How Ericsson Used Analytics to Retain 45% of its Talent

Telecommunications giant Ericsson is setting a new benchmark in global talent management, successfully filling nearly 45% of all open positions through its internal workforce.

This landmark achievement is the direct result of a decade-long transformation that has reshaped Ericsson’s Human Resources function from an administrative unit into a strategic, data-driven business partner leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and deep analytics.

The shift underscores a growing trend in corporate strategy: prioritizing the development and mobilization of existing talent over external recruitment to drive competitive advantage.

The Engine of Internal Mobility at Ericsson: The ‘Career Hub’

Central to this success is the Career Hub, a proprietary, technology-driven internal mobility platform.

The platform is designed to make career opportunities visible, accessible, and merit-based for all 100,000+ employees globally.

The Career Hub serves as more than just an internal job board; it is a holistic development tool.

Every role in the company is initially advertised internally, giving current employees the first opportunity to apply.

Through the platform, employees can:

• Explore roles across different domains.
• Assess their fit using AI-powered tools.
• Identify skill gaps required for their desired next step.
• Receive tailored recommendations for upskilling and learning programs.

This approach fosters what Ericsson terms a “CEO mindset,” where employees are encouraged to actively lead and navigate their own career journey, which is no longer limited to linear promotions but equally celebrates lateral moves and skill acquisition.

For managers, the platform provides real-time insights into internal talent pools, helping them spot and develop employees ready for a professional pivot.

This robust internal system has significantly strengthened talent retention and development across all levels of the organisation.

AI and Analytics: The New HR Business Partner

Ericsson embedded data analytics, machine learning (ML), and AI across the entire employee lifecycle, ensuring data informs every talent decision.

The company has utilized platforms like Eightfold for AI-powered candidate matching, which goes beyond traditional CV analysis to infer a candidate’s full skillset and match their aspirations with internal role requirements.

This drastically improves the speed and quality of internal staffing.

Furthermore, the commitment to inclusion is hard-wired into the technology itself.

Ericsson achieved 100% adoption of Textio, an AI writing tool, to ensure it writes all job descriptions in gender-neutral language, thereby proactively eliminating bias and broadening the diversity of the applicant pool.

The company has also partnered with specialists like TechWolf to create a unified skills language across its systems.

This results in every employee receiving a personalized “skills signature”—an AI-inferred and validated profile of their current capabilities and development trajectory.

This granular, real-time skills data empowers business leaders to plan the workforce with confidence and clarity, directly linking skill supply to strategic business demand.

Beyond talent acquisition, Generative AI tools now provide real-time, accurate support through HR helpdesk chatbots, freeing up HR staff to focus on complex, high-value strategic work.

Cultivating an Inclusive Talent Pipeline

The data-driven focus extends specifically to nurturing leadership talent and improving gender balance.

Ericsson is pursuing a global diversity target of 30% women representation by 2030 through targeted initiatives:

• ASPIRE: A flagship program focused on accelerating the development of mid-level women professionals, preparing them for larger leadership roles. Around 50% of ASPIRE participants have successfully advanced to bigger positions.
• ASCENT: The ASCENT program is a pipeline initiative that targets campus graduates. With over half of the participants being women, it ensures a strong and diverse influx of early-career talent.

By transforming its HR ecosystem into a high-tech, high-touch operation, Ericsson is not merely streamlining processes.

It is creating a culture of continuous learning, internal mobility, and empowered career ownership.

This strategy validates the power of leveraging big data. It helps solve the complex challenge of talent scarcity in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

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