May 29, 2018
A ‘skills matrix’ falls within the ‘skills management’ process. A skills matrix is a grid or table that clearly and visibly illustrates the skills and competence held by individuals within a team. Its primary aim is to help in the understanding, develop, deployment and tracking of people and their skills. Well-implemented skills matrices should identify the skills that job roles require, the skills of individual employees, and any gap between the two.
The benefits are widespread and can easily be categorised into three core areas, namely;
- Benefits to the Individual / Employee
- Benefits to the Organisation / Company (Mainly team leaders, managers, function owners or business owners)
- Benefits to the Customer / End-Client
1: Benefits to the individual
- Increased competencies – a feeling of investment into their role and their development
- Decreased stress levels – work competencies increase thus removing uncertainty
- Full awareness of what their ‘role’ entails including the relevant skills competencies required
- Full awareness of the desired areas of growth and where they need to focus their training efforts
- Can; within some organisations be used within employees Personal Development Plans (PDP)
- Employees gain from improved identification and understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses
- Aid in understanding the value they bring to the organisation (which in turn can boost morale)
2: Benefits to the organisation / company
- Enables managers, function or business owners to understand the skill strengths and weaknesses of employees reporting to them.
- Increased capacity – by addressing skills shortages and increasing employee competencies companies can release real capacity into their businesses without incurring the heavy costs of recruitment
- Creates the ability to search for desired skills and talents across the organisation (e.g. to help fill a role or to assist with either short or long term increased requirements of a task from an end-client)
- A rolled-up view of skills and skills gaps across an organization can enable its executives to see areas of skill strength and weakness.
- Enables proficient future planning against projected availability of staff.
- When used company-wide creates management consistency to drive an organisation forward
- Customers experience a quality of product/service increasing the likelihood of them returning and advertising your products/services.
- Customers experience a quality of product/service increasing their loyalty levels
From a company perspective it is important to embed the production and continued use of the skills matrix into your core culture. The skills matrix is most effective when used consistently (both in time and use) across an organisation.
3: Benefits to the customer / end-client
The customer should largely be unaware of the existence of a skills matrix. The customer will however benefit from the increased levels of competency of your staff, their ability to resolve queries in a timely manner and on first touch (i.e. avoiding the ‘I’ll call you back’ scenario). Simply put the benefits are endless.
- Faster response rates (decreased lead times)
- Increased rate of quality in service or products (reduced defect and return rates)
- Increased employee competencies leads to speed which can result in ‘faster to market’ products and services
- Customers feels valued
- Customers experience a very easy and smooth transaction with company
Every professional organisation should invest in a Skills Matrix. The benefits significantly out way the little investment time required. Contact us today on 0330 043 8943 or email hello@ability6.com