The traditional model—people sit in roles, apply for openings when they want to move—is giving way to something more dynamic. Internal talent marketplaces match people to opportunities more fluidly, based on skills rather than just job history.

This shift has profound implications for L&D. Here’s what you need to understand.

What Internal Talent Marketplaces Are

An internal talent marketplace is a system—usually technology-enabled—that:

Captures employee skills and interests. What can people do? What do they want to do?

Aggregates internal opportunities. Not just job openings, but projects, gigs, learning experiences, mentoring relationships.

Matches people to opportunities. Using AI and algorithms to suggest fits based on skills, interests, and organisational needs.

Enables self-directed career movement. Employees can pursue opportunities without depending entirely on manager sponsorship.

Think of it as an internal job market on steroids—including not just permanent moves but temporary projects, skill-building opportunities, and developmental experiences.

Why This Matters Now

Several trends drive talent marketplace adoption:

Skills-based organisations. As organisations shift from job-based to skills-based thinking, they need mechanisms to deploy skills effectively.

Agile work models. Project-based work requires fluid talent allocation, not rigid role assignments.

Employee expectations. Workers expect development opportunities. Marketplaces make them visible and accessible.

Technology enablement. AI makes sophisticated matching at scale feasible in ways it wasn’t before.

Talent retention. Internal mobility correlates with retention. Marketplaces facilitate mobility.

According to research from Deloitte, organisations with strong internal mobility have significantly better retention and engagement metrics.

The L&D Connection

Talent marketplaces intersect with L&D in several ways:

Skills Architecture Becomes Critical

Marketplaces run on skills data. Without clear, consistent skills frameworks, matching doesn’t work.

L&D implications:

• Skills taxonomy development becomes essential
• Skills assessment methods must be valid and current
• Skills language must be consistent across systems

Development Becomes More Visible

Marketplaces surface development opportunities alongside job opportunities. Learning experiences, stretch projects, and mentoring become findable.

L&D implications:

• Learning opportunities need to be marketplace-compatible
• Development experiences need skills tagging
• L&D programs become more discoverable

Just-in-Time Development Increases

When someone gets a stretch project through the marketplace, they may need rapid skill development to succeed.

L&D implications:

• On-demand learning resources become more important
• Development support must be available quickly
• Programs must be flexible enough for marketplace dynamics

Career Development Changes

Traditional career paths give way to skills-based career lattices. Development becomes more employee-driven.

L&D implications:

• Career development resources must support marketplace navigation
• Self-directed learning capabilities become critical
• L&D helps people understand their skills and development options

Building Marketplace Capabilities

If your organisation is implementing a talent marketplace, L&D should contribute:

Skills Framework Development

Work with HR and business to build skills taxonomies that:

• Are comprehensive enough to capture meaningful differences
• Are simple enough to be manageable
• Connect to business capabilities and roles
• Enable meaningful matching

Skills Assessment Infrastructure

Develop or implement methods to assess skills validly:

• Self-assessment (valuable but biased)
• Manager assessment (valuable but inconsistent)
• Demonstrated performance (most valid but hardest to scale)
• Credentialing and certification (useful for some skills)
• AI-inferred skills (emerging but still developing)

Learning Content Alignment

Ensure learning resources connect to skills:

• Tag content with skills developed
• Create clear learning paths to targeted skills
• Enable search and recommendation by skill

Marketplace Navigation Support

Help employees use the marketplace effectively:

• Skills self-assessment tools
• Career exploration resources
• Development planning support
• Manager coaching capability

Common Challenges

Talent marketplace implementations face predictable obstacles:

Data Quality Issues

Skills data is often incomplete, outdated, or inconsistent. Marketplaces amplify data quality problems.

L&D response: Advocate for investment in skills data quality. Contribute L&D perspective to skills framework design.

Manager Resistance

Some managers resist losing talent to other parts of the organisation. They may hoard talent or discourage marketplace participation.

L&D response: Develop manager capability for talent development, including releasing people who’ve grown. Help create cultures where developing and releasing talent is valued.

Employee Confusion

New models can overwhelm employees. They may not understand how to use the marketplace or what opportunities mean for their careers.

L&D response: Create resources that help employees navigate the marketplace effectively. Build skills self-assessment capability.

Technology Limitations

Marketplace platforms vary in sophistication. Many are still developing core capabilities.

L&D response: Understand platform capabilities and limitations. Advocate for functionality that supports learning and development integration.

Measuring Marketplace Success

How do you know if talent marketplaces are working?

Participation metrics:

• What percentage of employees have skills profiles?
• How many are actively using the marketplace?
• What’s the application rate for opportunities?

Movement metrics:

• Are internal moves increasing?
• Are projects successfully staffed internally?
• How quickly are opportunities filled?

Development metrics:

• Are development experiences being accessed?
• Are people building new skills through marketplace opportunities?
• Is marketplace participation associated with skill growth?

Business metrics:

• Is retention improving?
• Is engagement increasing?
• Are projects more successful with marketplace-sourced talent?

L&D should partner with HR analytics to track these outcomes.

Strategic Questions

As you engage with talent marketplace initiatives, consider:

What skills matter most? Marketplaces need prioritisation. Not all skills are equally important to track and develop.

How will skills be verified? Self-reported skills are often inflated. What validation mechanisms exist?

How does learning connect? How do people develop skills they need for marketplace opportunities?

Who develops the platform? Is this HR-led? IT-led? Does L&D have appropriate influence?

What’s the change management plan? Marketplaces require behaviour change from employees, managers, and leaders. Who’s driving that?

L&D’s Role

In talent marketplace implementations, L&D should:

Be at the table. Ensure L&D perspective is included in marketplace design and implementation.

Own skills development. Connect learning to marketplace skills frameworks and opportunities.

Support navigation. Help employees and managers use the marketplace effectively.

Measure learning impact. Track whether marketplace participation produces development.

Advocate for integration. Push for learning to be genuinely integrated with the marketplace, not an afterthought.

Talent marketplaces represent a significant shift in how organisations think about talent. L&D must understand and engage with this shift to remain relevant.

Getting Started

If your organisation doesn’t yet have a talent marketplace but is considering one:

1. Understand the concept. Research what talent marketplaces are and how they work.

2. Assess readiness. Does your organisation have the skills data, technology capability, and cultural readiness?

3. Identify L&D implications. How would a marketplace change what L&D needs to provide?

4. Engage with stakeholders. Ensure L&D is part of marketplace conversations from the beginning.

5. Start building capability. Begin developing skills frameworks and assessment approaches that could support a future marketplace.

The talent marketplace model is gaining momentum. L&D professionals who understand it will be better positioned to contribute and adapt.

Those who ignore it risk being bypassed by a significant shift in how organisations develop and deploy talent.

Pay attention.