Can HR Stop Playing Buzzword Bingo with Skills and AI?
If you’re an HR or TA practitioner or work in HR Tech in any capacity, AI and Skills-Based Hiring is what everyone is talking about. The problem? All the talk is diluting the importance of two very interrelated topics. Glider AI sponsored the Transformation Realness Podcast with host Kyle Lagunas, where he interviewed Toya Del Valle, the Chief Customer of Cornerstone OnDemand, to get down to the brass tax of AI and Skills-Based Hiring.
Del Valle had some blunt truths to share about AI and Skills-Based Hiring, so if you’re tired of important HR topics becoming buzzwords and want real, actionable insights, this recap of Toya’s interview is what you need.
TL;DR (the quick version)
Del Valle and the Cornerstone team have been on a transformation journey involving a new product by Cornerstone called SkyHive AI and a relentless focus on people. As she explains it, HR is making the same mistake with skills that it did with diversity—not investing in people first. Del Valle’s message is clear: organizations cannot ‘hire their way out of this problem,’ and executives must redesign ways to staff and retain talent internally.
Insight #1: “Skills” Isn’t Just a Buzzword!
Let’s be honest: everyone’s talking about skills, but does anyone know what it means?
“Everyone talks about skills and many folks are trying to figure out what are skills? What are competencies? What do I do with it? Is it a buzzword?” Del Valle said, challenging the status quo.
This is a wake-up call for HR leaders everywhere who think they can slap a “skills” label on their current practices and call it a day. According to Del Valle, companies are approaching skills the same way they did with diversity—by trying to recruit their way out of a problem instead of building it internally.
“Some are trying to recruit their way through diversity. It’s not going to work,” Del Valle warned. Her solution? Stop managing people as machines and start developing them to adapt and prosper in a future no one can foresee.
Insight #2: AI is About People, Not Robots
In a market flooded with AI hype, Del Valle brings the conversation back to where it belongs—people. “Skills are about people. AI should be about people,” she said, emphasizing that the real power of AI is in its ability to enable human potential.
And that’s where SkyHive comes in. The acquisition, as Del Valle explains, isn’t just about adding another tool to Cornerstone’s suite. It’s about transforming how organizations approach skills in a way that’s dynamic, agile, and human-first.
Insight #3: The Truth About Workforce Agility
Kyle Lagunas summed it up: “Any talent strategy designed in a vacuum without context, connection, or relevance—how’s it going to be impactful?” Spoiler: It won’t be.
Del Valle couldn’t agree more. “We really don’t know what the future holds,” she admitted, advocating for a flexible, agile approach to workforce planning. It’s not just about preparing for the next disruption; it’s about ensuring that your people are resilient enough to weather it.
“Companies cannot recruit themselves out of this change,” she emphasized, urging HR leaders to focus on developing skills internally and cultivating a culture that supports growth and agility.
Insight #4: The Cornerstone of Cornerstone
Del Valle dropped one of the most potent lines of the interview when she said, “Cornerstone benefits from Cornerstone.” Not only are they helping their clients navigate a rapidly evolving landscape, but they’re also walking the walk internally. By leveraging their skills-based talent strategies, they’re not just surviving but thriving.
“It’s about value,” Del Valle explained, “We’re not just creating solutions; we’re enabling our clients to open new doors, whether it’s a new branch in an unbanked community or helping them meet regulatory requirements.”
Insight #5: HR Needs a Makeover
If there’s one takeaway from this podcast, HR needs to take ownership, whether it’s skills, AI, or agility. To make it real, as Del Valle shared, HR needs to focus on the human part of the job to create long-term, meaningful change—and that starts with developing your people from within. Del Valle leaves us with a challenge: It’s time to stop playing buzzword bingo and start building the future of work, one skill at a time.
