“We Did the Skills Work. Nothing Happened.” | Sarah Gretczko on The Truth About Skills Strategy
In this in-person episode of The TechWolf Podcast, recorded live in New York City, we sit down with Sarah Gretczko, Head of Talent & Belonging at PayPal.
With 20+ years of experience in HR strategy, Sarah shares unfiltered insights on the evolution of skills-based organizations—and why focusing only on skills is a mistake.
From her time at MasterCard and JP Morgan to PayPal today, she brings stories of real transformation, failed pilots, business alignment, and the human side of tech.
Sarah shares:
- Why skills are only one piece of the puzzle when understanding human potential.
- What companies get wrong when jumping into skills transformations.
- How a failed workforce planning project became a critical success during COVID.
- Her advice for choosing the right use cases and getting business buy-in.
- How to evaluate HR tech vendors without getting lost in the hype.
💡 Final Takeaway: Don't get distracted by buzzwords. Skills data is only useful if it's connected to real business problems—and implemented in a human-centric way.
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