Lepaya Talent Talks: How Aircall transitions towards a competency-driven organization

Welcome to Lepaya Talent Talks – an interview series uncovering best practices for developing skills that drive individual and organizational success in a rapidly changing world.

---

The vision of a skills or competency-based organization is gaining traction. This approach focuses on identifying and building the specific skills, knowledge, and behaviors necessary for employees to excel. 

For rapidly growing companies, this strategy supports long-term growth, adaptability and a shift towards future readiness.

To explore how this transformation looks like in practice, we spoke with Melissa Strong, former Global Director of Organizational Learning at Aircall. Melissa has played a key role in Aircall's expansion from 60 to 800 employees and shares insights on the steps taken to implement a competency-driven model, the challenges faced, and strategies for engaging senior stakeholders.

Tell us about the steps you made to transition towards a competency-driven organization? 

Over the past two years, we have been driving a full-fledged competency-driven architecture within the company. Starting with a list of over 700 roles at Aircall, we collaborated with a consultancy firm to identify the most common skills across the organization listed in every job desk. We then once more narrowed down the skills by removing repetition and managed to consolidate to the top 50 skills. 

Next, we organized internal workshops and feedback sessions from key stakeholders and we laser-focused on the essential skills needed to drive the business forward (behavioral, functional, and leadership). This process involves partnering with leaders to identify relevant current skills and future capabilities. The end goal is to integrate these competencies into all our human capital practices, from hiring, L&D, to performance management. We've also been working on establishing career frameworks for each department, while embedding these competencies into career maps to create a holistic approach to growth.

What challenges have you encountered during this shift?

While the strategy itself has been relatively easy for people to grasp, the challenge lies in understanding that this is a long-term project with no immediate ROI. We are essentially future-proofing the organization, which means the benefits won't be immediately visible. This is particularly challenging in a fast-paced SaaS startup environment where everything is short-term-focused. Managing this change effectively has been crucial, requiring extensive change management efforts and enablement. 

How have you engaged senior leadership and other stakeholders in this transformation?

It's essential to start from the top. To successfully integrate this strategy, we needed buy-in from every executive member. We then communicated the benefits of this strategy to the entire organization, tailoring our message to resonate with different groups, such as first-time managers or in specific departments. By emphasizing the benefits, the “what’s in it for them”, and providing concrete actions we've been able to gain support and facilitate this organizational shift through communication strategy. 

With AI becoming increasingly prevalent, how do you incorporate it into your strategies?

AI has the potential to significantly impact competency assessment and personalized learning paths within the organization.

We envision creating a comprehensive talent marketplace where employees can assess their skills, receive personalized growth recommendations, and explore internal mobility opportunities.

‍

AI can assist in identifying skill gaps and suggesting relevant learning opportunities tailored to individual preferences and career aspirations.

Lastly, what advice would you give to other organizations looking to shift towards a competency-driven or skills-based approach?

Start by understanding your organization's culture and mission. Understand how you can be a strategic partner to help deliver on those goals. Don’t shy away from skills-tech or even different types of AI and how they can impact your specific industry. Embrace curiosity and be proactive in exploring AI's potential applications within your organization.

Those resistant to change or even exploring these avenues risk being left behind, as embracing them can provide significant advantages in efficiency, productivity, analysis, and career development.

‍