***Check out Gloat's comprehensive 25-page guide, The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Skills-Based Organization.

Here is an abridged version of issue 273—The Best of November of Talent Edge Weekly. The abridged version:

• only includes links and brief descriptions of the 19 sources covered

• does not include my in-depth review

• does not include bonus resources

• is for those who just want easy access to the 19 resources.

You can access the full version of issue 273 HERE at any time!

I. WORKPLACE STRATEGIES

Chief HR Officer priorities and concerns, untapped talent segments, supporting caregivers, improving employee retention, implementing DEI practices, and hybrid work.

• Mercer’s 2024 Voice of the CHRO Report | Mercer | Insights into the perspectives of CHROs on their key concerns, challenges, and opportunities.

• Glassdoor Worklife Trends 2025 | Glassdoor's Economic Research | Highlights 5 worklife trends for 2025 and beyond, including greater access to mental health and well-being benefits.

• Hidden Talent: Examples of Untapped Talent Segments | Brian Heger | My infographic with 8 examples of talent segments that might get overlooked and signs that an organization might miss out on these talent sources.

• Your Employees Are Also Caregivers. Here’s How to Support Them | Harvard Business Review | Highlights strategies organizations can implement to better support their workers who are caregivers.

• Why Employees Quit | Harvard Business Review | Highlights research on how employee retention tactics fall short and offers suggested practices for improving retention. I share a bonus resource.

• How Integrating DEI Into Strategy Lifts Performance | MIT Sloan Management Review | Provides a framework for bundling eight different types of DEI practices to achieve better outcomes. Bonus resources shared.

• One Company A/B Tested Hybrid Work. Here’s What They Found | Harvard Business Review | Shares findings from a study on hybrid work and its impact on performance, productivity, and employee retention.

II. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT, TALENT REVIEWS, & SUCCESSION

Questions for evaluating year-end performance, identifying opportunities to enhance talent review practices, and strengthening succession planning.

• Performance Calibration Discussions: 10 Questions to Help Managers Reflect on Employees’ Year-End Performance | Brian Heger | My infographic with sample questions to help managers evaluate performance.

• Research: Performance Reviews That Actually Motivate Employees | Harvard Business Review | Research on how performance review formats, particularly narrative feedback, impact perceptions of fairness. Includes bonus resources.

• Does Your Talent Review Process Need a Review of Its Own? | Brian Heger | My template to help practitioners identify opportunities to enhance the impact of their talent review practices. Includes two bonus resources.  

• Succession Planning: Tackling 3 Critical Challenges | Brian Heger | My new infographic addresses three fundamental challenges in succession planning, such as lack of succession depth.

• Succession Planning Diagnostic Template | Brian Heger | My worksheet to identify improvement opportunities in 10 areas of succession.

III. SKILLS-BASED TALENT PRACTICES

Implementing skills-based practices, fostering cultures that support these strategies, and measuring their impact on organizational outcomes. 

• Cisco's Skills-First Success: A Powerful Playbook for the Private Sector | OneTen | A new 22-page paper examines Cisco's efforts to adopt a skills-first hiring approach.

• Cultivating a Skills-Based Culture | Business Roundtable | Shares lessons from companies that have worked to cultivate a culture that supports skills-based talent practices.

• Measuring Skills in the Age of Agile Work | Mercer | Shares insights on approaches for validating skills within a workforce.

• Measuring the Impact of Skills-Based Talent Initiatives | Business Roundtable | A new guide to help organizations quantify the impact of skills-based talent initiatives.

IV. AI IN THE WORKPLACE

Implications of AI in the workplace, including its effects on labor markets and job demand, upskilling initiatives, and four key GenAI scenarios to consider.

• Research: How Gen AI Is Already Impacting the Labor Market | Harvard Business Review | Shares findings from a study on how Gen AI is impacting labor markets, skills, and demand for certain jobs.

• Five Must-Haves for Effective AI Upskilling | BCG | Shares tactics for implementing AI upskilling efforts that drive meaningful business impact, including outcome measurement and practical examples.

• Four Futures of Generative AI in The Enterprise: Scenario Planning for Strategic Resilience and Adaptability | Deloitte Center for Integrated Research | Shares 4 scenarios on the possible evolution of GenAI and its potential impact on organizations between now and 2027.

RESOURCE LINEUP

​​brianheger.com provides free access to +1,300 curated articles, research reports, podcasts, etc. that help practitioners drive better business results through strategic human resources and talent management.

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​Talent Edge Weekly is a free weekly newsletter that brings together the best talent and strategic human resources insights from various sources. It is published every Sunday at 6 PM EST.

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Talent Edge Weekly is written by Brian Heger, a human resources practitioner. You can connect with Brian on Linkedin, X, and brianheger.com.