Human Resources Management - Module 4 SLP



Human Resources Management - Module 4 SLP

Skills Gap

A skills gap analysis is undertaken to identify the skills that an employee needs, but may not have, to carry out his or her job or to perform certain tasks effectively. The skills gap concept is used in areas such as business, educational institutes, and sport. The first step in performing an analysis is to identify all the skills required by an individual to carry out his or her work. It should then be possible to identify the critical and noncritical skills that are needed to carry out a role effectively (Butler, 2001).

A critical skill is one that is required to complete a task successfully. Noncritical skills enable a task to be completed more quickly or efficiently, or at less cost than would otherwise be the case. There is a relatively simple method for determining whether a skill is critical or noncritical. Quite simply, if an employee lacks a skill but completes a task satisfactorily, the skill is noncritical. Conversely, if a person completes a task but the outcome is unsatisfactory, the missing skill is critical (Joy, 2004).

Knowledge gaps are the result of different levels of education among the public. Hence, less educated audiences may have greater difficulty understanding the message conveyed through the media, may not be aware of the available sources of information (media), or may not know how to use more sophisticated media (e.g., accessing Internet sources and available online services). In some cases lack of knowledge may even mean difficulty in defining or accepting the existence of a health problem that requires actively seeking more information and solutions.

Skills Gap Analysis across a Company

By applying skills gap analysis across a company it is possible to find out which skill and knowledge shortfalls there are in an organization. It is then possible to target training resources on those necessary skills that require the most attention. This should result in the optimal use of resources in terms of improving the overall performance of the company (Joy, 2004).

For individuals, skills gap analysis can be used to produce personal development and training plans, support appraisals, and pay reviews. It can also be used to bolster morale by showing how they have progressed over time.

For a department, skills gap analysis can be used to identify which staff members have most knowledge of particular aspects of the business as well ...