Being a jack of all trades and a master of none used to put professionals at a disadvantage. But in today’s dynamic employment landscape, individuals with a diversified skill set are sharing the stage with specialists. Enter the age of the skills-first approach.
The skills-first approach is a transformative solution to employment challenges across the board. Removing traditional qualifications, such as academic requirements, could create a more inclusive labor market and empower individuals regardless of country, race, and gender—all while addressing global unemployment and labor shortages.
At the corporate level, embracing a skills-first approach allows companies to expand their talent pool and match candidates to the specific skills required for a job posting, as reported by LinkedIn in “Skills-First: Reimagining the Labor Market and Breaking Down Barriers 2023.” Moreover, the shift could increase a company’s chances of reaching financial targets by 63%, according to findings from the World Economic Forum (WEF) in “Putting Skills First: A Framework for Action.”
Here are the action areas for organizations based on the World Economic Forum’s proposed initial framework for systematically implementing skills-first practices:
Identify current and future skills needs and gaps and map skills to work tasks.
Articulate skills needed in job descriptions, and leverage and recognize innovative skills assessment methods.
Co-develop and co-deliver skills-based training programs with industry, learning providers, and government.
Boost lifelong learning and access to skills-based learning opportunities.
Create skills-based pathways for development and redeployment.
The WEF’s data also shows that a skills-first approach could enable over 100 million people to fully utilize their capabilities across different global economies. Furthermore, the WEF suggests that a wide variety of individuals will benefit, including those whose jobs are becoming obsolete as a result of advances in technology as well as people from different walks of life, including migrants and refugees who are struggling to be recognized in their host countries, parents and caretakers who have taken breaks to support their families, and people with disabilities who have face discrimination when it comes to showcasing their skills.
The spreading movement appears to be a relevant response to the findings of the WEF’s Future of Jobs Report for 2023, which underscores the urgency for businesses to address the skills gap as they compete to fill “the jobs of tomorrow.”
The game plan for workers is clear: Gain competencies for their preferred job or industry or choose from today’s most in-demand skills and build a “portfolio of skills”. According to LinkedIn’s data, since 2015, the skills that employees need for a specific job have changed by about 25%, and by 2027, that figure is projected to double.
Adopting a skills-first strategy will trigger changes in different areas of an organization, from talent development to performance measurement. It will amplify the call for a holistic approach to implementing employee performance management systems.
It is important to keep in mind that while employers are seeking candidates with abilities akin to a Swiss Army knife, it is equally important for these individuals to continuously learn and ensure that each of their tools is finely tuned to function effectively.
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Editor’s Note: This was originally published in Performance Magazine Issue No. 28, 2024 – Employee Performance Edition.
In recent years, the global labor market has faced a challenging mix of health crises, economic turbulence, and geopolitical uncertainties, with vulnerable populations most severely affected. In response, companies are taking on greater roles in supporting vulnerable groups while championing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The surge in companies adopting DEI programs underscores the growing recognition of DEI as a strategic imperative and a driver for improving work performance.
DEI is a framework that promotes fair treatment and equal opportunities for all employees across a spectrum of protected characteristics, including age, race, religion, gender, and more. The three components of DEI are deeply intertwined (see Figure 1). Each plays a role in establishing workplaces where all employees can thrive. They cannot be addressed as stand-alone criteria, requiring a collective approach to create a truly inclusive and equitable workplace.
The significant value and impact of DEI in various aspects of work make it a moral imperative and an essential strategic requirement that businesses must not underestimate or overlook.
For instance, the “2022 Global Inclusion and Diversity Transparency Report” by intelligent power management company Eaton emphasized the success of its Stretch Assignment Marketplace (SAM), where diverse teams of employees handled 86 business challenges across multiple areas. Employees can select projects that interest them, with up to six people per team allowed six months to finish each challenge. Notably, the company saw an 18% increase in the number of projects submitted compared to the previous year. One of Eaton’s notable achievements is its inclusion in Newsweek’s 2023 Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplaces® list and certification by Great Place to Work® in 2023.
In the US, a survey conducted in early 2023 among 4,744 workers revealed that the majority of those whose workplaces offer specific policies or resources related to DEI reported a somewhat or very positive impact on their work. Meanwhile, in a Worldwide ERC® study of more than 600 top HR leaders, 98% responded that their organization has a DEI strategy in place, highlighting its value in the worldwide market.
According to Global Industry Analysts Inc.’s report, the global market for Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), estimated at US$7.5 billion in 2020, is expected to rise to US$15.4 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 12.6% throughout the forecast period.
As cited in the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) report “Transforming enterprises through diversity and inclusion,” several studies have demonstrated that organizations fostering diverse and inclusive cultures consistently perform well, exhibiting enhanced adaptability, productivity, and resilience. The ILO conducted a survey in 2021 in which respondents were asked to identify the primary “drivers for action” on D&I that have the most significant impact on their companies (see Figure 2). The findings suggest that DEI initiatives correlate with both employee and overall business performance. In fact, 39% of respondents credited such initiatives with improving overall company performance.
This finding holds true because diverse teams bring together individuals with different backgrounds and perspectives. Diversity leads to innovative outcomes when combined with an inclusive culture that encourages employees to contribute their ideas. Moreover, inclusive workplaces instill a sense of belonging among all employees, regardless of their characteristics. Feeling valued and supported translates into increased engagement and motivation.
DEI-focused companies are appealing to job seekers, especially those from underrepresented groups. Recruiting leaders from diverse backgrounds also sets a powerful example of an inclusive leadership culture. Inclusive organizations tend to retain employees for longer. Reduced employee turnover saves time and cuts back on the costs associated with recruitment and training new staff.
Key Performance Indicators for DEI Programs
To fully harness DEI’s positive impact, organizations must not only implement dedicated programs but also rigorously measure their effectiveness. Thoughtfully selected key performance indicators (KPIs) enable companies to assess outcomes, monitor progress, and align DEI efforts with their goals.
Figure 3 is an example of how organizations can monitor and enhance their DEI practices using The KPI Institute’s structured approach as outlined in their Terminology Standards. Each objective is aligned with specific initiatives and their corresponding KPIs, highlighting the essential link between setting DEI objectives, implementing well-defined initiatives, and tracking their outcomes. Moreover, the initiatives outlined in the table are characterized by their practicality and adaptability, making them applicable to a wide spectrum of industries and organizational structures.
Figure 3. DEI Initiatives and KPI Examples Arranged According to The KPI Institute’s Terminology Standards | Examples From Forbes, 2022; and Qooper, 2023
DEI in Action: the Comerica Bank Experience
Comerica Bank, dubbed by Newsweek as one of “America’s Most Responsible Companies,” has implemented several initiatives to foster inclusivity and promote diversity across all levels of the workplace. Some of them are the following:
Executive Diversity Committee (EDC): Composed of executive leadership, this committee develops and implements the organization’s DEI strategy. Its purpose is to address key issues, such as talent attraction and retention and the growth of a diverse workforce.
Diversity Recruiting Strategy: Comerica aims to prioritize creating a well-qualified and diverse applicant pool that mirrors the markets it serves. The bank forms partnerships and sponsors recruiting events with organizations supporting vulnerable communities.
Education: The DEI Education Council was formed to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion on a corporate-wide scale. This initiative hosts programs, events, and activities that aim to nurture a culturally competent organization. DEI education is mandatory for all Comerica employees.
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): Comerica aims to encourage the formation of ERGs. These groups provide a platform for colleagues to connect, share experiences, and contribute to DEI efforts.
Supplier Diversity: Comerica also works on cultivating a diverse supplier base and supporting businesses owned by individuals from vulnerable groups. The bank’s standard agreements with suppliers enforce Comerica’s non-discrimination and diversity practices.
Figure 4. A Compilation of Comerica’s Results for DEI Initiatives | Adapted From Comerica DEI Report
Figure 4 shows Comerica’s DEI metrics as of the end of 2022. According to Comerica’s DEI report, the figures reflect the progress achieved by implementing the company’s DEI initiatives.
Comerica’s commitment to DEI initiatives has seemingly delivered positive results, benefiting its workforce and bolstering its reputation as a diversity and inclusion advocate. This commitment has been recognized by national and regional organizations and publications, placing Comerica “among the top US companies for its efforts to recognize and support DEI practice,” as stated in the report.
Comerica also utilizes an Annual Diversity Scorecard as a quantitative measurement tool to track progress toward documented short-term and long-term goals (see Figure 5). In the same report, the company states that every senior officer within the company, including executive officers, is responsible for contributing toward achieving their goals annually, directly affecting their performance rating and compensation. According to Comerica, all business units met their DEI performance targets in 2022.
Figure 5. Comerica’s Annual Diversity Scorecard | Adapted From Comerica DEI Report
Long-Term Commitment
Despite the growing recognition of DEI, challenges persist. Some companies tend to favor short-term, superficial solutions over comprehensive initiatives capable of driving lasting change. For genuine success, organizations must commit to driving positive change through a strategic approach to DEI, making it an integral part of their organizational culture. Companies must realize that DEI is a long-term commitment, necessitating continuous initiatives, dedicated budgets, and adequate resources.
Furthermore, it is important to prioritize the long-term outcomes of DEI initiatives over immediate outputs, while realizing that measuring progress should encompass not only quantitative KPIs but also qualitative insights that capture the sentiments and experiences of employees. It is through this transformative approach that organizations have the potential to craft inclusive, empowering workplaces that enable employees from all walks of life to thrive.
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Editor’s Note: This was originally published in Performance Magazine Issue No. 28, 2024 – Employee Performance Edition.
“An organization’s ability to learn and translate that learning into action rapidly is the ultimate competitive advantage.” This insight from General Electric (GE) Chairman and CEO Jack Welch captures a fundamental truth in today’s fast-paced business environment—where a strong performance culture rooted in continuous improvement can drive innovation and adaptability. Several studies consistently show the tremendous benefits of such a culture across various areas of business, from performance to innovation, and trends further validate this.
Personalized development plans are the result of performance culture, empowering employees to grow within inclusive, diverse, and tech-enabled ecosystems. Leading firms are also leveraging hybrid learning models tailored to individual and organizational needs, making education an integrated, adaptive journey crucial to business agility and innovation.
Meanwhile, employees in high-performing organizations are encouraged to adapt and reinvent themselves by fostering an attitude of constant learning. Through the development of a growth mindset, curiosity, and an openness to failure and experimentation, experiment-and-learn environments promote personal development and progress. An example of this culture is Google’s 20 percent time policy, which encourages staff members to dedicate time to their own ideas. This approach contributed to the creation of innovations such as Gmail and Google Maps, among others.
Similarly, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s transformation of company culture in 2014 from competitive to learning-focused further illustrates the impact of this approach. By encouraging continuous learning, fostering a growth mindset, and empowering cross-functional teams through initiatives like Microsoft Learn and Hackathons, Nadella’s leadership has led to a resurgence in both innovation and profitability.
While these trends reveal ideas that can help build a performance culture, the biggest challenge is determining what such a culture actually looks like and how to sustain it, rather than having it be just a one-off initiative. To gain clarity, an organization should rethink its approach to performance culture and continuously improve it to make sure that the right people, behaviors, and systems are in place.
According to the Global Performance Audit Unit (GPA Unit)—a division of The KPI Institute specializing in strategy and performance management system (PMS) maturity assessments—what makes developing a high-performance culture tricky is that it extends beyond strategy and performance management systems. The GPA Unit states that, “With no actual framework to lay down its fundamentals, the performance culture is a holistic impersonation of the strategy and performance management system. While more than many organizations associate a high-performance culture with the proper working environment, there is much more to the concept than a friendly office, random perks, and casual benefits.”
A performance culture is characterized by solid employee engagement, continuous learning and development, an aligned performance management system, inclusive environment and workforce diversity, effective leadership and relationship management, sustainable work-life balance, and a commitment to the principles of governance, responsibility, and high accountability.
In addition, the GPA Unit emphasizes that people analytics and data-driven strategies have been providing useful insights into the core components required to transform culture from a collection of superficial perks to a more strategic aspect of an organization.
Measuring culture with KPIs – KPI results can help identify strengths and weaknesses in the existing organizational culture and facilitate decision-making to drive improvement.
Actively using culture surveys – Simple yet meaningful culture surveys can collect employee sentiment and feedback, becoming the perfect internal assessment tool.
Building on talent data and HR analytics – People analytics equips leadership with insight on talent recruitment and development, employee performance, and retention.
Relying on the performance management system to strengthen alignment – A structured and coherent performance management system will ensure that the performance culture is aligned with the strategic mission and values of the organization while maintaining focus, agility, communication, collaboration, and well-being.
This approach suggests that a performance culture does not mold employees who are simply focused on performing tasks but are also growing in ways that support the organization’s long-term strategic goals.
Assessing Performance Culture Maturity
How can an organization determine whether its performance culture is sufficient and sustainable enough to achieve continuous improvement? The GPA Unit recommends the use of the Performance Culture Maturity Model Framework v1.0 to ensure a systematic, scalable approach to building and evaluating organizational and individual competencies. Using this system also allows organizations to identify its culture’s strengths and weaknesses and nurtures the right cultural elements.
The expected behavior of this framework focuses on establishing a cycle of continuous learning, measurable development milestones, and strategic alignment of skills with core business objectives. One of the framework’s key dimensions exemplifying this is Education and Knowledge. By integrating this dimension, organizations move through stages of maturity from ad hoc learning efforts to an optimized, fully integrated culture of performance.
As organizations mature, best practices such as continuous feedback loops, knowledge-sharing platforms, and leadership-driven learning initiatives become embedded in their DNA. For example, as organizations progress, the expected behavior transitions from static skill development programs to dynamic, adaptive learning ecosystems that respond to industry demands. This shift encourages employees to engage in cross-functional knowledge-sharing initiatives, develop expertise aligned with market needs, and accelerate personal and organizational growth.
The other dimensions of the framework are Integrated Performance Capability, Communication and Leadership Support, Creativity and Education, Education & Knowledge, Benefits & Recognition, and Happiness & Well-Being.
The journey toward a mature performance culture isn’t a quick fix—it’s a continuous evolution fueled by a commitment to learning and an openness to change. When employees are empowered to develop their skills and contribute their insights, they become not just participants but catalysts of transformation.
The execution of a strategy hinges upon proper performance evaluation. Predicting future internal and external conditions, tracking performance compared to goals, and making wise decisions all depend on an understanding of and identification with management strategy.Thus, companies that employ strategic decision-making have to review and improve their performance measurement practices to guarantee the effectiveness of their policies.
In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region—an area defined by diverse landscapes, cultures, and economies—performance measurement practices have evolved considerably. The region has undergone significant transformations in recent years, driven by economic diversification, geopolitical developments, and rapid technological advancements. These dynamics have aggravated the need for effective strategic performance measurements that are both adaptable and able to produce quantifiable results in fast-changing surroundings.
According to theState of Strategy Management Practice Report2024 published by the KPI Institute (TKI), insights from over 90 organizations across MENA reveal trends and strategies for building smarter performance measurement systems. This annual report includes data, expert insights, and advice from leaders in top organizations, offering a comprehensive overview of current best practices in the region.
Companies in the MENA region have adopted more flexible methodologies like OKRs alongside tried-and-tested frameworks like the balanced scorecard (BSC). The BSC is still rather popular, but the adoption of OKRs jumped to 34% in 2024 from 20% in 2023. This change represents an increasing demand for adaptability and short-term goal-setting, which helps businesses solve current problems while maintaining alignment with long-term objectives. Hybrid systems were developed by about26% of firms in 2024, indicating a trend toward more flexible performance evaluation practices.
The fact that 57% of companies were already using key performance indicators (KPIs) in 2024 to evaluate staff performance shows a trend toward metrics that focus on the workers. A balanced emphasis on operational efficiency and strategic results is shown by how companies in the MENA region follow practices such as operational and process monitoring (51%), followed closely by corporate performance evaluation (48%).
However, it is also worth noting that the report found that the capability to select relevant KPIs has dropped from 3.4 in 2023 to 3.2 in 2024 (on a scale of 1 to 5), showing a declining ability to find metrics that are linked with strategic objectives. Furthermore, a 5% reduction in KPI relevance to a modest level of 3.1 indicates a widening gap between KPIs and actual organizational performance.
Challenges and Recommendations in Performance Measurement
The report highlights that selecting and aligning KPIs remains the top challenge for organizations. The process is further complicated by the fact that only 28% of organizations in the MENA region utilize dedicated KPI management tools, resulting in inconsistent data collection and sluggish decision-making.
If MENA businesses are to rise above these challenges, TKI recommends using business transformation KPIs to allow companies to enhance performance evaluation considerably. These KPIs track more general organizational changes, including behavioral changes, return on investment (ROI), and staff acceptance rates, rather than conventional measurements, providing a better view of the course of transformation projects. Tracking the percentage of employees actively involved in scheduled adjustments, for instance, helps one understand the workforce’s commitment to the strategic goal.
Another important transformation KPI is performance management maturity. By assessing how well the organization alters its performance management systems over time, this metric provides a baseline for ongoing improvement and illustrates a holistic picture of the business’s transformation route. Such a KPI can be generated as an index through a comprehensive performance audit.
Many companies realize that performance evaluation mostly depends on identifying one statistic to guide decisions. True success in measurement, however, depends onstructure and clarity, which are needed to support decisions that reflect the company’s strategic goals at all levels.
Recognizing the unique challenges in the MENA region, the GPA Unit—a division of TKI that specializes in strategy and performance audits—has developed a comprehensive toolkit dubbed Performance Measurement Maturity Model Framework V1.0, which is designed to address essential areas of performance measurement. This framework empowers organizations to tackle common KPI challenges, providing a structured pathway toward maturity in KPI management. By focusing on core areas—KPI selection, documentation, target setting, data gathering and visualization, and robust governance—this framework guides organizations from basic practices to a mature, data-driven approach.
In the last few years, The KPI Institute (TKI) has supported several organizations with the implementation of a hybrid performance management system (PMS), namely a hybrid between a KPI-based framework and OKRs. This is especially useful for entities that want to benefit from a more agile approach to performance management while still retaining part of the control offered by a more stable framework, such as the Balanced Scorecard (BSC). A hybrid methodology was also seen as an option by organizations that were already using a PMS but were not willing to undergo a complete framework change.
The majority of clients that chose this solution as opposed to solely deploying OKRs were already working with a BSC and had prior knowledge of KPIs and the field of performance in general but felt the need to update their framework and incorporate the latest developments from the field into their practices.
Most of our clients that implemented a hybrid solution were facing challenges, mostly at the operational and individual levels. Due to a fast-changing environment, their operations had to learn to adjust with a higher frequency; therefore, a system that encourages such changes and operates within a shorter timeframe became more desirable.
At the individual level, the increasing percentage of millennials and Gen-Z in the workplace made it a necessity to deploy a value-based PMS that not only relies on committed results and business as usual but takes into account employees’ ambitions as well as actively includes them in the setting process of all objectives and results.
Solution
The solution we proposed and the integration of the two systems are usually highly dependent on the specific needs of the client as well as their organizational structure, external stakeholders—especially in the case of governmental entities—or environmental requirements.
The usual stages of a hybrid PMS deployment are as follows, but these are subject to change depending on each project’s specifics:
Needs analysis
Design and documentation of the hybrid PMS at all levels
Education of all stakeholders on the hybrid PMS
Implementation
Reinforcement through communication campaigns or review meetings, among others
A project as described above for a medium-sized organization of around 100-150 employees—if the individual level is included in the project—can take up to one year.
Key Success Factors
The key success factors of implementing any hybrid system are, first and foremost, its compatibility with the organization’s scenario, followed by top management sponsorship, and employees’ openness to learning and operating with two philosophies merged into one.
The hybrid solution that we recommend is easier to use and more versatile; therefore, it can work for most organizations. It is compatible with the BSC on the corporate level, where stability and committed, longer-term objectives are needed, followed by OKRs on the operational levels, where agility is mostly needed. However, this must be customized depending on the organization’s needs and aims.
Alignment
Ensuring alignment between different organizational levels while using a hybrid PMS relies almost exclusively on effective communication between the representatives of those levels. This ensures that by the time the lower level needs to set their performance components, they fully understand what needs to be achieved at the higher level and what their contribution looks like, equipping them for the alignment process.
Response
In most cases, employees are slightly reluctant to accept a hybrid system during the first phase, especially since it is, by default, more complicated than working with only one framework. However, after intensive training and discussions, most of our clients’ employees embraced the idea of a hybrid system and can see the benefits it brings them, such as people-centricity, flexibility, and measuring their value-add or the simple fact that they can be involved and listened to when setting the system’s components.
About the Guest Expert: Alina Miertoiu is a Senior Management Consultant at The KPI Institute. She facilitates on-site and off-site consultancy on OKRs and BSC frameworks in various industries and conducts training courses on OKRs, KPIs, Performance Management, and Benchmarking. She is a PhD candidate in the field of OKRs and Performance Management at Babes-Bolyai University.
Editor’s Note: This was originally published in Performance Magazine Issue No. 28, 2024 – Employee Performance Edition.
