Skills Gap Analysis Techniques

Louder for the people at the back 🎤 Many organisations today seem to have shifted from being institutions that develop great talent to those that primarily seek ready-made talent. This trend overlooks the immense value of individuals who, despite lacking experience, possess a great attitude, commitment, and a team-oriented mindset. These qualities often outweigh the drawbacks of hiring experienced individuals with a fixed and toxic mindset. The best organisations attract talent with their best years ahead of them, focusing on potential rather than past achievements. Let’s be clear this is more about mindset and willingness to learn and unlearn as apposed to age. To realise the incredible potential return, organisations must commit to creating an environment where continuous development is possible. This requires a multi-faceted approach: 1. Robust Training Programmes: Employers should invest in comprehensive training programmes that equip employees with the necessary skills for their roles. This includes on-the-job training, mentorship programmes, online courses, and workshops. 2. Redefining Hiring Criteria: Organisations should revise their hiring criteria to focus more on candidates’ potential and willingness to learn rather than solely on prior experience or formal qualifications. Behavioural interviews, aptitude tests, and probationary periods can help assess a candidate's ability to learn and adapt. 3. Partnerships with Educational Institutions: Companies can collaborate with educational institutions to design curricula that align with industry needs. Apprenticeship programmes, internships, and cooperative education can bridge the gap between academic learning and practical job skills. 4. Lifelong Learning Culture: Encouraging a culture of lifelong learning within organisations is crucial. Employers should provide ongoing education opportunities and support for professional development. This includes continuous skills assessment and access to resources for upskilling and reskilling. 5. Inclusive Recruitment Practices: Employers should implement inclusive recruitment practices that remove biases and barriers. Blind recruitment, diversity quotas, and targeted outreach programmes can help ensure that diverse candidates are given a fair chance. By implementing these measures, organisations can develop a workforce that is adaptable, innovative, and resilient, ensuring sustainable success and growth.

I got fired twice because I had poor soft skills. Then, I became VP at Amazon, where my job was more than 80% based on soft skills. This was possible because I stopped being an outspoken, judgmental critic of other people and improved my soft skills. Here are 4 areas you can improve: Soft skills are one of the main things I discuss with my coaching clients, as they are often the barrier between being a competent manager and being ready to be a true executive. Technical skills are important, but soft skills are the deciding factor between executive candidates a lot more than technical skills are. Four “soft skill” areas in which we can constantly improve are: 1) Storytelling skills Jeff Bezos said, “You can have the best technology, you can have the best business model, but if the storytelling isn’t amazing, it won’t matter.” The same is true for you as a leader. You can have the best skills or best ideas, but if you can’t communicate through powerful storytelling, no one will pay attention. 2) Writing Writing is the foundation of clear communication and clear thinking. It is the main tool for demonstrating your thinking and influencing others. The way you write will impact your influence, and therefore will impact your opportunities to grow as a leader. 3) Executive Presence Executive presence is your ability to present as someone who should be taken seriously. This includes your ability to speak, to act under pressure, and to relate to your team informally, but it goes far beyond any individual skill. Improving executive presence requires consistently evaluating where we have space to grow in our image as leaders and then addressing it. 4) Public Speaking As a leader, public speaking is inevitable. In order the get the support you need to become an executive, you must inspire confidence in your abilities and ideas through the way you speak to large, important groups of people. No one wants to give more responsibility to someone who looks uncomfortable with the amount they already have. I am writing about these 4 areas because today’s newsletter is centered around how exactly to improve these soft skills. The newsletter comes from member questions in our Level Up Newsletter community, and I answer each of them at length. I'm joined in the newsletter by my good friend, Richard Hua, a world class expert in emotional intelligence (EQ). Rich created a program at Amazon that has taught EQ to more than 500,000 people! The 4 specific questions I answer are: 1. “How do I improve my storytelling skills?” 2. “What resources or tools would you recommend to get better in writing?” 3. “What are the top 3 ways to improve my executive presence?” 4. “I am uncomfortable talking in front of large crowds and unknown people, but as I move up, I need to do this more. How do I get comfortable with this?” See the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gg6JXqF4 How have you improved your soft skills?

Are You Aligning Your Strengths with What Your Organization Values? A few years ago, a talented professional, came to me feeling frustrated. Despite her hard work, she wasn’t moving forward in her department. After a core competency analysis, we discovered the reason: She excelled in technical skills, but the company placed heavy emphasis on leadership, initiative, and innovation—areas where she wasn’t fully demonstrating her potential. To fix this, we crafted a plan to develop these core competencies. We assigned her small team projects to build leadership experience, and encouraged her to share her innovative ideas. Within six months, she was recognized as a natural leader, and new opportunities started opening up for her. 🌱 📊 Here’s How You Can Assess Your Organization’s Core Competencies: 👉Review Job Descriptions: Look at the required skills for your current and aspirational roles. Companies often include key competencies in job postings. 👉Pay Attention to Company Culture: Observe what behaviors are praised and rewarded—this is often a reflection of the core competencies the organization values. 👉Engage with Leadership: Ask for feedback and guidance on what the organization sees as vital for success in your role. 👉Study Performance Reviews: Look at what’s being measured in performance evaluations—this will reveal the competencies your company values most. 💡 Key Action Points: 🔆Assess the core competencies your organization values most. 🔆Identify where your strengths align with those competencies. 🔆Take proactive steps to develop in-demand skills like leadership and innovation. Feeling stuck in your role? It might be time to reassess your competencies and align your strengths with what the organization values. Start today and unlock new opportunities! #Leadership #CareerDevelopment #CoreCompetencies #Innovation #Initiative #ProfessionalGrowth #LeadershipSkills #CareerAdvancement #SkillDevelopment #LearningAndDevelopment

The World Economic Forum's 'Top skills for 2025'- a clear framework to align your learning and development strategies! If you are wondering how to use this information to develop your team, here's a few ideas 💡 👉Audit Current Programs Compare existing training initiatives with the top skills for 2025 and identify gaps. 👉Tie Skills to Roles Show how the skills map directly to the responsibilities of each role in the organization. 👉Develop Targeted Content Design workshops, e-learning modules, or on-the-job training focused on critical areas like analytical thinking and active listening. 👉Create a Skills Inventory Tool Develop a simple self-assessment tool to help employees rate themselves and reflect on strengths and weaknesses ( I like to use competency tools- the visual works really well!) 👉Mentoring and Coaching Pair employees with mentors or coaches to guide their development in critical skills. 👉Use Development Plans Collaborate with employees to create individual development plans targeting both short-term needs and long-term aspirations. 👉Microlearning Modules: Offer bite-sized learning resources on priority skills to reduce barriers to learning ( Short videos work really well here). 👉Integrate into Appraisals Include questions about employees' progress in skill areas during performance reviews. So... How is your organization preparing employees to develop the skills that will be most critical in 2025 and beyond? I'd love to hear about any innovative approaches or challenges you've encountered. Leave your comments below 🙏 _____________________________________ I'm Catherine- A Lean Business and Leadership Coach. Follow me for daily insights on Lean, leadership, coaching, strategy and organizational behaviour.

The 2025 Career Reality Check: 4 Skill Gaps You Can't Afford to Ignore   After working with Fortune 500 companies for over 20 years, I've seen how job requirements evolve.   What's happening now isn't just a small change, it's transforming which skills make you employable.   These four skill gaps are what companies are building their hiring strategies around:   1️⃣ AI and Big Data Skills: Every department needs these now. I regularly screen candidates specifically for these skills, no matter what position they're applying for.   2️⃣ Cybersecurity Awareness: With increasing digital threats, everyone needs to understand security basics. I've seen executives lose opportunities because they didn't understand basic security concepts.   3️⃣ Analytical + Creative Thinking: This combination is incredibly valuable. My clients specifically ask for people who can analyze information AND come up with innovative solutions.   4️⃣ Sustainability Skills: Environmental concerns have become business priorities. Every major company wants professionals who can help with sustainability, regardless of department.   What's concerning is how quickly these have changed from "nice-to-have" to "must-have" skills. Professionals who don't have at least two of these areas are finding fewer opportunities.   The good news? You can develop these skills through targeted learning. Start now, before the gap becomes too difficult to overcome.   Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju   #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #workplacesurvival #careeradvancement #futureofwork #careerstrategist

✨ 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀✨ This document outlines the European Cybersecurity Skills Framework (ECSF), which defines 12 key cybersecurity role profiles: 1️⃣ Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) 2️⃣ Cyber Incident Responder 3️⃣ Cyber Legal, Policy & Compliance Officer 4️⃣ Cyber Threat Intelligence Specialist 5️⃣ Cybersecurity Architect 6️⃣ Cybersecurity Auditor 7️⃣ Cybersecurity Educator 8️⃣ Cybersecurity Implementer 9️⃣ Cybersecurity Researcher 1️⃣0️⃣ Cybersecurity Risk Manager 1️⃣1️⃣ Digital Forensics Investigator 1️⃣2️⃣ Penetration Tester For each role, the framework provides: ⏩ A summary and mission statement ⏩Main tasks and responsibilities ⏩Key skills and knowledge required ⏩Relevant e-Competences from the European e-Competence Framework ⏩Example deliverables produced in the role The document aims to standardize cybersecurity roles and competencies across Europe to support workforce development in this critical field. It provides a common language and structure for describing cybersecurity jobs, skills, and qualifications. #cybersecurity

𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐬 : 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ? Appraisals are often seen as a scorecard, a moment in time where performance is measured and rated. But shouldn't we be looking at these another way? Performance appraisals have long been perceived as an evaluation tool and an assessment of what’s been achieved in the past year. But if we truly want to develop talent, we must shift the lens. 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧; 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 A holistic appraisal is much more than ratings and checkboxes. While performance metrics and KPIs provide structure, they don’t capture the full picture. What about the challenges an employee navigated? The skills they acquired? The impact they created beyond defined goals? Their aspirations for the future? If appraisals only measure the past, they miss the opportunity to shape what comes next. This is where feedforward becomes critical—shifting the focus from evaluation to evolution. Instead of just identifying gaps, conversations should center around where an individual wants to go, what skills they need, and how the organization can support that journey. The shift from once a year review to a continuous feedback culture is just as important. Growth is built through ongoing dialogue, coaching, and alignment between individual potential and business needs. When approached this way, appraisals build careers and strengthen the organization’s future. What practices have you experienced/ implemented that made your performance appraisal mechanisms richer? #PerformanceManagement #Feedforward #Appraisals2025

The skills gap in procurement is as much of a challenge as the skills shortage in the profession. It is the difference between the skills we have and the skills we need. A skills shortage can be addressed by better hiring, but a skills gap is usually an emergent phenomenon – it appears as the organisation develops, after hiring is completed. Which makes it the trickier one to handle. Most recently we've seen this gap emerge as organisations are starting to implement AI while many employees are still not trained on it yet. Hiring and rehiring people to plug these gaps is inefficient and leads to unnecessary turnover. Instead, why not try yearly skills audits, where stakeholders are consulted, to identify current and future gaps that need to be addressed. These audits must be followed up with mentoring by experienced – and relevantly skilled – leaders, as well as up- and re-skilling opportunities. This, of course, also necessitates a corporate environment that prizes learning and developing new skills. As the profession and the world evolves, the skills gap will get wider if we don't start addressing it now. What's a new skill you want to learn this year? #Procurement #SupplyChain #BestAdvice #CIPS

The AI Assessment Effect Candidates often tend to adjust their answers or behavior to match what they believe the “ideal candidate” profile looks like. A new study published earlier this month found that when candidates believe they’re being assessed by artificial intelligence, they emphasize analytical skills and downplay their intuitive and emotional skills. This so-called “AI assessment effect” stems from the widespread assumption that AI-based evaluations prioritize rational, data-driven attributes over human-centric abilities. Researchers warn that if job seekers tailor their behavior to what they think AI values, their true competencies and personalities may remain hidden, undermining the integrity of the recruitment process. In addition if most candidates assume AI favors analytical traits, the talent pipeline could become increasingly uniform, limiting diversity and reducing the variety of perspectives within organizations. The researchers recommend 1) Radical transparency: Don’t just disclose that AI is used in assessments—be explicit about what it evaluates. Clearly communicate that your AI values a range of traits, including creativity, emotional intelligence, and intuitive problem-solving. Share examples of successful candidates who excelled by showcasing these qualities. 2) Regular behavioral audits: Go beyond demographic bias checks. Look for patterns of behavioral adaptation: Are candidates’ responses becoming more homogeneous over time? Is there a noticeable shift toward analytical self-presentation at the expense of other valuable traits? 3) Hybrid assessment models: Combine AI and human judgment to ensure a more balanced and holistic evaluation of candidates. See research published in the June issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences. https://lnkd.in/ebtD4HBd

Overcoming Career Break Challenges and Supporting Women Back to Work Returning to the workforce after a career break is more than just clocking back in—it’s reconnecting with a version of yourself that’s been through changes, reflections, and new priorities. It’s a moment to: ● Rethink your values ● Rediscover your purpose ● Reflect on what you truly care about ● Realign your energy to where it matters most Yet, this transition is often marked by self-doubt, anxiety, and the pressure to prove your worth all over again. Quoting Serena Savini, Founder of I'm Back!: "Women are more likely to have low self-esteem after a career break. They are ashamed to speak about their experience and often they lose career opportunities." Companies need to step up. Here’s how they can better support women returning to work: 1.) Provide Mentorship Programs ↳ Pair returnees with mentors who guide them through the initial phases, boosting confidence and acclimation. 2.) Offer Flexible Work Arrangements ↳ Understand that returning professionals may have new responsibilities; provide options that make balancing work and life easier. 3.) Implement Tailored Onboarding Processes ↳ Don’t treat returning employees like new hires—acknowledge their past experience and adapt onboarding to reflect their skills and expertise. 4.) Foster an Inclusive Culture ↳ Create a space where sharing past experiences isn’t met with judgment but with curiosity and encouragement. 5.) Recognize Transferable Skills ↳ Value the skills gained during career breaks, whether through caregiving, volunteering, or personal growth. 6.) Normalize Conversations About Breaks ↳ Encourage open dialogue so that career breaks are seen as chapters of growth, not gaps to hide. 7.) Invest in Confidence Workshops ↳ Support with resources aimed at rebuilding self-esteem and battling imposter syndrome. 💡 Questions to reflect on: ● What’s guiding your return? ● Where will you invest your energy? Coming back after a career change is often layered with mixed emotions. According to a Journal of Vocational Behavior (2024) study, career changers experienced an average 30% drop in self-esteem during the early stages of their transition. How do you feel after your career change? Let’s open up about it. Your story matters and might just be the spark someone else needs. ID: "A soft-toned graphic with a quote reading: 'Career changers experienced an average 30% drop in self-esteem scores during the early stages of their transition.' The words '30% drop in self-esteem' are highlighted in bold. In the top left corner, a small circular design features abstract swirls with 'I'm back' written inside. The bottom right corner reads 'Coming back after Career Change' in a complementary font." Image Credit: Serena Savini, Founder I'm Back