When Skills Matter

In this conversation, we focus on a pressing question for HR, L&D, and business leaders: why are current skills strategies falling behind, and what does this mean for business performance?

Our guests are Perry Timms, a leading voice on progressive HR and organisational transformation, and Nebel Crowhurst, a senior people executive with firsthand insight into how workforce expectations and skills needs are changing.

Hosted by Robin Adda, the discussion explores the root causes behind lagging skills strategies and shares practical ideas for building a more agile, future-ready workforce.

Together, we discuss what needs to shift in the way organisations structure, develop, and support skills—from the frameworks we use, to the technologies we embrace, to the cultural changes driving new approaches to work.

We discuss:

How traditional education and skills models no longer fit today’s longer, more varied career journeys

The confusion between competencies, skills, and capabilities, and why clarity in these areas is essential for progress

Why measuring proficiency and impact matters more than simply tracking productivity

How AI can support, not replace, human judgement in learning and workforce development

The impact of technology on work-life blend, and how changing expectations shape new models for working and learning

What needs to change in organisational infrastructure to keep up with shifting skills demands and longer working lives

Whether you are grappling with how to identify skills gaps, improve learning impact, or prepare your workforce for a changing future, this episode provides clear, practical insights you can apply right away.

We’re excited to bring you these conversations. Welcome to When Skills Matter.

The When Skills Matter podcast is where forward-thinking HR, L&D, and business leaders come together to share practical ideas and fresh perspectives on workforce development, learning, and performance.

Hosted by Robin Adda, founder and CEO of SkillsAssess, the show dives into real-world strategies for closing skills gaps, developing leaders, aligning HR and L&D with business priorities, and making smarter people decisions that drive measurable impact.

You’ll hear from experienced practitioners and innovators as they explore what’s working, what’s not, and how to navigate the challenges of change, digital disruption, and the evolving world of work.

Whether you’re focused on skills mapping, learning strategy, or talent development, this podcast will give you valuable insights you can use right away.

By providing comprehensive data analytics, SkillsAssess shows where skills gaps are within organisations by department, job role and individual, providing recommendations for learners to upskill only where needed.

Powered by AI, this new tool is designed to aid organisations in any field to pinpoint skill gaps and increase productivity in a quick and scaleable manner.

Using an intuitive dashboard principally designed for HR and L&D managers and administrators, all the data including full analytics is contained and accessed in one place to make the task of staff upskilling quicker, simpler and easier to carry out.

Learn more at www.SkillsAssess.ai.

Welcome to this episode of When Skills Matter.

In this conversation, we sit down with Nebel Crowhurst, a fractional Chief People Officer, board advisor, investor, and international speaker who brings decades of experience helping businesses align people strategy with overall organisational goals. Nebel’s practical approach and deep HR perspective make her insights particularly valuable for anyone focused on workforce development and skills strategy.

Together, host Robin Adda and Nebel explore how taking a skills-based approach to people strategy is essential for not only closing workforce gaps but also helping businesses adapt to rapid change and set themselves up for long-term success.

Nebel offers her first-hand experience working with high-growth companies, discussing how HR leaders can move from a reactive posture to a more strategic, evidence-based way of planning, resourcing, and upskilling teams.

They discuss:

Why HR professionals are rethinking their roles and the challenges driving change in the field

How business agility and strategic skills mapping support organisational growth and adaptability

Practical strategies for involving HR in early-stage, business-critical conversations

The importance of personalised learning pathways over one-size-fits-all approaches

The growing impact of AI on HR, learning, and skills assessment—and how to use new technologies responsibly

How to start small, use data to prioritise, and iterate workforce planning for meaningful results

Advice for HR and L&D leaders looking to place skills at the centre of their people strategy

Our goal with this podcast is to share actionable insights and real experiences from those shaping workforce development. Whether you work in HR, L&D, Talent, or business leadership, you’ll find ideas here to help you make measurable impact with your people and your skills strategy.

We’re excited to bring you these conversations. Welcome to When Skills Matter.

The When Skills Matter podcast is where forward-thinking HR, L&D, and business leaders come together to share practical ideas and fresh perspectives on workforce development, learning, and performance.

Hosted by Robin Adda, founder and CEO of SkillsAssess, the show dives into real-world strategies for closing skills gaps, developing leaders, aligning HR and L&D with business priorities, and making smarter people decisions that drive measurable impact.

You’ll hear from experienced practitioners and innovators as they explore what’s working, what’s not, and how to navigate the challenges of change, digital disruption, and the evolving world of work.

Whether you’re focused on skills mapping, learning strategy, or talent development, this podcast will give you valuable insights you can use right away.

By providing comprehensive data analytics, SkillsAssess shows where skills gaps are within organisations by department, job role and individual, providing recommendations for learners to upskill only where needed.

Powered by AI, this new tool is designed to aid organisations in any field to pinpoint skill gaps and increase productivity in a quick and scaleable manner.

Using an intuitive dashboard principally designed for HR and L&D managers and administrators, all the data including full analytics is contained and accessed in one place to make the task of staff upskilling quicker, simpler and easier to carry out.

Learn more at www.SkillsAssess.ai.

Welcome to this episode of When Skills Matter.

In today’s conversation, we’re joined by Natal Dank, Executive Director and Principal Consultant at PXO Culture, and a recognized leader in the global Agile HR movement. Natal’s work focuses on helping organizations build adaptability, develop future-ready skills, and use evidence-based approaches to drive real outcomes in HR, learning, and people strategy.

Together, we explore how agility isn’t just a buzzword, but a truly practical approach for HR and L&D teams who want to keep pace with rapid change and deliver lasting value. Natal shares actionable insights from her book, Agile L&D, and offers a clear perspective on what it takes to align learning and skills development with actual business priorities.

We discuss:

The five core principles of Agile L&D—and how they help teams continuously upskill and reskill workforces

Why starting with the business challenge, not just a list of skills, leads to better outcomes

How skills mapping, T-shaped skills, and practical assessments can uncover real capability gaps

The increasing role of AI, automation, and agentic technologies—and what that means for workforce planning

Why evidence-based, incremental learning programs get better results than traditional big-bang training approaches

The growing importance of “transversal” skills like adaptability, critical thinking, and communication—alongside digital capabilities

How HR and L&D leaders can build more elastic, resilient organizations by focusing on learning agility and continuous experimentation

Challenges of keeping skills frameworks, inventories, and learning programs up to date as technology and job requirements shift

Our aim with this episode is to give you grounded, practical ideas for making learning more relevant, targeted, and impactful. Whether you’re shaping L&D strategy, redesigning job roles, or simply trying to future-proof your teams, you’ll find plenty of takeaways for your own organization.

We’re excited to bring you these conversations. Welcome to When Skills Matter.

The When Skills Matter podcast is where forward-thinking HR, L&D, and business leaders come together to share practical ideas and fresh perspectives on workforce development, learning, and performance.

Hosted by Robin Adda, founder and CEO of SkillsAssess, the show dives into real-world strategies for closing skills gaps, developing leaders, aligning HR and L&D with business priorities, and making smarter people decisions that drive measurable impact.

You’ll hear from experienced practitioners and innovators as they explore what’s working, what’s not, and how to navigate the challenges of change, digital disruption, and the evolving world of work.

Whether you’re focused on skills mapping, learning strategy, or talent development, this podcast will give you valuable insights you can use right away.

By providing comprehensive data analytics, SkillsAssess shows where skills gaps are within organisations by department, job role and individual, providing recommendations for learners to upskill only where needed.

Powered by AI, this new tool is designed to aid organisations in any field to pinpoint skill gaps and increase productivity in a quick and scaleable manner.

Using an intuitive dashboard principally designed for HR and L&D managers and administrators, all the data including full analytics is contained and accessed in one place to make the task of staff upskilling quicker, simpler and easier to carry out.

Learn more at www.SkillsAssess.ai.

In this episode of When Skills Matter, Robin speaks with Carolyn Shepherd, Founder of Emmeline.AI and the AI Learning Lobby, about the human skills that matter most as AI reshapes the workplace.

Carolyn shares her “river” metaphor for navigating change, why adaptability and critical thinking are more valuable than ever, and how HR and L&D leaders can support their people through AI transformation.

From lived experience to new technical capabilities, Carolyn explains why organizations need to focus on building both human and AI-ready skills if they want their workforce to thrive.

The When Skills Matter podcast is where forward-thinking HR, L&D, and business leaders come together to share practical ideas and fresh perspectives on workforce development, learning, and performance.

Hosted by Robin Adda, founder and CEO of SkillsAssess, the show dives into real-world strategies for closing skills gaps, developing leaders, aligning HR and L&D with business priorities, and making smarter people decisions that drive measurable impact.

You’ll hear from experienced practitioners and innovators as they explore what’s working, what’s not, and how to navigate the challenges of change, digital disruption, and the evolving world of work.

Whether you’re focused on skills mapping, learning strategy, or talent development, this podcast will give you valuable insights you can use right away.

By providing comprehensive data analytics, SkillsAssess shows where skills gaps are within organisations by department, job role and individual, providing recommendations for learners to upskill only where needed.

Powered by Ai, this new tool is designed to aid organisations in any field to pinpoint skill gaps and increase productivity in a quick and scaleable manner.

Using an intuitive dashboard principally designed for HR and L&D managers and administrators, all the data including full analytics is contained and accessed in one place to make the task of staff upskilling quicker, simpler and easier to carry out. 

Learn more at www.SkillsAssess.ai.

In this episode of When Skills Matter, Robin is joined by Paul Morgan, a seasoned L&D leader with three decades of experience at Microsoft, Diageo, O2, and more.

Paul shares candid insights on how HR and learning leaders can close skills gaps without overwhelming employees, why productivity and focus are at the heart of capability building, and how AI should be seen as an enabler rather than a replacement.

From the attention economy to skills shortages, Paul explains how organizations can reclaim time, upskill effectively, and create resilient teams in the AI era.

The When Skills Matter podcast is where forward-thinking HR, L&D, and business leaders come together to share practical ideas and fresh perspectives on workforce development, learning, and performance.

Hosted by Robin Adda, founder and CEO of SkillsAssess, the show dives into real-world strategies for closing skills gaps, developing leaders, aligning HR and L&D with business priorities, and making smarter people decisions that drive measurable impact.

You’ll hear from experienced practitioners and innovators as they explore what’s working, what’s not, and how to navigate the challenges of change, digital disruption, and the evolving world of work.

Whether you’re focused on skills mapping, learning strategy, or talent development, this podcast will give you valuable insights you can use right away.

By providing comprehensive data analytics, SkillsAssess shows where skills gaps are within organisations by department, job role and individual, providing recommendations for learners to upskill only where needed.

Powered by Ai, this new tool is designed to aid organisations in any field to pinpoint skill gaps and increase productivity in a quick and scaleable manner.

Using an intuitive dashboard principally designed for HR and L&D managers and administrators, all the data including full analytics is contained and accessed in one place to make the task of staff upskilling quicker, simpler and easier to carry out. 

Learn more at www.SkillsAssess.ai.

Welcome to the When Skills Matter Podcast! In this opening episode, Robin introduces the show, shares what listeners can expect in upcoming episodes, and explains why now is the time to rethink how we approach skills, learning, and workforce development.

You’ll hear about the kinds of guests and topics that will feature on the show, from AI in L&D to closing skills gaps, aligning people strategy with business goals, and unlocking the full potential of your teams.

Robin also gives a quick overview of what SkillsAssess does and how it supports smarter people decisions using AI-powered skills mapping and personalised learning pathways.

Learn more at SkillsAssess.ai/podcast.

By providing comprehensive data analytics, SkillsAssess shows where skills gaps are within organisations by department, job role and individual, providing recommendations for learners to upskill only where needed.

Powered by Ai, this new tool is designed to aid organisations in any field to pinpoint skill gaps and increase productivity in a quick and scaleable manner.

Using an intuitive dashboard principally designed for HR and L&D managers and administrators, all the data including full analytics is contained and accessed in one place to make the task of staff upskilling quicker, simpler and easier to carry out. 

Learn more at www.SkillsAssess.ai.