In the first part of our talk about skills audits, we created a picture of what is a skill audit and the benefits of a skill audit for organizations and leaders. Now, it is time to provide more detailed recommendations as to how a skills assessment & audit should be conducted.
We must say that implementing a skills audit strategy can be easier than first imagined. In fact, there is no better way to ensure an ideal employee job fits better than a well-developed competency framework and skills audit.
Generally, a skills audit comprises three main stages:
- Allocating obligations and responsibilities among the skills audit participants
- Defining what skills and capabilities each employee must possess, preferably by job role, to build an effective skills matrix
- Deciding on a tool and method to conduct, collect, and analyze the information the skills audit provides, supporting better employee skills tracking and competency assessment
Allocating Responsibilities
One of the biggest mistakes made by managers in organizations is when they ignore the importance of their own and others’ responsibilities in a competency assessment. In fact, defining responsibilities in skills audit is neither difficult nor costly. At the same time, it is through an effective distribution of roles and responsibilities that managers and employees participating in the skills audit can guarantee the efficiency and validity of its outcomes.
Within any skills audit, we usually define three groups of roles:
- Administration: skills administrators are central to any skills audit; they can operate individually or as a team of skills experts
- Management: managers play a double role in skills audits – they monitor the way the audit impacts their subordinates and, at the same time, have their skills evaluated by chief managers
- Employees: workers are the target population in any skills audit
Defining the Skills and Capabilities Each Employee Must Possess
Once the responsibilities and roles are defined, auditors must determine the skills and capabilities each employee must possess. These are actually the criteria used by managers to judge the effectiveness and skillfulness of each employee. In addition, we have found that building the skills framework around job roles is a good way to start.
Each organization must develop a unique skills framework that reflects its business orientation, strategic objectives, and competencies. The benefits of having a skills framework are obvious. Organizations that have a skills framework, also:
- Develop a better understanding of the required capabilities and skills needed to meet their strategic objectives
- Can help employees and managers develop a shared idea of how an “ideal employee job role” fit looks like
- Enable a more powerful and empowered workforce
- Rationalize skills and competencies to enhance the quality of the recruitment and selection process
In order to develop an exclusive skills competency framework, organizations need to make two essential steps:
- Define the job roles and tasks associated with the job title – write down the range of skills and capabilities required to perform each task
- Link these defined roles to tasks – assign a set of required skills to each task
Next, managers and leaders can switch to developing a skills measurement system based on the skills matrix and employee skills tracking.
No measurement system is perfect. Simultaneously, no system is universal. Organizations must develop skills measurement systems that fit in the unique conditions of their performance.
Conducting the Skills Audit
- Employees can evaluate themselves and their skills. It is always better to set a deadline for self-appraisals
- Then managers can evaluate their employees and compare the results of their analysis and employee self-assessment
- A tool can be as simple as an excel spreadsheet using emails, or as efficient as a skills database meant for this purpose
In conclusion, the goal of workforce planning using a skills audit is to ensure that your organization can achieve its mission by having the right people with the right skills in the right places at the right times. In the next article, we will go through the step-by-step implementation and analysis of a skills audit.
Next up, the final of this three part series: Analyzing Your Audit
FAQ
What are the three stages of a skills audit?
A skills audit comprises three stages: allocating responsibilities among participants, defining the skills and capabilities each employee must possess by job role, and deciding on tools and methods to conduct, collect, and analyze the audit data. Each stage builds on the previous one.
Who is responsible for conducting a skills audit?
Three groups share responsibility: administrators who serve as central skills experts, managers who both monitor the audit's impact on their teams and have their own skills evaluated, and employees who are the target population being assessed. Clear role definition is essential for valid outcomes.
How do you define skills requirements for each role?
Start by defining the job roles and tasks associated with each position, then document the specific skills and capabilities required to perform each task. Link roles to tasks and assign required skills to each, creating a comprehensive skills matrix that serves as the audit's measurement foundation.
What is a competency framework in a skills audit?
A competency framework is a structured map of the skills, knowledge, and capabilities required across an organization, organized by job role. It reflects business orientation, strategic objectives, and core competencies, providing the criteria against which employee skills are measured during the audit.
Why build a skills framework around job roles?
Building around job roles creates a direct connection between skills requirements and actual work responsibilities. It helps employees and managers develop a shared understanding of what an ideal role fit looks like and ensures the audit measures competencies that directly impact job performance.
How do self-assessments work in a skills audit?
Employees evaluate their own skills against the defined competency framework, typically within a set deadline. Managers then independently assess the same employees and compare results. This dual evaluation produces a more complete and accurate picture than either perspective alone.
What tools can you use to conduct a skills audit?
Tools range from simple spreadsheets distributed via email to dedicated skills database platforms designed for this purpose. The choice depends on organization size and complexity, but purpose-built platforms like SkillsDB significantly reduce the time and effort required to collect, analyze, and report on audit data.
What are the benefits of having a skills framework?
Organizations with a skills framework develop better understanding of required capabilities, create shared expectations for role fit, enable a more empowered workforce, and improve recruitment quality. The framework becomes the foundation for all skills-related decisions across the organization.
How does a skills audit support workforce planning?
A skills audit ensures your organization can achieve its mission by placing the right people with the right skills in the right positions at the right times. It provides the data needed to make informed decisions about hiring, training, promotions, and succession planning.
What is a skills measurement system?
A skills measurement system is the method used to evaluate and quantify employee competencies during an audit. No system is universal; each organization must develop one that fits its unique conditions, using the skills matrix and employee tracking data as its analytical foundation.
How does a skills matrix support employee skills tracking?
A skills matrix maps required competencies against actual employee capabilities, creating a structured view that makes ongoing tracking possible. It enables organizations to monitor skill development over time, measure training effectiveness, and continuously align workforce capabilities with business needs.