7 Effective Techniques for Assessing Core Skills and Skill Sets

How to assess the skills and competencies of your workforce

A business can only succeed when it employs people with strong skills and competencies. This is why it is crucial to be aware of the abilities and potential of your employees at all times, even if they have been with your company for a long time. Especially as technology evolves, skills become essential and outdated in the blink of an eye. But what’s the best way to assess the skill levels of your workforce? You will be happy to know that there are several. In this article, we’ll look at the 7 most effective ways to assess core skills so you don’t stray from your path to success.

7 Best Techniques for Assessing Core Skills in the Workplace

1. Online Skills Assessments

When we talk about skill assessments at the professional level, online assessments are the first thing that comes to mind. And for good reason, since their great variety makes it possible to evaluate any skill, whether soft or hard. Another benefit of online assessments is that they offer comprehensive results reports, helping you better understand which core skills need the most attention. Not to mention, their online nature makes them perfect for employees working remotely or in international branches, ensuring flexibility and consistency.

2. Self-assessments

While data from online assessments can be very useful, employees need to be able to provide their own perspective on their learning journey. They can achieve this through self-assessment portals that allow employees to decide which skills they want to improve based on their goals. In addition to presenting them with a self-learning journey, which will greatly benefit their future, self-assessment activities function as a form of immediate feedback that keeps employees engaged and motivated to continue learning. improve. During this time, your business will gather valuable information about the skill level of your staff and what steps you need to take to strengthen it.

3. KPI analysis

Most businesses set annual goals and targets, which they measure using key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs are excellent tools for assessing the progress of a goal over time because they provide quantifiable information that leaders can easily interpret. Therefore, there is no better way to assess the core competencies of your staff than by evaluating their work products and how they compare to your projections. A decline in their performance may mean they are missing an important skill or that they are not putting their knowledge into practice despite training. Use these observations to adjust your employee training program accordingly.

4. 1:1 Performance Reviews

Data collection and analysis, such as those discussed in the previous points, are of great importance to effectively assess skills. However, don’t forget to discuss it with your colleagues during individual meetings at least quarterly. During these private, personalized performance reviews, you can review data and identify problem areas, make adjustments for the future, and discuss action plans. Providing guidance to your employees not only helps you stay in touch with their progress, but also ensures higher employee engagement and business success.

5. 360 reviews

The final step in a full and comprehensive performance review is to involve peer feedback. 360 reviews, as they are called, collect anonymous feedback from teammates, colleagues across departments, managers, or direct reports regarding an employee’s performance, behavior, and skill level. Additionally, it often makes more sense for those who work closely with someone to know more about their realistic skill level than their supervisors. Constructive criticism shared through 360° reviews can highlight workplace issues and knowledge gaps on niche topics, as well as break down barriers to employee collaboration.

6. Field observation

Another way to assess basic skills and competencies is through workplace observation. This term refers to the process by which a manager monitors an employee in carrying out their daily tasks. This assessment technique can provide you with qualitative information about how an employee performs their daily tasks. It can also reveal complex issues that other types of assessments might not be able to capture. There is no reason to view field observation as a burden on your employees. Rather, it can be a great opportunity to get real-time feedback and guidance that can streamline processes and improve productivity.

7. Customer Feedback

If communicating with customers is one of your employees’ responsibilities, then getting their feedback is crucial. Customer reviews can help you better understand various essential skills, such as communication and problem solving, that may not be demonstrated as often internally. When you ask your customers to rate the performance of their primary point of contact with your organization, don’t forget to also ask them to share any suggestions or any other issues they’ve encountered. This way, you will not only gain a better understanding of the skill level of your staff, but also improve customer retention and satisfaction.

Conclusion

As skills gaps widen and the need for employee training and development increases, more companies are realizing the importance of deeply analyzing the knowledge and skill levels of their employees. Since this is often easier said than done, we offer some advice for leaders who want to get started with skills mapping but don’t know where to start. Hopefully, the foolproof ways to assess core skills we’ve discussed in this article will pave the way for better employee training and organizational effectiveness.