Deconstruct traditional job descriptions with industry thought leaders
In an era where the longevity of professional skills is shrinking faster than ever, the traditional “job description” is no longer a blueprint for success, but a bottleneck. As global companies grapple with rapid technology disruption, a fundamental shift is occurring, moving from rigid roles to fluid, skills-first architectures. Today, Jerry Zandstra, Senior Director of Learning at Ingenuiti, who has worked in learning, training, and development for more than 30 years, talks about this transition and why it’s not just an HR trend, but a holistic rethinking of how we identify, deploy, and sustain human potential.
What is a “skills-first” architecture and why is it so difficult for modern organizations to transition from rigid roles to more fluid roles?
In my experience, a “skills-first” architecture is a fundamental shift from seeing people as fixed job titles to seeing them as dynamic portfolios of capabilities. Mapping granular skills to business needs, rather than rigid hierarchies, allows you to allocate talent with greater precision.
The challenge when moving from rigid to fluid roles is usually cultural ‘unlearning’ rather than technology. For decades, our entire corporate infrastructure, from pay scales and performance reviews to identity itself, has been anchored to static job descriptions. Asking managers to share “their” talents across departments, or asking employees to embrace change authority, feels like losing solid ground. This requires a huge leap of faith, a complete redesign of work values, and a shift from “me in the org chart” to “something you can solve now.”
Based on your years of experience, what are the risks of “talent hoarding” and what are the most common mistakes organizations make when it comes to skills mapping?
I’ve seen talent hoarding act as a silent killer of organizational agility. When managers “hide” top talent to protect their own KPIs, a stagnant ecosystem is created. The risks are twofold. Organizations miss out on high-impact cross-pollination, and top performers feel stifled and underutilized, ultimately leaving for employers that offer them the growth they desire.
The most common mistake I see when it comes to skill mapping is the “encyclopedia trap.” Organizations try to catalog all the skills an individual possesses. The result is a static 500-page spreadsheet that is obsolete by the time it’s finished. Another pitfall is ignoring adjacent skills. If you only map what someone is doing today, you miss the potential of what they can do tomorrow with minimal upskilling. Accuracy is great, but over-engineering leads to paralysis.
Why is it so important for organizations to deconstruct traditional job descriptions to uncover hidden talent and build internal talent markets?
A traditional job description identifies the skills needed for a specific outcome. Breaking down these roles ultimately reveals “hidden” talent, or the specialized skills and past experience an employee has that are not being utilized in their current role. Without this granular view, your internal talent marketplace becomes just a digital job board rather than a true engine of mobility.
This is essential because business moves faster than hiring. If you can’t find the skills already sitting in the quietest corners, you’ll end up spending a lot of money recruiting from outside the capabilities you already have. Dividing work into tasks and skills allows employees to tap into projects that align with their passions, effectively turning “workers” into “contributors” for the entire company.
Can you tell us more about your upcoming webinar “The Death of the Job Title: Building a Skills-First Architecture”?
Our guest panelists are great people and learning leaders, Sarah Tuchard, People and Leadership Development Manager at Citgo. She holds a master’s degree in Education and Instructional Technology from Texas A&M University and has worked in L&D for many years.
Want to learn more about this topic? Join Sarah Tuchard (CITGO) and host Jerry Zandstra (Ingenuiti) on March 24, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET for a deep dive into the Skills-First Transformation Roadmap. They go beyond theory and discuss practical ‘how-to’s for implementing cross-role capabilities. This executive-level session is designed for CHROs, VPs of talent, and directors of learning and development at medium to large organizations working on digital transformation and workforce modernization.
How can the right learning solution help leaders drive digital transformation and prioritize competency over role?
The right learning solution acts as a bridge between high-level digital strategy and day-to-day execution. Digital transformation is often overwhelming for leaders, as they view it through the lens of replacing old roles with new ones. Modern L&D solutions change that narrative by providing visibility into underlying capabilities.
The most effective solutions use microlearning and AI-driven diagnostics to provide “learning in the flow” instead of large-scale, one-size-fits-all training. This allows leaders to change their focus from “Who do I need to hire?” By providing real-time data on the actual skill proficiency of employees, L&D empowers leaders to make evidence-based decisions, reduces fear of the unknown, and fosters a culture where adaptability is a measurable and rewarded asset, rather than a vague expectation.
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We’d like to thank Dr. Zandstra for sharing his insights on how the transition to a skills-first company is as much a cultural revolution as it is logistics, and how organizations can move beyond degree “pedigree” and departmental silos to finally unlock a truly dynamic internal market – one defined by the value employees provide, not the titles they hold. Check out Ingenuiti’s website to learn how we help organizations blaze a path to agility and overcome challenges from “talent hoarding” to real-time skill mapping through custom learning journeys.
