What is a skills inventory?
A skills inventory is a tool that HR professionals or employers can use to identify, select, and document the skills available across their entire organization by learning about current employees’ talents, education, and past experiences.
What are the organizational benefits of keeping a skills inventory?
Knowing which employees are proficient in specific skills helps employers better assign the right person to the right task. By creating a skills inventory, employers may uncover hidden talents of employees that may not have been required for their original role. Learning about their full range of talents allows employers to boost employee engagement and recognition by offering job versatility. It also helps employers understand skill gaps, which can be helpful for planning training or recruitment efforts. Another benefit of a skills inventory is that it helps identify employees who can be developed for succession planning and to fill vacancies. They can also be used for professional development purposes in the form of career mapping. Employers can outline what skills are needed for employees to attain certain roles or promotions, allowing them to develop clear goals.
Do they benefit employees?
Yes. Employees are more engaged when organizations invest in their future and take steps to further develop their skills. Because of this, using and maintaining a skills inventory for career mapping and succession planning improves employee retention and engagement. They also enable organizations of all sizes to align their employees with tasks they will be successful at.
Resources:
- Skill and Analysis Form
- Webinar: Building Resilient and Versatile Teams to Weather Any Workplace Shortage
Employers value soft skills over almost all others because they’re part of nearly every professional and personal interaction; communication, creative thinking, decision-making, time management, problem-solving, and critical thinking are among the most sought-after skills by employers year after year. Are you looking to upskill your workforce’s soft skills? Download our free Advancing Employee Soft Skills Guide today and start improving your workforce’s soft skills now!
