Everyone knows staff capabilities matters – but no one actually measures it or really has any clue about potential.
Sure…
- Boards ask if we have the skills to deliver.
- Investors demand growth without headcount.
- Leaders talk endlessly about capability gaps.
And yet…
Job titles are used as proxies for capability, skills are invisible, development is inconsistent and work itself is barely understood.
Organisations plan multi-million-dollar strategies on data that wouldn’t survive a basic audit.
That’s absurd. And I’m here to call it out.
Let’s talk about job titles – because they lie
If titles ACTUALLY described capability, we wouldn’t bother interviewing people.
However…
- Two “Marketing Managers” can be entirely different species: one a brand strategist, one a data analyst in disguise.
- A “Team Lead” could be a coach, a project manager or just the person who didn’t say no.
- A “Customer Service Rep” might be an expert in workflows… or simply reading from a script.
Job titles freeze a role at a moment in time. But work evolves weekly. And yet, we rely on them as if they were gospel.
Key point: Job titles lie. Skills reveal.
The organisations that start seeing what people can actually do will stop guessing and start building real capability.
How is it possible we don’t know what people can ACTUALLY do?
I’ve been through this with small and large teams. When your team grows beyond 50 people, you simply can’t cognitively track what everyone can do. And that’s insane, because your company’s survival depends on it.
Reality check:
We obsess over metrics everywhere except the one that matters – what our people can do.
Someone resigns and only then do you discover they could automate workflows!
That quiet analyst on the third floor? They can code, train models and design dashboards – but no one ever asked.
Our talent is hidden in plain sight. And we accept it.
It makes you wonder how much in-team potential we overlook every single day.
Why team development feels like an afterthought
We know growth drives retention. Yet development is treated like admin:
- Quarterly PDPs are rushed or forgotten.
- Development depends on the manager's luck, not company design.
Most people have a more detailed development plan in their gym app than in their workplace system.
HR is being told to shift from workforce to work, but most organisations haven’t even mastered individual-level development.
Seeing and growing skills systematically – exactly what the Career Upgrade Experience maps – is the piece most organisations are still missing.
Here’s the bigger problem: we don’t actually understand the work
There’s a profound gap in how companies approach capability: the unit of analysis must be tasks, not job titles.
You cannot redesign work if you’ve never mapped it.
Work analysis is the missing foundation of capability building.
- Work redesign = 2x the performance outcome.
- CHRO + CIO partnerships are key.
- AI ripple effects will redefine jobs.
Yet we’re navigating massive work shifts using job titles from 2005. It’s absurd.
Solution? See how to map work and skill gaps with GoFIGR Talent Navigator.
Careers are like LEGO, not ladders
Careers aren’t ladders. They’re LEGO sets.
- People grow by stacking skills, not climbing titles.
- Skills are modular, transferable and buildable.
- Job titles hide this; skills reveal it.
For example:
- A customer service rep moves into operations by adding analysis and workflow skills.
- A marketer evolves into growth via analytics and experimentation skills.
Companies that understand this can redeploy talent, design pathways and grow capability proactively.
But the chain of absurdity is clear:
Strategy → Capability → Skills → Tasks → Work
Yet most companies plan only at two levels: strategy and roles. Everything in between is a mystery.
FAQs: Skills, work and capability in Australian workplaces
Why don’t job titles reflect real employee skills in Australian companies?
Job titles freeze roles in time. Two people with the same title can have entirely different capabilities. Skills visibility is the only way to understand what your team can actually do.
Can employee interviews alone reveal an employee’s capability?
No. Interviews only patch gaps. If titles showed true skills, interviews wouldn’t be necessary. Real capability requires structured workforce planning and skills assessment.
Why is hidden talent a problem in Australian organisations?
Many employee skills go unnoticed. Teams only discover strengths when someone resigns. Capability building fails when talent remains invisible.
Why is employee development inconsistent in Australian workplaces?
Development is often treated as admin. PDPs are rushed or forgotten and growth depends on a manager’s luck, not company design. Most employees have better plans in their fitness apps than at work.
How can Australian companies prepare for the future of work?
Map tasks, capture skills, spot gaps and design career pathways. Workforce insight and talent management are essential for capability building and future-ready teams.
Will AI solve workforce capability challenges in Australia?
Only partially. AI highlights skills gaps and workforce trends, but success depends on understanding employees first. HR and business leaders need visibility into real skills and work tasks.
Stop guessing capabilities!! Start seeing what your people can actually do
The absurdity ends when skills are visible and work is understood. Hiring more heads, buying new tech or talking about AI isn’t enough.
Real transformation happens when you:
- Map roles and tasks, not just titles
- Spot capability gaps before they become problems
- Redeploy talent where it matters most
- Equip managers to lead through change
AI isn’t about replacing people. It’s about giving teams the clarity, tools and support to work smarter, adapt faster and thrive in a constantly evolving landscape.
At GoFIGR, I believe the future of work isn’t about job titles or spreadsheets. It’s insight, agility and empowerment. See what your people can really do, unlock hidden capability and build a workforce ready for anything.
Because here’s the truth: every organisation deserves to transform successfully. And now, every organisation can.
Contact GoFIGR today and see how we can help you lead workforce transformation with confidence.
Helena Turpin spent 20 years in talent and HR innovation where she solved people-related problems using data and technology. She left corporate life to create GoFIGR where she helps mid-sized organizations to develop and retain their people by connecting employee skills and aspirations to internal opportunities like projects, mentorship and learning.
