The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week

The skills necessary to do our jobs are changing rapidly. “A generation ago,” writes Harvard Business Review, “the half-life of the value of a skill was approximately 26 years. Now the half-life is often less than five years.”

As a result, companies around the globe are pumping more than $380 billion into learning and development programs. Although L&D professionals likely appreciate the funding boost, HBR argues that money and traditional training programs aren’t enough to meet the challenges — namely, a growing skills gap — that lay ahead.

“More training is not the answer,” says HBR. “We can’t simply send employees to workshops focused on whatever proficiency is fashionable at the moment and expect to get results. What is essential is to build coherent skills-based strategies. We must think seriously about which specific skills are to be targeted, who has to learn them, and what mix of education, experience, and exposure will be effective.”

So what’s an L&D professional to do? HBR suggests developing a 70/20/10 learning model that mixes just the right amount of education, exposure, and experience to help workers get up to speed. To learn more about this model — including what deserves 70% of your program’s attention — be sure to check out HBR’s article at the top of our list below of must-read articles and posts for talent professionals.

And further down our list, you can also learn why screening shouldn’t be an overlooked step in your interview process; why one industry expert sees cracks in the latest U.S. jobs report; and why a coming out story may actually entail telling more than one story.