Skill gap analysis made simple: Template and real-world example

In today's fast-paced world, People departments play a critical role in helping companies' workforces develop the right skills to tackle current challenges and prepare for the future. An indispensable tool in this process is the skill gap analysis. It identifies gaps between the skills employees have, and those organizations need to stay competitive. This guide offers a straightforward approach and template to help People professionals conduct an effective skill gap analysis.

Why skill gap analysis matters

Before diving into the template and examples, it's crucial to understand the importance of a skill gap analysis:

1. Aligning skills with goals: Ensures your team's skills align with your organization's objectives.
2. Boosting performance: Identifies areas where skill improvement can improve overall performance.
3. Focused training: Enables more targeted and cost-effective training and development programs.
4. Succession planning: Helps identify potential leaders and their areas for growth.
5. Staying competitive: Keeps your organization ahead of industry trends and changes.

The skill gap analysis process

Follow these key steps to kick off a full skill gap analysis:

1. Define objectives and scope: Clarify your goals and identify who will participate in the analysis.
2. Identify necessary skills: Determine which skills are crucial for current and future success.
3. Assess current skill levels: Evaluate your team members' existing skills.
4. Identify gaps: Compare your team's current skills against those needed to pinpoint deficiencies.
5. Prioritize gaps: Determine which skill gaps are most pressing.
6. Develop an action plan: Create a strategy to address the identified gaps.
7. Implement and monitor: Execute the plan and track its progress.

A simple template for skill gap analysis

Here’s a practical template you can use for your skill gap analysis:

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Example: skill gap analysis for a marketing team

Let’s look at how this template might be used for a marketing team at a mid-sized tech company.

Step 1: Define objectives and scope

Objective: Prepare the marketing team for a shift toward data-driven strategies and launch a new AI-powered product line.

Scope: The entire marketing team, including content creators, digital marketers, and the marketing manager.

Step 2: Identify required skills

Collaborating with the marketing manager to identify and agree upon key skills for evaluation, such as:

1. Data Analysis
2. Digital Marketing
3. Content Creation
4. SEO Optimization
5. Social Media Management
6. AI and Machine Learning Basics
7. Marketing Automation

Step 3: Assess current skill levels

The People team manages the process of evaluating skill levels through:

• Self-assessments
• Manager feedback
• Skills tests
• Past project outcomes

Use a 1-8 scale, where:

1 = Novice, 2 = Beginner, 3 = Intermediate, 4 = Proficient, 5 = Advanced, 6 = Specialist, 7 = Expert, 8 = Master

Step 4: Analyze the gaps

Based on the data, the People team fills in the template as shown below:

Step 5: Develop the action plan

Using the analysis, People drafts a targeted action plan:

1. Data analysis: Offer advanced training, set up mentorship with the data team, and create a data-driven playbook.
2. AI and machine learning: Partner with the AI team for basic training, offer online courses, and organize regular learning sessions.
3. SEO optimization: Host SEO workshops, give access to premium SEO tools, and set up a content audit cycle.
4. Digital marketing: Offer certifications, encourage team members to attend industry conferences, and launch a quarterly innovation initiative.

Step 6: Put the action plan into motion and validate it

Bringing the action plan to life is key, but so is making sure it’s working as intended. This step includes:

• Rolling out the planned initiatives
• Tracking progress with regular check-ins
• Reassessing skills periodically
• Collecting feedback from employees and managers

Everday makes this process simpler with AI-powered Conversations and 360-degree reviews. These tools provide ongoing feedback and clear, objective insights, so you can track progress and confidently measure skill improvements.

Bringing the plan to life

Once the plan is ready, the next steps are:

1. Share the plan: Present findings and action steps to the marketing team and leadership to gain buy-in.
2. Set timelines: Clearly define start and end dates for each task.
3. Secure resources: Arrange the necessary budget, tools, and support.
4. Establish success metrics: Set KPIs for each skill area to measure growth.
5. Schedule check-ins: Conduct monthly reviews and quarterly updates to track progress.
6. Stay flexible: Adjust the plan as needed based on results or changing priorities.
7. Celebrate wins: Recognize team achievements to maintain high motivation.

This guide demonstrates how the People teams can use a skill gap analysis to strengthen their workforce by identifying, prioritizing, and addressing skill needs. Skill gap analysis is an ongoing process, so regular updates are crucial as technology evolves and organizational goals shift. By staying proactive, People team can help their organization build a future-ready workforce capable of adapting and growing in an ever-changing business landscape.