Organisations invest heavily in skills-based talent marketplaces, with the hope that mobility will increase, skills will grow and hiring costs will fall. Once the marketplace opens and initial fanfare is over, the return on investment can take a dip.
Why? It’s not a technology problem. It’s a career clarity problem.
Talent marketplaces do best when employees are clear on how careers work in their organisation. If people don’t understand their strengths, know where they fit in and cannot see a pathway ahead for them, they may “window shop” for opportunities but could be less likely to act on them. A marketplace, no matter how good, sits ill at ease with a wider feeling of career uncertainty.
This really matters as we move into 2026, because leaders are clearly relying heavily on internal mobility to close skill gaps and keep their best talent. In our recent “From skills to careers: Unlocking ROI from talent marketplaces” webinar, we showed the biggest blockers to ROI.
- Employees worry about making the wrong move
- Managers fear losing good people
- Leaders unintentionally signal that movement is risky
And in this environment, ROI has a limited upside.
There must be a better way – and there is….
Let’s be clear: a talent marketplace is not a plug and play. It can only be effective if accompanied by a major shift in the mindset around talent. Those building one need to think about careers very differently, towards a more future-proofed mindset.
They achieve better movement when they simplify career language and make development feel accessible. They make progress when they link the platform to clearer pathways and support managers to release talent. Those organisations that get great ROI from their talent marketplace do so because they focus on career clarity.
Technology can amplify what people already understand.
- When employees feel confident about their career direction, they apply for their next move
- When managers know how to support movement, they recommend opportunities
- When leaders reinforce that mobility is valued, the system gains energy – and the ROI flows
These cultural signals matter more than algorithms. And we enable them with services such as our career workshops and Be Bold in your career programme.
So, ask yourself this question: Will your marketplace prosper when your people have the right skills, or when they also have enough clarity and confidence to seek a move? Email jon.matthews@careerinnovation.com to find out how to get started.
