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:
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This dictionary constitutes a comprehensive reference to navigate in the universe of "Skills-Based Organizations".
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Each concept interconnects with others to form a coherent ecosystem that will transform your approach to skills management, talents and organizational capabilities.
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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 4 – The foundations to deploy and operate an "SBO" approach
29 – Job Architecture
Definition: A hierarchical structure that organizes and categorizes the organization's jobs according to their responsibilities, skills, and levels.
What you need to know: Job architecture provides a framework that defines roles, their level of complexity, and their critical skills. It facilitates transparency, supports internal mobility, and improves pay equity. By linking roles to skills, it becomes a lever for strategic planning and career management. Companies that adopt a modern architecture see greater organizational clarity and reduced pay inequities. Its design requires a rigorous job analysis, stakeholder engagement, and an empirical validation process.
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Related concepts: Position Architecture, Skills Architecture, Task Intelligence .
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NexaRH Resources: https://www.nexarh.com/post/conference-what-solution-of-intelligent-management-of-skills-for-your-strategy-sbo
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External reference: Mercer, 2022. https://www.mercer.com/insights/job-architecture
30 – Position Architecture
Definition: Structured organization of individual positions that defines hierarchical and functional relationships within the organization.
What you need to know: Job architecture focuses on the specific positions held by individuals. It clarifies reporting relationships, functional interdependencies, and the precise roles of each employee. It complements job architecture by providing operational granularity. When properly structured, it facilitates succession planning, team optimization, and the reduction of skill duplication. Its implementation requires technological tools and ongoing governance to maintain its relevance in a changing environment.
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Related concepts: Job Architecture, Job Description, Skills-Based Succession Planning.
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NexaRH Resources: Job Architecture, Positions, Skills.
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External reference: Korn Ferry, Designing a Future-Ready Job Architecture Framework, (2025) .
31 – Skills Architecture
Definition: Overall structure that organizes and links all elements of the organization's skills management system.
What you need to know: Skills architecture is the integrated foundation of SBO. It ensures consistency between taxonomies, ontologies, repositories, and assessment processes. It facilitates system interoperability (HCM, LMS, AI platforms), ensures data is up-to-date, and supports the evolution of organizational models. A well-designed architecture increases the efficiency of HR processes and reduces system maintenance costs. It also includes security, compliance, and governance mechanisms to ensure the reliability of the skills ecosystem.
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Related concepts: Internal Taxonomy, Skills Ontology, Skills Governance.
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NexaRH Resources: Job Architecture, Positions, Skills.
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External reference: Fuel50, What Is Skills Architecture?, (2025).
32 – Skills Data
Definition: Structured and dynamic information on the skills of individuals and teams, used to manage an SBO.
What you need to know: Skills data represents the informational foundation of skills-based organizations. It comes from multiple sources: self-assessments, managerial evaluations, projects, learning platforms, certifications, and AI-generated signals. Rigorous management of the quality, reliability, and governance of this data is essential to feed talent marketplaces, support internal mobility, and ensure the reliability of reskilling plans. Without solid and up-to-date data, SBO initiatives lose their credibility and strategic impact.
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Related concepts: Dynamic skills intelligence, Skill signals.
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NexaRH Resources: Job Architecture, Positions, Skills.
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External reference: Deloitte (2022), https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/technology-and-the-future-of-work/skills-based-organization.html
33 – Description d’emploi / Job Description
Definition: Document that defines the responsibilities, required skills and conditions of a job in an SBO logic.
What you need to know: The competency-based job description replaces long lists of tasks with a clear identification of the critical skills needed to succeed in the role. This approach emphasizes expected results, transferable skills, and inclusive language, while reducing educational bias. Organizations that adopt this model attract more diverse and qualified candidates. The description thus becomes a strategic attraction and selection tool, as well as a support for talent assessment and development.
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Related concepts: Job Posting, Skills-Based Recruiting , Job Architecture.
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NexaRH Resources: Job Architecture, Positions, Skills.
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External reference: Muhammad Midhat Ali, Sheheryar Mohsin Qureshi, Muhammad Saad Memon, Sonia Irshad Mari, Muhammad Babar Ramzan, Competency Framework Development for Effective Human Resource Management, (2021): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/21582440211006124
34 – Job Posting
Definition: Optimized recruitment advertisement that highlights the skills sought rather than traditional requirements.
What you need to know: Skills-based job postings emphasize learning and growth opportunities rather than exclusionary criteria. Written in clear, inclusive language, they eliminate artificial barriers (irrelevant required degrees) and attract a broader, more diverse pool of candidates. When well-designed, they incorporate strategic keywords for search engines and reflect organizational culture. Skills-based postings improve applicant diversity and reduce time to hire.
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Related concepts: Job Description, Skills-Based Recruiting, Skill Signals.
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NexaRH Resources: Job Architecture, Positions, Skills.
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External reference: LinkedIn, 2022. https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/resources/talent-acquisition/global-recruiting-trends
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?
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Specialized expertise in position architecture, job architecture, skills architecture, taxonomies, and skills ontologies.
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In-depth analysis of artificial intelligence technologies applied to talent and skills management, enabling an HRIS roadmap that integrates the most advanced market concepts.
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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.
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Proven SBO transformation methodology with personalized support that considers your organizational maturity, technology constraints, and strategic objectives to guarantee successful and sustainable adoption.
