How to Perform a Skills Gap Analysis

To ensure your team possesses the skills they need to succeed and meet industry standards, a skills gap analysis can be very helpful. Whether you’re experiencing underperformance issues or seeking areas of improvement, this tool will get your business back on track. Read on to learn how to perform a skills gap analysis.

HRDQ offers a complete library of online assessments that are expertly designed to gauge individual soft skills. Explore the HRDQ Online Assessment Center.

What is a Skills Gap Analysis?

Before we dive into the analysis process, you may be wondering what a skills gap analysis actually is. Simply put, it’s used to identify the gap between the skills employers want versus the skills their employees really possess. The less aligned these two characteristics are, the larger the gap, and likely, the more your team may be struggling. Luckily, using a skills gap analysis to reveal how big the gap is in your organization is the first step towards eliminating it altogether.

Performing a Skills Gap Analysis

Here’s how to perform a skills gap analysis:

Lay Out Your Objective

The first step to a skills gap analysis is honing in on your specific objective for the analysis. For instance, are you wanting to perform one to help fill an open role? Do you want to discover why your team may be underperforming? Maybe you simply want to help with your employees’ professional growth. Whatever the case may be, have a clear objective in mind before moving forward with your analysis.

Choose an Individual or Group Analysis

Your objective will allow you to determine whether you should perform an individual or group analysis:

• An individual analysis will reveal the skills a single person possesses, independent from other employees.
• A group analysis will reveal the skills of the team as a collective.

Remember what it is you’re looking for to choose the correct type of skills gap analysis to conduct.

Identify Needed Skills

Next, you need to lay out the skills you’re looking for to meet your objective. If you’re hiring for an open role or helping an employee improve in their role, do some industry research on what the top skills are for that particular title. In team settings, consider needed competencies for employees to thrive when working in group environments. Generally, you should identify the most important tasks for either the individual or group and research the skills that will best allow them to complete those tasks.

Assess Current Skills

Once your needed skills are clearly identified, the analysis can begin. The best way to gauge your team’s current skills is through a soft skills assessment. An expertly designed test can quickly identify the strengths and weaknesses you’re looking for in your employees. Plus, when you use the Online Assessment Center from HRDQ, you can track participant progress, obtain instant access to results, and create stylized reports of the data. This way, you can clearly see what skills your employees excel in and what needs to be improved to meet your objective.

Fill the Gap

With the skills gap analysis complete, you can start working on closing the gap to reach your objective. The best way to do this is by training your employees in the skills they’re lacking based on the analysis. Design a training program centered on these key skills. If you need assistance creating an effective program, HRDQ can help you design your training in a style that fits your team’s exact needs.

Alternately, you can also fill the gap by using the analysis data to identify the best applicants for an open role. If you administer the test to potential applicants, you can easily select the person who best meets the needs of the role. The analysis can also help you reassign employees to positions that better suit their skills. Or, if you prefer and your employee is willing, you can simply provide them with individualized training in the desired skill to help them further excel at their job.

Assess & Train Your Team with HRDQ

If you’re ready to close the skill gap in your organization, get started with HRDQ today. Our online assessments allow you to quickly and accurately gauge your team’s soft skills. Plus, we also offer virtual training, so your employees can complete sessions and workshops no matter where they are. If you’re ready to experience the power of online training and assessments, view our virtual options to get started!

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