Over the past few years, organisations have increasingly focused on developing and managing the skills of their staff. A competency matrix can help employees to understand what skills they should develop to advance in their careers.
Skills mapping helps to answer the question of whether the skills of the staff match the skills needs of the company. In this article, we will specifically discuss what a competency matrix is and how to conduct a competency mapping exercise.
What is the competency matrix?
The competency matrix is a tool used to map and develop the competencies of employees in an organisation. It can be a table or a graphical representation of the skills, knowledge and abilities of employees in relation to the needs of the organisation.
The matrix lists the skills required and compares them with the current skills of employees. This identifies skills gaps that need to be addressed.
Employees are assessed on a range of skills, giving a clear picture of their strengths and areas for development. Once the areas for development are identified, a personal development plan can be created for the employee. These may include training, mentoring or new job tasks to help develop the necessary skills.
Do the skills of the staff match the skills needs of the company?
Skills mapping is an effective way to develop an organisation’s human resources. The mapping process will help to identify the current level of competences of the staff in relation to the organisation’s objectives.
The company may have clear objectives, such as entering new markets, developing new products or improving customer service. Achieving these objectives requires certain skills and competences.
For example, if a company wants to expand internationally, its staff need to have foreign language and intercultural communication skills. A competency matrix helps to identify whether the current staff have sufficient skills or whether further training is needed.
In today’s business environment, change is rapid and constant. New technologies, regulations and market trends can change business practices and requirements in a short period of time. For example, the constant change in digitalisation can require new IT skills and the ability to use analytics in decision making. The competency matrix provides a clear picture of the extent to which staff are ready for these changes.
How is the skills assessment carried out?
Skills mapping is a key process for companies who want to ensure that their employees have the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. The competency mapping process helps to identify an organisation’s current competencies, areas for development and plan targeted development programmes.
1. Setting objectives
The first step in a skills mapping exercise is to define clear objectives. What do you want to achieve?The objective could be to support the strategic goals of the organisation or to clarify the career paths of employees.
2. Mapping skills
The second step is to map existing knowledge. This can be done, for example, through self-assessment and 360 assessments. It is important that the method is systematic and comprehensive. If the company uses a learning platform, it can provide employees with ready-made questionnaires and self-assessment tools that make the skills assessment process easy and as efficient as possible. Employees can complete the assessments at different times and the results are automatically stored on the platform for further use.
3. Identifying areas for improvement
Once the current competences have been mapped, we can move on to identifying areas for development. This step includes an analysis of which skills and knowledge are lacking in relation to the organisation’s objectives and requirements. For example, a financial services company may find that their employees need more skills in data analytics and AI to improve customer service and decision-making.
4. Drawing up a development plan
Once the employee’s development needs have been identified, it’s time to draw up a development plan to develop their skills. These plans can include training, job rotation and other learning opportunities. For example, if a person is working in sales and the mapping exercise shows that they need to develop CRM skills. The employee can be developed through, for example, additional training, self-learning and practical training.
5. Monitoring and continuous evaluation
The final step is to monitor and evaluate the impact of the development plan. This includes regular reviews and updates based on the skills mapping and the development plan.
For example, the superviser can monitor the employee’s progress on a weekly basis and after a certain period of time his or her skills can be reassessed. Through joint discussion and feedback, further action can also be considered.
Skills mapping is useful regardless of the sector
Skills mapping offers significant benefits to all organisations, regardless of their sector. This process also anticipates future needs and ensures that the organisation remains competitive and innovative.
Personal skills assessment at the heart of the mapping process
At the heart of the competences mapping is the assessment of personal competences. This stage is crucial because itprovides detailed information on each employee’s strengths and areas for development.
Personal assessment can take many forms, such as self-assessments, managerial assessments and peer feedback.
For example, if team members have different levels of experience and education, a skills mapping exercise will help identify who needs further training and who could mentor others. This will not only level the playing field, but also strengthen teamwork and collaboration.
Competency mapping creates the basis for targeted competence development
Once the skills mapping is completed, the results are used as a basis for planned development. This step ensures that training programmes and development measures are correctly targeted and support the strategic objectives of the organisation.
It also helps to set clear, measurable objectives. For example, if an organisation identifies gaps in project management skills, it can design training programmes that focus on project management practices and tools. The impact of training can be monitored and evaluated on an ongoing basis to ensure that employees are achieving the objectives set for them.
A versatile learning platform also enhances skills development
Skills development ensures that employees have the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their jobs and contribute to the organisation’s goals in the future. When carried out systematically, skills mapping can significantly improve the efficiency and competitiveness of an organisation. With an agile e-learning environment, you can integrate continuous competence development into a single, functional entity.
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