8 Ways to Conduct a Skill Gap Analysis
When an employee progresses in the workplace, they get new job responsibilities. They are then given training so that they can handle it after. Thanks to skill gap analysis, HR in businesses can determine how much training an employee requires to be qualified for the new tasks assigned to them. They usually check on the employee’s previous reports to see how much they need to make progress.
8 Ways to Conduct a Skill Gap Analysis
What Is the Definition of Skills Gap Analysis?
A skill gap analysis is an aspect of training and development. It involves figuring out the gap between the employee’s current capabilities during work, and the demands of the job. For example, suppose an employee is an HR specialist and is capable of performing recruitment work just fine. Yet the nature of their job demands that they also work well with the other tasks that the job position entails. That is an example of a skill gap. Through skill gap analysis, management can figure out with HR planning, how to make an employee do their work without any challenges.
Why a Skill Gap Analysis is Important
A skill gap analysis is important because it serves as a way to guide the company when it comes to the hiring and training of employees. One of the usual tips handed out is to figure out the cost of hiring an employee before opening up an advertising a job vacancy. Analyzing whether your company has the means to hire and train an employee allows them to see what they need to improve to meet their needs. At the same time, it also allows employees to find out what skills they need to work on as well.
If you need some tips before you start a skill gap analysis, here are eight ways to conduct it.
Identify Business Goals
To identify how to make your employees cross over their skill gap, you will need to know the goals of your company first. Once you figure out your goals, look at your employees, and see if their current skills and output can meet your business’ demands. If it doesn’t, then with your goals in mind, determine how much training they need in order for them to become qualified enough to meet them.
Specify Skills Needed
Part of skill gap analysis involves figuring out what training the employees need in order to cross the present skill gap. To find that out, specify the skills needed in order for employees to effectively meet the demands of their job. If employees already have the skills specified that need enhancing in any way. For example, suppose there is a manager and they have a skill gap when it comes to organizing their team’s performance; the specific skill that they need training in is employee management.
Measure Current Skills
To figure out where the skill gap begins, start the analysis by measuring the current skills of the company’s employees. You can do this by looking through the data on the previous performances of the company. Check on the feedback on the employee’s performance at work as well. Another way you can measure their skills is by having an interview or a meeting to discuss their current strengths and weaknesses at work. With these techniques, you will have concrete data to work on as well as compare the expectations and demands that the company has set.
Report Missing Skills
Look through the old reports and check the ones where there is low employee productivity. Analyze and come up with the relevant data so you can better learn how to improve things. Once you determine what the missing skills are, you will have a much easier time figuring out what sort of training and development programs to put in place. In doing this, you can help people cross their skill gap and ensure your employees are better qualified.
Plan Your Analysis
Planning the skill gap analysis is on two levels: at an individual and a team level.
Individual Skills
Check the current stats of each employee and determine what is their current challenge. Look at the gap between their current capabilities and the demands of their job as well as the company. Then check what skills and training is necessary for that employee in order to overcome that gap.
Team Skills
When it comes to doing a skill gap analysis on a team, you need to make sure that your findings apply to every member involved. Look at what each team member is doing in their roles and then compare it with the responsibilities assigned by the management. Once you figure out the gap between them, implement training that will be applicable for everyone so that the entire team can overcome their skill gap together.
Conduct Skill Gap Analysis
With all the information you have gathered, you may conduct a skill gap analysis for an employee or a team that needs it. Organize all your information based on the following categories: the current state of the company and its employees, the goals and ideal state of the company, the skill gap present, and the action plans. After that, you may organize how to improve the employees based on the time given and the schedule of the workplace.
Take Action On Data
Once you have gathered concrete data, the next thing to do is to make an action plan. The action plan should be able to close the gap between the employee’s current abilities and the company’s demands. Some of these action plans usually are grand like a training activity but they can also include minimal ones implementing new practices in the workplace.
Offer Training
To maintain great employee relations, the company should offer training to those who work for them. This gives the employees the idea that the company cares enough to keep their employees up to date in the workplace and lead to a boost in employee engagement. The training must be relevant and designed for the employees to overcome whatever skill gaps they currently have.
Sometimes employees don’t have what it takes to do a certain job, but that is okay since there are ways to improve that. Through skill gap analysis you can figure out how to solve the problem of meeting the company’s demands with the employee’s capabilities. As long as those solutions align with the good of the employee and the company, then you are on the right track in doing skill gap analysis.
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