The evolution of job architecture in the tech industry

From fixed to fluid work in technology
A new era: job architecture 2.0
of organizations have job architectures in place
are planning changes within the next 12 months — signaling a shift to "job architecture 2.0"
Skills at the heart of architecture
To keep pace, organizations are integrating skills frameworks into their job architecture. This includes:
- A shared skills taxonomy across the business
- Defined skill types (e.g., leadership, technical, enterprise)
- Proficiency models to assess levels of capability
By linking skills to each job profile, businesses can assess gaps, inform workforce planning, personalize learning and development pathways and even align pay progression with skill development.
Governance: the hidden weak spot
Despite the investment in job architecture, over half of organizations are dissatisfied with their current frameworks, often due to poor governance. Common issues include:
- Outdated job content
- Inconsistent application by HR managers
- Risk of bias in mapping of employees to the architecture
To avoid these pitfalls, governance must shift from a reward team responsibility to a cross-functional effort. Involving talent leaders, HRBPs, analytics teams and business sponsors ensures the architecture is relevant, fair and sustainable.
Three actions for job architecture success in the tech sector:
-
Build a universal frameworkApply a consistent global architecture across markets and business units.
-
Establish strong governanceDefine clear roles and responsibilities for maintaining and applying the architecture.
-
Activate for impactMake job structures visible and actionable through shared profiles, skill frameworks and career pathways.
Principal, Reward and Talent, Mercer
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