We recently spoke with David Barry for Reworked about People Skills, Microsoft’s new AI-powered approach to workforce capability mapping.

There’s clear potential here:

– Dynamic, real-time skills visibility

– Scalable insights into workforce capabilities

– A move beyond rigid, outdated taxonomies

But also important limitations:

– AI inferences without human verification can mislead

– Skill signals are not the same as skill readiness

– Taxonomies alone don’t drive workforce strategy

As we shared in the article:

1. A customizable taxonomy isn’t just about labeling — it’s about enabling better decisions: who to hire, how to develop, and where to grow.

2. There’s momentum here — and risk.

Adoption will depend not just on the tech, but on how thoughtfully it’s integrated into real decision-making processes.

Link to the full article

Thanks again to Reworked and David Barry for the discussion.