highlight the top emerging skills most relevant to your business goals, to encourage employees to continue updating their skill profiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Skills Framework Do\u2019s and Don\u2019ts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf the L&D equivalent to putting on your running shoes is finding the right skills framework, then you\u2019ll need to explore a few frameworks to find the right fit for your \u201cWhy\u201d. Ultimately, and no matter which approach you choose, remember to keep your skill framework simple, agile, and integrated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Always try to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFramework No. 1: Embarking on a New Strategic Direction<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe \u201cWhy\u201d<\/strong>: You\u2019re launching a new enterprise strategy, entering a new industry or expanding established offerings in novel ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Solution<\/strong>: In collaboration with business leaders, take a \u201ctop-down\u201d approach. Identify the critical skills needed to achieve your new strategic objectives, at the enterprise level or enumerated by business each unit. Prioritize skills that are new to your organization and that promise the highest return on investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\nFocusing your framework on critical skills directly tied to your business objectives, rather than \u201cbusiness as usual\u201d skill needs, will provide employees meaningful direction on how they can help achieve organizational outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Framework No. 2: Facilitating Greater Internal Mobility<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe \u201cWhy\u201d:<\/strong> You\u2019re challenged to increase career development opportunities and do a better job addressing talent gaps among your internal hires.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Solution:<\/strong> Organize skills by job family as opposed to individual job roles. How are these categories different? A job family is broader. Let\u2019s say you have the following individual roles: L&D associate manager, L&D manager and L&D director. The job family encompassing all three would be \u201cL&D Manager.\u201d Organizing a skills framework by job family takes significantly less time and fewer resources than by role. Later, you can revisit your framework and create individual profiles for highly specialized roles as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAnother plus is that by identifying top skills and organizing by job family provides enough development guidance for employees and keeps skills easier to activate and enable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Framework No. 3: Gauging Skill Supply Across Your Organization<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe \u201cWhy\u201d: <\/strong>You want to make more informed talent management, performance or acquisition decisions based on workforce capabilities. You want to uncover which skills need to be developed broadly. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Solution: <\/strong>Take a \u201cbottom-up\u201d approach and analyze workforce learning and development data to identify emerging skills. Instead of creating a predefined framework for employees to respond to, encourage them to self-select skills they already have. This will provide you with up-to-date skills data and can reveal skill trends you may not be aware of. In addition, it will enable your learning team to provide employees with more personalized content recommendations that enrich the employee learning experience. When you create your framework, use your skill data to highlight the top emerging skills most relevant to your business goals, to encourage employees to continue updating their skill profiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Skills Framework Do\u2019s and Don\u2019ts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf the L&D equivalent to putting on your running shoes is finding the right skills framework, then you\u2019ll need to explore a few frameworks to find the right fit for your \u201cWhy\u201d. Ultimately, and no matter which approach you choose, remember to keep your skill framework simple, agile, and integrated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Always try to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Solution<\/strong>: In collaboration with business leaders, take a \u201ctop-down\u201d approach. Identify the critical skills needed to achieve your new strategic objectives, at the enterprise level or enumerated by business each unit. Prioritize skills that are new to your organization and that promise the highest return on investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Focusing your framework on critical skills directly tied to your business objectives, rather than \u201cbusiness as usual\u201d skill needs, will provide employees meaningful direction on how they can help achieve organizational outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201cWhy\u201d:<\/strong> You\u2019re challenged to increase career development opportunities and do a better job addressing talent gaps among your internal hires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Solution:<\/strong> Organize skills by job family as opposed to individual job roles. How are these categories different? A job family is broader. Let\u2019s say you have the following individual roles: L&D associate manager, L&D manager and L&D director. The job family encompassing all three would be \u201cL&D Manager.\u201d Organizing a skills framework by job family takes significantly less time and fewer resources than by role. Later, you can revisit your framework and create individual profiles for highly specialized roles as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another plus is that by identifying top skills and organizing by job family provides enough development guidance for employees and keeps skills easier to activate and enable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201cWhy\u201d: <\/strong>You want to make more informed talent management, performance or acquisition decisions based on workforce capabilities. You want to uncover which skills need to be developed broadly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Solution: <\/strong>Take a \u201cbottom-up\u201d approach and analyze workforce learning and development data to identify emerging skills. Instead of creating a predefined framework for employees to respond to, encourage them to self-select skills they already have. This will provide you with up-to-date skills data and can reveal skill trends you may not be aware of. In addition, it will enable your learning team to provide employees with more personalized content recommendations that enrich the employee learning experience. When you create your framework, use your skill data to highlight the top emerging skills most relevant to your business goals, to encourage employees to continue updating their skill profiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the L&D equivalent to putting on your running shoes is finding the right skills framework, then you\u2019ll need to explore a few frameworks to find the right fit for your \u201cWhy\u201d. Ultimately, and no matter which approach you choose, remember to keep your skill framework simple, agile, and integrated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Always try to: <\/p>\n\n\n\nFramework No. 2: Facilitating Greater Internal Mobility<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Framework No. 3: Gauging Skill Supply Across Your Organization<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Skills Framework Do\u2019s and Don\u2019ts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n