ArcBest selected IBM Watson Talent Frameworks—a library of industry-specific job profiles that helps enterprises define, develop and hire people with the necessary skills for success. Based on 30 years of industry research, the solution outlines responsibilities, competencies and functional and technical skills, as well as suggested interview questions and coaching tips for managers.
The company started with a pilot project in which its regional vice presidents—responsible for more than 9,000 employees—would coach its field leaders. Working with Cornerstone, ArcBest met with its leaders to uncover the skills, competencies, and behaviors that made them top performers in their roles, and then customized the descriptions for the roles in IBM Watson Talent Frameworks.
Black comments: “Working with the IBM and Cornerstone teams has been a great experience from the outset. By adopting a train-the-trainer approach, we quickly disseminated knowledge on IBM’s best practices around meeting with subject-matter experts and capturing their insights in IBM Watson Talent Frameworks. By the time we reached the end of our pilot, we were practically self-sufficient in the solution, and ready to hit the ground running.”
Today, the company is in the process of defining proficiency levels for each of its leadership roles, with behavior statements and expectations for each stage. ArcBest is also categorizing its jobs into families, and mapping out linear progressions from entry-level leadership roles to more senior positions.
“Our new approach to performance management is making it easier for our managers and our employees alike to understand the skills they need to move from an individual contributor to a leadership role,” adds Black. “Better still, our people can work on their personal learning and career development items in our Cornerstone online training portal, which means it’s easier than ever for them to cultivate the skills and behaviors needed to achieve their career goals.”
As it works team-by-team to build customized job profiles, ArcBest is revealing the current and future requirements for roles across the business.
“We’re asking our leaders: ‘what do you think you need to be a rockstar in this role?’,” says Black. “This process is helping our top talent put names to skills they know are critical, but couldn’t quite put their finger on before. Gaining these insights is especially important for areas of the organization that are changing rapidly to meet customer demands. IBM Watson Talent Frameworks enables us to ensure that our descriptions reflect the requirements accurately, and helps us keep them up to date as they evolve.”