Creating a Skills Matrix

What is a skills matrix?

A skills matrix, or competency matrix, is an instrument to map essential, as well as preferred, skills for a team or project. This can be a grid which visualizes readily available capabilities along with competencies inside of a workforce. Therefore, it is a crucial resource for virtually every data-driven resourcing decision.

 

The finished skills matrix visualizes the skillsets needed and the relevant skills which are readily available within the workforce, as well as the skillsets lacking. This difference between these is the skills gap.

What is a skills matrix utilized for?

A skills matrix enables you to measure essential skills for any task or project. To effectively employ a skills matrix, you should develop a breakdown of the skillsets needed to finish a project effectively. This exercise establishes critical team skillsets, as well as required skills and/or competencies.

 

For instance, if an information technology analytics job needs business acumen, IT skills, data analytics abilities and reporting abilities, you have to verify which individual within the workforce has which skills. When a particular skill is lacking, it is simple to hire a staff member with all the related skills to add to workforce. Accomplishing this prior to the beginning of a project, it enables a better result. When you have to perform a skills investigation in retrospect, it usually signifies an unsuccessful project.

Steps to develop a competency matrix

1. Identify the pertinent skills for the task
   • Identify the pertinent skills for a project or team
   • Skill matrices are typically developed by a project manager to boost team effectiveness and should assess which skills are absent to prevent the workforce from missing due dates, internal discord or other cost afterwards
   • Create a good evaluation of the applicable skills and competencies required to finish a project
2. Evaluate team members for their existing skill levels
   • Assess the team for their existing skill levels. Sending a skills survey is the best way to capture this, or via proficiency tests for the individual and their immediate peers and supervisor
   • You need to know each person’s expertise. For example, group skills into five categories:
     • None No knowledge or awareness. Needs/wants training.
     • Basic Applies the knowledge/skill in simple and somewhat difficult situations, requires close and frequent guidance.
     • Intermediate Generally applies the knowledge/skill in difficult situations, requires occasional guidance.
     • Advanced Consistently applies the knowledge/skill in considerably difficult situations with little or no guidance.
     • Expert Consistently & proactively applies the knowledge/skill in exceptionally difficult situations, acts as a key resource & role-model advising others.
   • A 180-degree feedback tool can be used to analyze an employee’s skills by requesting with an immediate supervisor.

3. Identify a person’s desire for doing the tasks requested of them
   • People want to like the job they are doing
   • Your skills matrix may demonstrate a person is qualified in a vital task, but if the individual is reluctant to perform the task, you may still reach a dead end
4. Include information within the skills matrix and take action
   • You now understand both the needed and the available competencies, now you can develop the skills matrix. This matrix enables you to envision what skills are available and what skills are absent. Download a free skills matrix here. 
   • Utilizing the skills matrix, it is easy to see a team’s strengths and weaknesses
   • Even more sophisticated would also include growth to identify people who want to strengthen their skills beyond their current level

In Conclusion

A skills matrix can help better utilize your current team today and into the future. Today, more than ever, there is a scarcity of people with the right skills in the right roles. Skills matrices help clarity roles and weaknesses.