The essential dictionary to adopt a "Skills-First" or "Skills-Based Organization" approach.
The approach to managing organizations through skills or "skills-based organization" or "SBO" is multidimensional. This is what stakeholders in this type of project quickly realize. To avoid becoming unwieldy and getting lost, a phased implementation strategy is always required. And to start well, you must understand the dimensions of a skills-based approach.
Mastering the "SBO" vocabulary is therefore essential to communicate effectively with your teams, your technology partners and your consultants.
This comprehensive dictionary offers you a clear and precise definition of the fundamental concepts that shape the future of talent management.
Whether you are a CHRO, talent director, or organizational development expert, this guide will allow you to navigate with confidence in the roadmap of your SBO transformation.
How this dictionary is organized:
-
This dictionary constitutes a comprehensive reference to navigate in the universe of "Skills-Based Organizations".
-
Each concept interconnects with others to form a coherent ecosystem that will transform your approach to skills management, talents and organizational capabilities.
-
At NexaRH, we master these concepts and accompany you in their practical implementation to enhance your SBO transformation.
Table of Contents
SECTION 1 – Skills-based management philosophies
1 – Skills-Based Organization
2 – Skills-Based Organization Strategy
3 – Skills-Based Recruiting
4 – Skills-Based Learning
5 – Skills-Based Succession
6 – Skills-Based Workforce Planning
7 – Agile Skills Matching & Allocation
8 – Skills-Based Performance and Goals
9 – Task Intelligence
10 – Inventory of Organizational Capabilities
11 – Dynamic Skills Intelligence
12 – Talent Intelligence
13 – Precision Training / Precision Training
14 – Skill Signals
15 – Multi-dimensional Skills Assessment
SECTION 2 – The driving forces to adopt an "SBO" approach
16 – Upskilling
17 – Reskilling
18 – Skills Supply & Demand Analytics
19 – Emerging Skills
20 – Speed Skilling
21 – Learning in the Flow of Work / Learning in the Flow of Work
SECTION 3 – Concepts specific to the "SBO" approach
22 – Competency Framework
23 – External Taxonomy
24 – Internal Taxonomy
25 – Skills Ontology
26 – Skills Inference
27 – Skills Adjacency
28 – Cross-Functional Skills
SECTION 4 – The foundations to deploy and operate an "SBO" approach
29 – Job Architecture
30 – Position Architecture
31 – Skills Architecture
32 – Skills Data
33 – Job Description
34 – Job Posting
➡️ SECTION 5 – Talent management practices supporting the "SBO" approach
35 – Internal Mobility
36 – Career Aspiration
37 – Career Path
38 – Personal Development Plan
39 – Learning Academies
SECTION 6 – Technological capabilities in intelligent skills management
40 – Self-Declaration
41 – Skills Suggestions
42 – Training Suggestions
43 – Talent Opportunity Marketplace
44 – Skills Intelligence Platforms
45 – Competencies and Skills in Workday HCM
SECTION 7 – "SBO" governance
46 – Skills Governance
47 – Skills Risk Management
48 – Jobs & Skills Observatory
49 – Strategic Workforce and Skills Planning
50 – Skills Ecosystem
SECTION 5 – Talent management practices supporting the "SBO" approach
35 – Internal Mobility
Definition: Process that allows employees to progress to new missions or roles within the organization.
What you need to know: Internal mobility is a central pillar of a Skills-Based Organization (SBO). It streamlines career transitions by matching available skills with project or position opportunities. Talent marketplaces and AI play a key role in automatically proposing smart matches. Effective mobility management reduces reliance on external recruitment, increases retention, and strengthens employee engagement. It also helps leverage adjacent skills and meets the need for organizational flexibility in a context of rapid transformation.
-
Related concepts: Adjacent skills (Skills Adjacency) , Internal talent opportunity market (Talent Opportunity Marketplace), Reskilling.
-
NexaRH Resources: Why career management and internal mobility remain the fifth wheel of the HR carriage. Article author Jean-Baptiste Audrerie.
-
External reference: Josh Bersin, 2022. https://joshbersin.com/2022/05/the-role-of-internal-mobility-in-a-skills-based-workforce
36 – Career Aspiration
Definition: Career objectives declared by the employee which guide their development choices and the opportunities offered by the organization.
What you need to know: Career aspirations reflect employees' individual motivations, values, and priorities. In an SBO, they help personalize development paths and align mobility opportunities with individual expectations. Integrating them into HR systems helps strengthen engagement, promote retention, and build more meaningful career plans. However, this approach requires careful governance, as this is sensitive data that requires confidentiality and ethical use.
-
Related concepts: Career Path, Personal Development Plan, Skills Governance.
-
NexaRH Resources: HR Function Efficiency Diagnosis (Training and Development)
-
External reference: Gallup, 2021. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/351516/how-align-employee-aspirations-organizational-goals.aspx
37 – Career Path
Definition: Planned sequence of professional developments based on the progressive development of skills.
What you need to know: Competency-based career paths transform traditional planning into a scalable, personalized trajectory. They leverage predictive analytics to identify the skills required at each stage and recommend relevant development experiences. This model promotes internal progression, improves visibility of opportunities, and reduces turnover. Employees with clear career paths demonstrate greater engagement and performance. Its implementation requires a robust competency architecture and regular updating as needs evolve.
-
Related concepts: Career Aspiration, Skills-Based Succession Planning, Cross-Functional Skills.
-
NexaRH Resources: Why career management and internal mobility remain the fifth wheel of the HR carriage (2025) - Author Jean-Baptiste Audrerie
-
External reference: LinkedIn Report - Workplace Learning Report 2025 - The rise of career champions (2025) .
-
External reference: MIT Sloan Management Review, Why Companies Should Help Every Employee Chart a Career Path, (2023 ).
38 – Personal Development Plan
Definition: Personalized document defining an employee's skill development objectives and the actions necessary to achieve them.
What you need to know: The Personal Development Plan (PDP) guides an employee's professional development in an SBO logic. It identifies the skills to be acquired, sets SMART objectives and proposes adapted resources (training, coaching, practical experiences). With the integration of AI, these plans become dynamic and adaptive, automatically adjusting recommendations to the changing needs of the organization and the individual. PDPs increase engagement, accelerate progress and strengthen the alignment between individual development and organizational priorities.
-
Related concepts: Skills-Based Performance and Goals, Career Path, Precision Training.
-
NexaRH Resources: HR Function Efficiency Diagnosis (Training and Development)
-
External reference: University of Phoenix, Clarity on Career Advancement: Transforming Optimism into Results, (2024) .
39 – Learning Academies
Definition: Structured systems within an organization to develop, certify and share the strategic skills of employees.
What you need to know: Learning Academies are internal structures created by organizations to centralize and orchestrate skills development. They differ from simple training catalogs in their integrated approach: they define curricula aligned with strategic priorities, implement certification pathways, combine formal and experiential learning, and leverage digital technologies (LMS, Skills Intelligence platforms, generative AI). In an SBO, learning academies become engines of transformation, anchoring reskilling, upskilling, and speed skilling in coherent pathways. They also promote the creation of communities of practice and cross-functional knowledge sharing. When well-established, they help strengthen the learning culture and accelerate internal mobility in in-demand and high-demand professions.
-
Related concepts: Speed skilling, Learning in the flow of work, Reskilling, Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP)
-
NexaRH Resources: HR Function Efficiency Diagnosis (Training and Development)
-
External reference: Josh Bersin Academy (2022), https://joshbersin.com/2022/03/corporate-learning-in-the-flow-of-work
Resources at Your Disposal
🟣 3- Detailed article on the development of HRIS, AI in HR and Skills (Skill-based Organization) roadmaps
🟣 4- Our mapping of intelligent skills management solutions. Unique on the market. Available for free download.
Why Choose NexaRH to Develop Your Skills Roadmap?
-
Specialized expertise in position architecture, job architecture, skills architecture, taxonomies, and skills ontologies.
-
In-depth analysis of artificial intelligence technologies applied to talent and skills management, enabling an HRIS roadmap that integrates the most advanced market concepts.
-
Technology neutrality and exhaustive knowledge of the intelligent skills management solution vendor ecosystem, ensuring objective recommendations based on your specific needs rather than commercial partnerships.
-
Proven SBO transformation methodology with personalized support that considers your organizational maturity, technology constraints, and strategic objectives to guarantee successful and sustainable adoption.
