As AI transforms CSPs to TechCos, we need a way to train, retain and grow talent

Commercial context

CSPs know they must become TechCos to compete — but transformation depends on people, not just technology. Legacy cultures, slow onboarding, limited career mobility, and widening skill gaps hold back even the best strategic plans. Without fixing talent systems, companies can’t keep up with faster, AI-driven competition.

For many CSPs, talent management still relies on outdated processes. Onboarding is manual. Career paths are unclear. Agile methods are introduced, but only surface-deep. Internally, teams are siloed and slow to collaborate. Externally, customers feel the effect: time-to-market suffers, innovation stalls, and service expectations go unmet.

This is the challenge that the ‘CultureConnect’ Catalyst sets out to solve. The Catalyst reimagines how telcos develop, deploy, and empower their people — using AI, gamification, and agile practice to enable real, measurable transformation.

The solution

CultureConnect works on two levels: an enterprise-wide intelligence layer and a focused, team-based approach to change. Technologically, it uses an AI-powered Talent Hub designed to provide leaders and employees a clearer picture of roles, skills, and development opportunities. This helps match people to the right work, suggests personalized learning paths, and makes internal mobility easier to navigate. The design draws on TM Forum’s TechCo Organizational Design and Digital Talent Maturity Models to align with industry expectations and improve onboarding and training.

In parallel, Tiger Teams put new ways of working into practice. These are small, agile teams that take on specific challenges across departments, operating in short sprints. They test ideas quickly in low-friction areas, proving what works before scaling successful approaches across the organization. This is a practical way to build cultural change from the ground up.

To keep people engaged, the platform uses gamified learning journeys — structured pathways that guide progression and encourage completion. Training content comes from internal sources and external partners, including LinkedIn Learning and academic institutions. Skills mapping aligns learning with real job needs, while partnerships help keep knowledge current.

Application and wider value

The outcome is a workforce that learns faster, adapts quicker, and contributes more. CultureConnect isn’t a set of policies or slide decks — it’s a working model for how transformation can take root and grow.

For CSPs, the numbers tell the story. CultureConnect can reduce onboarding time by up to 30% and improve internal mobility by 25–30%. AI-led learning recommendations close critical skill gaps up to 40% faster. Agile Tiger Teams improve time-to-market by as much as 20%. The combined result: a 15–20% reduction in operational costs, thanks to less external hiring and more targeted reskilling.

The telecom industry as a whole stands to gain significantly. CultureConnect provides a practical, repeatable model for aligning organizational design with the realities of modern work. The potential is clear: greater agility, lower integration costs, and faster innovation across the board.

It's also a welcome way to keep people skilled in the age of AI: a more skilled, mobile workforce expands digital inclusion and strengthens long-term employability. According to the World Economic Forum, companies that invest in training see innovation cycles move twice as fast, with employee satisfaction rising by 20–30%. CultureConnect puts that within reach — at scale, and with structure.

For Sri Lanka Telecom, the impact is immediate: faster onboarding, clearer progression, and a more responsive culture. As Engineer Digital Transformation Projects, Hashini Dassanayake of Sri Lanka Telecom explained: "CultureConnect will enhance Sri Lanka Telecom's ability to rapidly onboard talent, close skill gaps more efficiently, and provide clearer career progression pathways."

For the national telecom sector, it sets a benchmark. And for the wider region, it points to a future where transformation starts with people — not just platforms. Smarter tools and agile teams can’t fix everything, but CultureConnect shows they can fix the right things first, and guide organizations toward meaningful cultural change.