Assessments Are Dead: Skills Intelligence Takes Over

The June 10, 2026 episode of You Should Know dives into a provocative thesis: traditional assessments are dead, and skills intelligence is taking their place. Hosted by William Tincup and Ryan Leary of WRKdefined, the episode features Kian Katanforoosh, CEO and founder of Workera and an adjunct lecturer at Stanford University. Katanforoosh argues that AI-driven skills intelligence is the future of workforce measurement, replacing outdated assessments plagued by bias and mistrust. The conversation touches on the shrinking half-life of skills (now 2 to 2.5 years), the emergence of learning velocity as a key metric, and the role of AI in reducing hiring biases. Katanforoosh asserts that AI can be less biased than humans, stating, "If someone is racist, they're not going to wake up a day and not be racist suddenly... AI doesn't take time. If you actually know what's the problem and you go and you fix it, it will change overnight by definition."

The discussion also covers Workera's deployment strategy, which begins with a pyramidal AI badging framework covering understanding, applying, and building AI, including GenAI and responsible AI certifications. This is followed by role-specific skills for roles like product managers and marketers. Katanforoosh cites World Economic Forum data projecting a net 78 million more jobs by 2030, references the Meta-OpenAI talent war, and floats universal basic income as a potential bridge. He also introduces Workera's product, The Sage, an AI mentor that uses multimodal assessment to evaluate candidates through speaking, coding, whiteboarding, or problem-solving. Tincup argues that the word "assessment" carries toxic baggage and should be replaced with "skills measurement."

This episode of You Should Know, available now, offers a candid look at how organizations can rethink talent measurement in an era of rapid technological change. For HR leaders and executives, the message is clear: the tools and mindsets for evaluating skills must evolve to keep pace with AI advancements and shifting workforce dynamics.