February 27th, 2024 – SkillCycle
Check out our latest workshop on HR technology and closing critical skill gaps
Guest: Celeste Bell, SPHR, New York Football Giants senior vice president, HR and diversity, equity and inclusion
Host: Kristy McCann Flynn, CEO & Co-Founder of SkillCycle
Change! Skills gaps! Artificial intelligence! No doubt, many of us are already feeling the rapid changes of 2024. While there’s no shortage of technology out there to help your people stay aligned, productive and happy in their current roles, most systems leave out the most important factor in your company’s success — development. It’s time to break down the barriers between these systems, identify the core needs of your organization and people and deliver training in a seamless employee experience that’s good for your people and your business.
Welcome to today’s Training Industry webinar, “Breaking Down Barriers: How to Highlight and Close Critical Skills Gaps,” sponsored by SkillCycle.
(00:00:07 – 00:04:28)
Kristy McCann Flynn – Co-founder and CEO of SkillCycle with over 20 years in strategic HR leadership (Pearson Education, Constant Contact). She left corporate HR after what she calls her “good midlife crisis” to build SkillCycle.
Celeste Bell – SVP of Human Resources and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the New York Giants. She leads all HR and DEI initiatives and has deep experience transforming employee programs at organizations from Major League Baseball to Deutsch.
(00:03:79 – 00:06:58)
Kristy: We’re thrilled to be here. Feel free to drop where you’re joining from and your current mood in the chat – happy, inquisitive, stressed… whatever it is!
Today we’re breaking down barriers to highlight skills gaps, why they exist, and the role technology plays.
Quick agenda:
(00:06:58 – 00:09:11)
Kristy: Quick poll – how many HR systems do you have right now?
I had 14 at Constant Contact and almost 30 at Pearson.
Celeste: We’re at four – but we’re only 200 people!
Key Insight: Before adding more tools, ask:
(00:08:20 – 00:14:00)
Kristy: We all know we need:
But most of these tools were built on 1930s–1950s industrial-era processes – they’re just digitized now. They rarely connect feedback → actionable development → measurable business impact.
Celeste: Twice I’ve walked into organizations with basically zero systems outside payroll.
I start with performance as the baseline – it’s a point-in-time snapshot of where talent is right now.
Then layer engagement so you can see things like “our highest performers are the least engaged.”
Then L&D – but only after I know how our people actually learn. I run a custom survey: self-paced, live instruction, need accountability, etc. No point buying 200 seats of an off-the-shelf platform if only 25 people will ever use it.
I’m a big believer in buying the best individual tools (not the “jack-of-all-trades” HRIS) and making sure they integrate.
(00:19:30 – 00:24:23)
Kristy introduces SkillCycle’s Prioritization Framework:
Celeste: Number 1 is always number 1 for me. This framework helps decide what’s critical now versus what can wait 6–12 months.
Kristy: Think “skills currency” – what skills do we have today versus what we need tomorrow? That gap is the real conversation with leadership.
(00:24:23 – 00:33:11)
Kristy: HR usually has as many employees as the CEO but the smallest budget.
Before asking for more money, look at what’s already allocated but not used.
Example at Pearson: We had budgeted assuming 30% of employees would use tuition reimbursement. Reality? Only 2%. That freed millions we redirected into targeted coaching and training to bridge the publishing → e-learning transition.
At Constant Contact: Sales had 50% baked-in turnover (insane!). By proving targeted communication training would drop it to ~35–38%, we saved huge recruiting dollars and exceeded revenue goals.
Celeste: When budget is zero, run pilots on the team that can show the fastest ROI (often sales). Tie everything to revenue, performance, engagement, or turnover metrics – those are the ones leadership listens to.
(00:33:11 – 00:40:32)
Kristy: Use the “Do – Delegate – Delete” lens. So much manual Excel work can now be automated.
I used to be terrified of AI (ATS rejected me plenty!). Now I’m excited when it’s built on real organizational data – goals, feedback, engagement scores – not just assumptions.
Celeste: I see AI helping draft performance summaries from actual manager notes logged throughout the year, recommending development based on real gaps, and removing the “extra work” feeling from reviews.
(00:40:32 – 00:44:48)
Kristy: Ask:
(00:45:50 – 00:49:00)
Celeste: Training courses are great, but coaching is the accountability piece that took me (and many others) to the next level. When budget is tight, targeted coaching on real gaps delivers outsized impact.
Kristy: Coaching turns generic “improve communication” into hyper-personalized, role-specific, goal-aligned development.
(00:50:14 – 01:00:00)
Celeste: Survey employees first – show leadership the demand in their own people’s words.
Kristy: Tie it to the exact business gap you’re trying to cross right now (revenue block, transformation, retention, etc.).
Kristy: It’s usually missing the “what’s in it for me.” Make feedback actionable and personally relevant.
Celeste: Gamify it! Points, leaderboards, rewards (extra PTO, prime parking). People love to compete.
Kristy: Goals are the “what.” Personal development goals are the “how.” They must cascade and connect.
Celeste: Every employee should have both business goals and development goals. When individual growth feeds department goals that feed company goals, everyone wins – and HR becomes the revenue driver it should be.
VUCA Leadership: Thrive by Flipping the Script March 14th, 2024 – By Rebecca Taylor, CCO and Co-founder of SkillCycle The Reality of VUCA Leadership Organizations
Read Full Article
SkillCycle formerly known as GoCoach featured in Forbes
Read Full Article
Make No Mistake: Soft Skills Are Key To Employee Prosperity Do You Know the 13 Soft Skills Necessary for Employee Success? When people think of
Read Full Article
