BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON: INTEGRATED TECHNICAL TALENT SYSTEM
In early 2022, Booz Allen Hamilton decided to build and invest in both reskilling and upskilling programs and an Integrated Technical Talent System to combine and connect Talent Development, Talent Acquisitions, and Talent Mobility across the business.
Program Details
Booz Allen’s Integrated Technical Talent System unifies the following five human capital components into a single platform to achieve efficiency:
1. Talent footprint: The aim was to develop centralized hiring, a common taxonomy of job skills, and a standardized approach for baselining needed talent to get ahead of demand. The new framework narrowed more than 2,000 job families down to 220, with approximately 125 aligned to the company’s technology business model. In addition, Booz Allen leverages comprehensive digital profiles for all employees to increase growth and mobility. These profiles pull information from multiple systems to identify employees’ education, experience, skills, and aspirations, enabling employees to identify mentoring, development, and networking opportunities.
2. Pipeline: Booz Allen analyzed job openings across the firm and interviewed business unit leaders about the skills that are hardest to find in the talent market. Through that analysis, they identified four certification topics:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure certifications
- DevSecOps certification
- Databricks Data Science and Engineering certifications
- Cyber Threat Hunter certification
Incorporating more lab than lecture, design for the pipeline program focused on measurement (pre-course assessment), modality (cohort environment), applied training (final capstone project), engagement (virtual community, fireside chats, and mentoring circles), and post-program support.
3. Skill building: The company’s FlexEd benefit covers academic assistance, functional and technical training, licenses, and certifications. Digital badges—for industry certification or those created to validate internal knowledge, skills, and abilities— validate an earner’s accomplishments, skills, or competencies in a specific area and proficiency level.
4. Talent Marketplace: This matches people to potential opportunities and roles based on their skills, interests, and preferences. Booz Allen’s Accelerator provides additional support for connecting talent to their interests and ambitions across the firm.
5. Career journey: To support the career journey, the firm created Technical Experience Groups (TXGs). These firm-sponsored, member-led communities of interest create a line of sight and new connections between colleagues with skills and interests in a particular technical field. TXGs facilitate networking and professional development, connect members of the community with new career paths and opportunities, and encourage the development of original thought leadership and intellectual property.
Results
Booz Allen has upskilled and reskilled 1,733 employees through its Talent Development programs. Additionally, 2,766 employees have been awarded a badge. Upskilling programs facilitated over the last year resulted in a 60 percent increase in AWS certifications and an 82 percent increase in foundational AWS certifications. Some 346 employees saw immediate career mobility/ advancement upon completing the Emergent Certification program. Booz Allen filled 1,450-plus externally posted positions with internal candidates in fiscal year 2022.
