- Skills-based organizations edge with faster screening, more internal hires, and happier recruiters with AI-native talent intelligence platforms
- AI helps HR leaders spot talent gaps earlier and sync workforce strategies with business goals.
- Don’t wait for perfect data — start small, prove wins, and build momentum for AI transformation.
Talent leaders are struggling with the same question about AI: How should the HR function respond to it?
We’ve seen so many rapid changes that have moved HR away from doing pure resource management to thinking more broadly about how technology is disrupting the industry and wondering how to plan for the future.
In my role at Eightfold, I see the transformative impact of AI on a regular basis. With the help of our AI-native Talent Intelligence Platform, some of our most forward-leaning customers have evolved into skills-based organizations.
To appreciate what that means, consider these recent success stories:
- Bayer, a pharmaceutical leader, implemented Eightfold Talent Management, along with in-house programs, and saw a 90% decrease in candidate screening time, while also rapidly scaling its talent marketplace.
- Amdocs, a technology company, implemented the Eightfold Talent Intelligence Platform and saw a 20% reduction in time to hire for specific skills along with a 40% growth in internally filled positions. Now, the company’s talent leaders have access to more than 2 million candidates in their database, which reduces reliance on agencies.
- Eaton, a global power management company, adopted our Talent Acquisition platform and that decision drove quadruple growth in the company’s talent networks, along with a 30% to 40% increase in candidate velocity, double-digit increases in all recruiting metrics, and a 13% increase in overall recruiter job satisfaction. Now, the company is strategically positioned to win top talent in an extremely competitive market.
To dig deeper into the transformation journey, I recently joined David Forry, Senior Vice President at Brandon Hall Group, to discuss what agility looks like and what steps enterprises can take to get there.
Here are some of the top takeaways from our conversation.
David Forry, Senior Vice President at Brandon Hall Group, shares the key talent management challenges organizations need to address to stay competitive.
From reactive talent management to building a competitive edge
In the past, it was common to use basic applicant tracking systems and HRIS platforms that were akin to digital filing systems. Today’s AI platforms don’t just store data, these also provide predictive insights.
“They can tell you who’s likely to leave, what skills you’ll need in the next six months, and where your talent gaps are emerging,” Forry said.
He adds that in the future, talent intelligent systems will be even more transformative, providing decision support that spans the entire life employee life cycle, from recruitment to retention and workforce planning.
As we move in that direction, effective talent intelligence platforms will revolve around more than just technology. They’ll depend on three key components working together:
- Collecting and unifying data from internal and external sources, bringing together information that was previously siloed.
- Using AI to turn that data into actionable insights and drive real business outcomes.
- Shifting to a skills-based approach that ensures the right people with the right capabilities are in the right roles
The bottom line is that 91% of organizations say aligning workforce strategies with business needs is a top priority, according to Brandon Hall Group’s recent HCM Outlook Study.
“Talent intelligence is how you can achieve that alignment,” Forry said.
Forry shares best practices for validating employee skills in the workplace.
Skills matter more than education or experience
Brandon Hall Group research found that having the right skill set is five times more predictive of a candidate’s success than their educational background or work history.
“You hear horror stories of organizations that need new skills, so they just get rid of their staff and bring in new people instead of trying to reskill them and teach them new things,” Forry said.
Further, leading organizations have shifted from a rigid job description and degree requirements to more of a dynamic skills portfolio and capability validation, said Forry.
An analysis of Brandon Hall Group’s HCM Excellence Awards found that the award winners had some key commonalities when it comes to skills-based hiring:
- These organizations map skills directly to business outcomes, not just roles. In the process, these groups ask what capabilities drive revenue, not just about the skills the job requires..
- These organizations create transparent skill frameworks that every employee can see. It’s beneficial to all parties to understand what skills will get you to the next level. “That way, people know exactly what they need to develop themselves for their next move,” Forry said.
- These organizations use AI to identify adjunct skills and hidden talent. Technology is often able to match current employees to open roles in ways that people may have missed.
- These organizations are building career paths based on skill progression, not tenure or relationships. Technology isn’t biased, so who may previously have been passed over or overlooked can connect with new opportunities.
The best time to start is now
When you understand how AI can transform HR from talent management to a true workforce advantage, it’s time to take action. Forry shared the following steps on to overcoming barriers:
Lay the foundation
The basis for change revolves around assessing your skills data readiness. Ask questions like, what skills do you actually have today in-house? What do you know about your organization?
“Don’t worry if it’s messy or incomplete,” Forry said. “All you need to know is where to get started.”
Pick a pilot area
Start small and build from there. Select a department to work with, or a focal point, like internal mobility.
“Pick something that’s manageable so you can show your team quick wins,” Forry said. “Don’t try to boil the ocean on the first take.”
Build cross-functional alignment
Collaboration between IT and HR is critical, which is another theme among HCM award winners.
“This cannot be an HR-only initiative,” Forry said.
Define your success metrics upfront
These should be very specific. “Is it reducing time to hire by 30%, or is it increasing talent mobility?” Forry said. “Pick one or two metrics that matter most to your business.”
Start with what you have
Waiting for the ideal opportunity to launch is risky. The market could shift, or your organization’s goal posts could move.
“Every organization wishes they had better data, more resources, cleaner systems,” Forry said. “But if we wait for the perfect data, we miss the opportunity as HR executives to jump in.”
Why Eightfold stands out
Eightfold AI stands apart in the crowded HR technology market because it was built as AI-native from day one. Unlike incumbent systems that have tried to “bolt on” AI to legacy platforms, our foundation is designed around skills intelligence, talent data, and predictive matching at scale.
This means the platform doesn’t just automate existing processes — it fundamentally reimagines how organizations understand and mobilize their workforce.
Equally important is our commitment to responsible AI. The platform is built to reduce bias, protect candidate privacy, and ensure fairness in decision-making — something generic large language models simply can’t guarantee when applied to HR use cases.
By embedding transparency, governance, and compliance into the core of its technology, we give organizations the confidence to adopt AI without risking trust. The result is a solution that is both more powerful and more ethical than the alternatives.
Ready or not, skills-based transformation is here
There’s no question that we’re surrounded by an abundance of data — internal and external. AI can help make sense of that data to drive HR decisions and deliver on business goals.
Our platforms deliver deep intelligence that enables better decisions about talent teams and transformation. The skills-based transformation isn’t coming — it’s already here. Is your enterprise ready?
Watch the full webinar, “AI in action: Transforming HR from talent management to workforce advantage,” available on demand.