For organization’s to remain a step ahead of their competitors, they should identify and address employee skills gaps. The skills gap differentiates between an employee’s current skills and the skills they require to perform their job well. It’s important not to confuse this with “competency gaps” or “capability gaps,” which also consider abilities, knowledge, or behavior that affect performance, whereas a skills gap focuses primarily on the skills.
A skills gap can lead to higher labor costs because companies may need to hire more employees to get the job done. Today, businesses face competition when trying to fill certain critical positions. For example, in 2018, over 90% of S&P companies were recruiting for the same 39critical roles, which included jobs like data scientists, software developers, marketing managers, and computer system engineers. These roles accounted for nearly half (49%) of all job opportunities.
Utilizing tools like competency-based assessments, coding assessments, and psychometric assessments provide insights into where development is needed.
Here are 3 tips to identify employee skills gap in the workplace, with a focus on competency assessment.
How to Identify Skills Gap in the Workplace
As job requirements evolve and new technologies emerge, ensuring teams have the correct skills set becomes increasingly important. By uncovering areas where employees may lack essential competencies, companies can develop targeted training programs, make informed hiring decisions, and foster culture of continuous learning.
3 Tips to identifying skills gap in the Workplace are discussed below.
1. Utilize Competency-Based Assessments
Competency-based assessments are one of the most effective ways to identify skills gaps. These assessments focus on measuring an employee’s performance against the specific skills and competencies required for their role. By assessing real-world competencies, such as problem-solving, communication, and leadership, organizations can pinpoint an employee’s shortfalls.
Competency based assessments aligned with the businesses goals, objectives and capabilities offers insights into technical skills and also soft skills.
It allows the organization the following benefits:
· Benchmark against industry standards: Identify where your employees stand compared to industry norms.
· Spot individual and team gaps: By evaluating individual performance and team dynamics, it’s easier to recognize where skill development is needed.
· Create targeted training programs: Once HR identifies gaps they tailor training programs to close them, resulting in enhanced productivity and employee growth.
2. Implement Coding Assessments for Technical Roles
Coding assessments are invaluable in identifying skills gaps in technical fields like, programming and software development. These tests evaluate the practical abilities of employees and candidates, ensuring they possess the coding proficiency necessary for their roles in software engineering, IT, and data analysis, where coding forms the backbone of daily operations.
Coding assessments can assist businesses to:
· Evaluate real-world coding abilities: Determine whether an employee can translate theory into practice.
· Assess problem-solving capabilities: Coding assessments can uncover an employee’s ability to tackle complex problems with creative solutions.
· Monitor progress over time: By comparing assessment results periodically, organizations can track employees ‘improvements and address skills gaps quickly.
3. Use Psychometric Assessments for Behavioral Insights
Psychometric assessments helps Human Resource personnel understand staff personalities, behaviors, and cognitive abilities. Psychometric assessments like Thomas International, are common tools organizations use to uncover employees’ emotional intelligence, leadership potential, and resilience, revealing how they interact with teams and handle challenges.
By incorporating psychometric assessments into employees ‘evaluation process, HR personnel can achieve the following:
· Identify leadership potential: Discover which employees have the soft skills necessary for leadership roles.
· Enhance team dynamics: By understanding personality traits, managers can nurture better team communication and collaboration.
· Support professional development: Psychometric assessments reveal areas where employees may need coaching or mentorship to improve behavioral skills critical to success.
Conclusion
Identifying employee skills gaps is essential for maintaining a competitive and adaptable workforce. By implementing a combination of competency-based assessments, coding assessments, and psychometric assessments, businesses gain a holistic view of their employees ‘strengths and areas for improvement, enabling HR personnel to develop targeted training programs, make informed hiring decisions, and foster a culture of continuous learning and development within their organization.
