UKG Partners with Lightcast to Elevate Skills with AI

AI and Workforce Management: One Strategic Partnership That Can Elevate Skills and Empower Employees

Here’s a conundrum for everyone in the worlds of HR and workforce management to ponder: It seems we’re being constantly inundated by a tsunami of news and opinions about how artificial intelligence (AI) will transform or already is transforming some part of the combined tapestry of HR, workforce management, and employee skills development. On the other hand, there’s reality. The reality is that most HR and workforce management intelligence platforms lack a complete, outside view of the talent market across jobs, skills, and geographies.

The result is that, as powerful and robust as they are, most large HR platforms don’t have a complementary source of data that provides them with the breadth and depth of data that can take their efforts further. They lack a data source that can expand their capabilities by giving them clarity and insight into the skills that organizations currently have and that they also need — and that can provide that data in an open, unbiased, and comprehensive approach. 

That’s changing, and the change is happening now. One new strategic partnership in particular has the potential to measurably accelerate the transformation of skills development and workforce planning through AI. Lightcast, a global leader in skills and talent intelligence, has joined forces with UKG, a leading provider of a range of workforce management solutions. More specifically, Lightcast will be powering UKG’s AI side, called UKG Bryte. In addition to its workforce management and planning solutions, UKG in 2021 acquired the Great Place to Work (GPTW) Institute, the organization behind Fortune's annual list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. GPTW regularly monitors the thoughts and attitudes of about 100 million employees around the world.

The partnership, only recently announced, has already caught the attention of industry analysts and thought leaders.

Bersin also notes that Lightcast is a “universal source of truth for global skills,” and UKG has a “commitment to building great workplaces.”

The partnership is largely noteworthy because Lightcast’s skills and jobs taxonomies are transparent and accessible, ensuring organizations like UKG and its customers are confident they’re getting a true picture of where they stand. Lightcast Skills Navigator, for example, helps organizations take the next step from acknowledging where they are today to creating a skills-based organization that’s agile and ready for the challenges of tomorrow.

“We analyze workforces across global markets, offering a real-time look into the dynamic labor market and changing skills landscape,” said JP Moran, executive vice president of enterprise at Lightcast.

The partnership between Lightcast and UKG also means HR teams worldwide will be able to elevate their talent acquisition capabilities by adding a skills-based hiring approach. The method spans any organization’s current talent landscape and finds qualified candidates who may have previously been overlooked. The result is a more finely evaluated talent pool and, therefore, a shorter time to fill necessary roles either from within or externally. 

Equally significant is that between them, UKG and Lightcast will also be empowering employees in a new and powerful way. A data-led, skills-based approach to professional growth will heighten professional development and help drive business success. Lightcast’s industry-leading collection of skills data combined with UKG’s Bryte will help great workplaces empower their people — especially frontline workers — with an entirely new approach to reskilling, upskilling, and professional development.

The partnership opens an entirely new chapter in the world of employer-based skills development by empowering employees to hone their unique career paths with increased autonomy and decision-making  — a recognized hallmark of great places to work. Starting with employees of UKG Pro customers, the partnership will give employees proactive and personalized skills suggestions and help them discover gaps and areas for learning and development.

Driven by Lightcast, users of UKG’s suite of solutions will be able to leverage a cutting-edge approach to skills and as a result, benefit from:

• AI-powered, real-time insights: Employees receive personalized guidance on skills development tailored to their current role and future ambitions, unlocking new opportunities to earn pay differentials and promotions.

• A holistic view of workforce readiness: People managers and HR teams get a comprehensive view of current workforce skills and future potential gaps to support proactive talent strategies.  

• A culture of continual learning: Organizations can drive development, retention, and business success by ensuring people are constantly learning and growing.

“UKG is making the hard stuff simple,” Hugo Sarrazin, chief product and technology officer at UKG, said about the partnership with Lightcast. “We’re redefining how skills development happens in the workplace every day, by using AI and data to guide, recommend, and provide insights that help individuals — and businesses — grow.”

“Great workplaces invest in their people to create a culture of belonging, growth, and innovation, which is why we’re empowering everyone with a data-led, skills-based approach to professional growth to drive business success,” Sarrazin added.

This partnership is a signpost that should spark similar partnerships to elevate the skills-based people strategies for larger organizations, but especially for those seeking a more robust skills taxonomy and overall strategic talent plan. This kind of AI-fueled workforce management model gives those companies a way to leverage AI to amplify the work of their HR teams for greater business success.