Employee-led data – letting people tell us who they are (good idea or just wishful thinking?)

HR loves a self-service model. We spend millions on HR Tech platforms designed to make employees “feel empowered”—but do they? When it comes to skills data, the idea is simple: let employees tell us what they’re good at, and we’ll make better workforce decisions. 

But here’s the problem: 

• People overestimate their abilities. Studies show that most people think they’re above average (the Dunning-Kruger effect in action). 
• HR doesn’t verify self-reported skills. If an employee says they’re “Advanced” in Python but can’t code their way out of a paper bag, what do we do with that data? 
• Different interpretations of skill levels. “Proficient” to one person might mean “I watched a YouTube video on this.” 

Because employees know their skills best—they just need a structured way to express them. This approach can be useful when combined with validation mechanisms like manager feedback, project experience, or tech-driven verification. 

The good stuff (pros): 

1. Scalability: Every employee in the business can contribute, providing a richer dataset.
2. Employee engagement: People feel valued when they have a say in their development.
3. Dynamic skill growth tracking: If updated regularly, it provides insight into skill evolution. 

The bad stuff (cons): 

1. Biased and inconsistent data: Without verification, data quality is weak.
2. Lack of managerial buy-In: If managers don’t trust the data, they won’t use it.
3. Overload of unstructured information: HR ends up with a messy database of self-reported skills that no one can actually use. 

• Workday Skills Cloud – Allows employees to input and update skills dynamically. 

• Degreed – Users can self-report skills and connect them to learning. 

• LinkedIn Learning – Employees can list and validate skills based on completed learning. 

• Gloat – Employee-led marketplace where skills and aspirations shape career growth. 

• Eightfold AI – Uses AI to infer skills based on employee input and career history. 

Employee-led data is only as good as the validation behind it. Without a structured approach, you’re just collecting wish lists, not workforce intelligence.