As organizations grapple with rapidly evolving skill requirements, the need for skills intelligence platforms has never been greater. In a recent briefing with retrain.ai, Brandon Hall Group™ gained insights into their approach to this critical challenge facing HR and learning leaders.
retrain.ai positions itself as a comprehensive skills intelligence platform, aiming to provide a “Skills Operating System” for large enterprises. Their solution encompasses three core modules: skills architecture, talent acquisition, and talent management.
At the heart of the offering is a sizeable data asset on occupations, skills, and career pathways. This forms the foundation of their AI-driven skills graph, which classifies and maps interconnections between various work elements across industries. The platform’s ability to ingest and harmonize data from multiple sources — including an organization’s existing systems and external labor market data — is a notable strength.
One of the key differentiators for retrain.ai appears to be their focus on customization and flexibility. The platform allows for the calibration of role descriptions against market trends, while also accommodating organization-specific terminology and skill taxonomies. This adaptability is crucial, as many enterprises view their skill needs as unique and are often skeptical of one-size-fits-all approaches.
The talent acquisition module demonstrates some promising features, particularly in its ability to create a unified candidate pipeline that includes both internal and external talent. This aligns well with the growing emphasis on internal mobility and the need to leverage existing talent more effectively.
For talent management, retrain.ai offers capabilities for internal mobility, succession planning, and personalized learning recommendations. The platform’s ability to pre-populate employee skills based on various data points is an interesting feature that could potentially increase the adoption and accuracy of skills data.
retrain.ai’s approach to responsible AI is worth noting. In an era of increasing scrutiny of AI applications in HR, their emphasis on explainability, bias mitigation, and regulatory compliance is timely and necessary.
As with any skills intelligence platform, retrain.ai faces some inherent challenges. The rapidly evolving nature of skills, particularly in emerging roles, means that there will always be some lag between the platform’s capabilities and an organization’s needs. Additionally, many organizations are still in the early stages of defining their skills strategy, which can make implementation and adoption challenging. Brandon Hall Group™ research shows that only 16% of employers are highly invested in a skills-first approach to employee development, although another 38% say they are moderately invested.
However, the demand for this type of technology is solid and likely to increase – our research shows that skills management technology is considered the most pressing learning technology gap.
From a market perspective, retrain.ai is targeting large enterprises. While this focus allows them to address complex use cases, it also means navigating lengthy sales cycles and competing against established players in the space.
As the skills intelligence market matures, platforms like retrain.ai will likely play an increasingly important role in helping organizations become truly skills-based. Success will depend not just on technological capabilities, but also on the ability to educate the market, build trust, and demonstrate tangible business impact.
For HR and learning leaders considering skills intelligence platforms, retrain.ai represents an interesting option, particularly for those seeking a comprehensive, AI-driven approach. As always, careful evaluation against specific organizational needs and readiness will be crucial to realizing the potential benefits of such technologies.
