Its up to HR to not only devise the systems but also educate employees about the benefits of using them for self-appraisal, career development, and other processes.
How to get a handle on the knowledge and skills of your employees ?
a.)Identify key skills and competencies through surveys, interviews, focus groups and analysis. Every organization has unique needs and identifying the skills and competencies that drive success can boost performance and profits. The process of identifying the traits that lead to success falls somewhere between art and science. However, certain methods, such as interviews, surveys and focus groups can help turn attention in the right direction.
b.)Build a Management System that can track employee performance. Using a checklist, spreadsheet or specialized software application, an organization can track where employees are and where they ought to be. It’s also possible to share this information with employees, so that they can prepare for new assignments or better positions within the organization.
c.)Integrate skills and competency inventories with other HR systems, including recruiting, training and succession planning. A list of key skills can define the questions that a recruiter asks an applicant in a job interview or the types of courses an organization introduces through its training and development program. A desktop portal can provide an employee with a list of skills needed for a particular position, note the skills that he or she currently possesses, and serve as an easy way to sign up for a course.
d.)Keep in mind that skills or competency tracking isn’t a one-time solution; it’s an outgoing process. It’s essential to tweak systems and update the list of required skills periodically. This can also lead to changes in the types of courses an organization offers and the kinds of individuals an enterprise recruits.
e.)Don’t expect immediate miracles. Filling skill and competence gaps takes time, effort, and cultural adjustment. It’s up to HR to not only devise the systems but also educate employees about the benefits of using them for self-appraisal, career development and other processes.
