Talent Edge Weekly - Issue #317

Four talent management paradoxes; merging work and learning; succession planning transparency diagnostic; skills-based talent practices; and women in the workplace.

Author

Brian Heger
October 05, 2025

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Welcome to this week’s issue of Talent Edge Weekly!

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THIS WEEK'S CONTENT

Below are links and descriptions of the topics covered in this issue. If you're interested in my deep dive, you can read the full newsletter.

Also, check out my job cuts tracker & Chief HR Officer move of the week.

Let’s dive in! ⬇️

THIS WEEK'S EDGE 

TALENT MANAGEMENT

Highlights how organizations can leverage four talent paradoxes into competitive advantages, including using scenario-based workforce planning.

As talent challenges become increasingly complex, they continue to create a number of paradoxes in talent management—situations with seemingly contradictory qualities that organizations must now learn to manage, rather than avoid. In this BCG article, the authors outline how organizations can overcome four major talent paradoxes: 1) predictability (how to plan for the future when talent needs evolve faster than skills can be built), 2) scarcity (why companies face talent shortages even amid abundant labor pools), 3) skills (how to keep pace when needed capabilities change faster than traditional learning can adapt), and 4) motivation (how to engage individuals whose needs, preferences, and motivations differ widely). For example, to address the predictability paradox, one approach is through scenario-based strategic workforce planning (SWP), where organizations anticipate multiple “what if” scenarios rather than reacting after the fact. While many companies use scenario planning for finance and operations, few apply it to SWP. Although scenario planning varies widely in sophistication—often enabled by technology and analytics—simply discussing scenarios and possible responses to gain directional insights is a valuable starting point. With this as the backdrop, I’m resharing my one-page cheat sheet, which includes questions that help translate “what if” business scenarios into directionally correct talent actions.

LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

Explores how Chief Learning Officers and their teams can embed learning directly into the flow of work, turning it into a driver of employee growth and organizational performance.

As technology continues to reshape work, the next frontier in employee learning and development (L&D) isn’t about new courses or content; it’s about designing work so that L&D is embedded in the actual work itself. In this new McKinsey article, the authors show how Chief Learning Officers (CLOs) can lead this shift by architecting work environments where employees build skills, receive feedback, and learn continuously—turning everyday work into a driver of organizational growth. Enabled by technology, data, and a culture of continuous development, CLOs are creating systems that embed learning directly into the way work is done. A few examples: AI-powered coaching tools that guide call center agents in real time with suggested actions and feedback on tone and empathy; gen-AI evaluation systems that help managers reduce bias, align feedback to competencies, and strengthen coaching quality; smart-coaching in project-management tools that surface stretch assignments to expand skills; and reflection engines in procurement systems that prompt professionals to review trade-offs and decisions after negotiations, turning documentation into learning insights. As these changes take hold, CLOs will also need to rethink the metrics used to demonstrate business impact—focusing on how learning in the flow of work influences outcomes such as faster time to market, greater efficiency, and higher revenue growth. Other ideas are discussed.

SUCCESSION PLANNING

My one-page slide can be used to think through the right level of succession transparency for an organization.

Excerpt slide from Talent Edge Circle

How transparent should organizations be with employees about their succession planning status? This is one of the most debated questions in succession planning. The concerns many have range from too little transparency, which can leave high-potential employees disengaged, to too much, creating entitlement or disappointment if plans change. While many assume there’s a single right answer, organizations often adopt different transparency philosophies—such as Limited Transparency (successors not informed), Partial Transparency (focusing on development rather than naming successor roles), or Full Transparency (successors being informed of their roles). There are no absolute right or wrong approaches—it’s about making the best decision for your organization given its context and influencing factors. To help you think through these factors, I’ve included one of my slides from the Talent Edge Circle—my private community for internal HR practitioners—featuring a 9-component diagnostic with reflection questions. Each component (e.g., culture, risk tolerance, process maturity) includes descriptors for limited, partial, and full transparency. You can click the radio button in the column that best represents your organization and then review where most checks fall to identify which level of transparency your organization leans toward. Use this as a conversation starter—not a prescriptive answer. In the Talent Edge Circle, we’ll also discuss how transparency decisions and messaging vary by situation, such as when someone is a successor for multiple roles, a top candidate for a key position, or serves as an emergency successor.

SKILLS

Research exploring four building blocks for implementing skills-based talent practices within an organization.

In this Organizational Dynamics article, authors David Collings and John McMackin outline how a skills-first HR approach—where organizations prioritize skills over education or experience—can drive strategic agility and business sustainability. The authors argue that traditional job-based HR models are too rigid for today’s volatile environment, and that skills-first HR helps organizations match talent more dynamically to business needs while improving internal mobility. Drawing on research with 24 multinational firms, they identify four building blocks for implementation: 1) establishing a shared skills taxonomy, 2) conducting a skills audit, 3) applying demand modeling, and 4) reducing structural barriers that limit internal mobility. The last is especially critical, as organizations may overlook barriers that can undermine even the best internal mobility strategies, processes, and technology. For example, many organizations still rely on complex job descriptions that become outdated quickly, creating rigid “job demarcation” and making it harder to redeploy people where their skills are most needed. One solution highlighted in the article is Mastercard’s “Guilds” model—11 guilds for 33,000 employees—where employees are grouped into broad, skill-based communities supported by learning academies, enabling them to move fluidly across opportunities while maintaining a sense of belonging and structure. To help practitioners identify additional barriers that may limit internal mobility, I’m resharing my one-page editable worksheet, which helps identify the presence of nine common barriers to internal mobility, allowing for targeted actions to be taken in response.

WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE

A new 37-page report explores key factors shaping women’s workplace experiences, highlighting insights on retention, advancement, flexibility, and well-being.

This new 37-page report presents findings from Deloitte’s Fifth Annual Survey on Women in the Workplace, based on feedback from approximately 7,500 women across 15 countries. It examines critical workplace and societal factors influencing women’s careers and is organized into four sections: health and well-being; household responsibilities and care; key retention factors; and personal safety and experiences of non-inclusive behaviors. While the full report offers many insights, several from the retention section stand out in particular. Around four in ten respondents expect to stay with their employer for one to two years, with an additional 4% currently looking for a new role and 2% expecting to leave their job within six months (voluntarily or involuntarily). When asked what their employers could do to support their success at work, the top three responses were: provide opportunities to advance (43%); offer flexible working for all employees, regardless of gender or caregiving responsibilities (37%); and ensure they are not regularly working beyond agreed hours (32%). There is a lot to review in this report, so I encourage you to read through it to benefit from all of the insights and takeaways it provides, and the full context in which the results are presented.

AI AND THE WORKFORCE

A 135-page playbook outlines practical strategies, frameworks, and tools to help organizations build, assess, and strengthen AI-related workforce capabilities.

Developed by the AI Workforce Consortium—led by Cisco and includes companies such as IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and Google—the playbook offers tools to support AI workforce readiness. Its five sections provide a useful roadmap: 1) Targeted Upskilling & Reskilling Programs—focused learning aligned with strategy and workforce priorities; 2) Data Quality & Integrity Foundations—practices for data quality, integrity, and metadata management to support AI implementation; 3) AI Interaction Skills—cultivating skills employees need to effectively work with AI tools; 4) Framework for Assessing AI Adoption & Skilling Progress—structured approaches to evaluate adoption and workforce development; and 5) Change Management & Governance—robust change management, communication, and governance to guide transformation and drive engagement.

JOB CUTS AND LAYOFF TRACKER

Check out my tracker of announcements from a segment of organizations that have conducted job cuts and layoffs since the start of 2023.

A few job cuts announced this past week:

  • ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM). The oil giant announced plans to cut 2,000 jobs—about 3% to 4% of its global workforce—as part of a long-term restructuring aimed at reducing annual costs by billions.

  • Paycom. The online payroll services and HR software solutions provider is laying off over 500 workers, as many of the positions are set to be replaced by AI.

  • Lufthansa Group. The German airline announced plans to cut 4,000 jobs by 2030, primarily in administrative roles, as part of a restructuring effort to reduce costs and adapt to digitalization and AI.

Click here to access my tracker with all announcements.

CHIEF HR OFFICER MOVE OF THE WEEK

This past week, 11 new Chief HR Officer announcements were posted on CHROs on the Go, my subscription-based platform tracking movement in and out of the CHRO role.  

This week’s CHRO move of the week is:

  • Jersey Mike's Subs (MANASQUAN, NEW JERSEY)—a leading franchisor of fast-casual sandwich shops —announced the appointment of Betsy Mercado as the Company's first Chief People Officer, effective immediately. Most recently, Betsy served as Chief People Officer at Flynn Group, the world's largest franchise operator, overseeing HR operations for a 100-member team supporting more than 2,700 restaurants and fitness clubs nationwide.

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CHROs on the Go has over 4,500 archived announcements in its online platform, with new announcements added daily!

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FROM ME ON LINKEDIN

Catch up on what you may have missed from me on LinkedIn:

THE BEST OF SEPTEMBER 2025

SPONSORED BY

Did you miss the “Best of September ” issue of Talent Edge Weekly? If so, check out issue #316, which includes the most popular resources from the month.

Thank you to SuccessionHR, who sponsored the Best of September.

👉️ Join SuccessionHR for a 30-min webinar, October 22 at 1PM EST, where you’ll:

  • Get an in-depth look of the SuccessionHR software

  • Identify key risks in succession planning

  • Explore proven succession planning best practices

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

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