As we dive into digital transformation, skills gaps continues to expand. According to PWC 74% of CEOs are concerned about the availability of key skills. Deloitte’s 2022 research found that only 14% of business executives strongly agree that their organization is using workforce’s skills and capabilities to their fullest potential.

58% of companies believe employee skill gaps are hampering transformation and competitiveness of their firm according to CompTIA’s research.
68% of Gen-Y and Gen-Z will leave in the first year if they cannot see or touch their future [career path].
89% of executives say skills are becoming important for the way organizations are defining work, deploying talent, managing careers, and valuing employees.
98% of business executives say they plan on moving more toward becoming a skills-based organization.

Businesses should always track their workforce’s skills and capabilities. Without this data, leaders could be making uninformed business decisions that are costing them valuable time, money, and talent. How can businesses avoid the consequences of a looming skills gap?

What is a Skills Inventory and Why Does it Matter?

A skills inventory is a comprehensive database of an organization's employees' skills, knowledge, and experiences. It's a powerful tool that can help you optimize your workforce, make data-driven decisions, and drive business success.

Skills inventories are meant to be dynamic. As your company grows so should your skills inventory. That way when the next business opportunity presents itself, you have a clear understanding of what your company is capable of.

A report by McKinsey states that companies with a clear understanding of their workforce's skills and capabilities are more likely to achieve successful outcomes in post-merger integrations.

Let’s take a look at some of the specific ways a skills inventory can help you optimize your workforce and improve your business outcomes.

Why is a Skills Inventory Important?

Identify Skill Gaps: Pinpoint areas where your team needs additional training or development.
Optimize Talent Allocation: Match the right people to the right projects based on their skills.
Improve Decision-Making: Make informed decisions about hiring, promotions, and career development.
Boost Employee Engagement: Recognize and reward employees for their skills and contributions.
Enhance Organizational Agility: Adapt to changing business needs and industry trends.

Key Benefits of a Skills Inventory

Informed Decision-Making: Make data-driven decisions about talent management, resource allocation, and strategic planning.
Enhanced Talent Management: Identify high-potential employees, create tailored development plans, and foster a culture of continuous learning.
Improved Operational Efficiency: Optimize resource allocation and improve project completion times.
Enhanced Competitiveness: Gain a competitive edge by identifying and leveraging your workforce's unique skills.
Risk Mitigation: Mitigate risks associated with talent shortages and skill gaps.
Improved Employee Engagement: Recognize and reward employees for their skills and contributions.

How to Create a Skills Inventory

Identify Key Skills: Determine the core skills and competencies needed for your organization's success.
Gather Employee Data: Collect information on employees' education, certifications, experience, and skills.
Utilize Technology: Use HR software or specialized skills inventory tools to manage and analyze data.
Regularly Update and Maintain: Keep your skills inventory up-to-date to reflect changes in your workforce.

Know Your Current Skills and Capabilities to Plan for Sustainable Future Initiatives

Through the collection of data about the skills and capabilities of your people, you will create an inventory of your workforce. You can then plan more effectively for future business objectives, like an expansion. A skills inventory allows you to compare skill levels across your departments and identify where the gaps reside. Not only can you address these gaps to improve your current business strategy but also generate actionable plans. You will know where you need to hire, retrain, or outsource, allowing you to make data-driven, cost-effective business decisions.

In young companies, a workforce skills inventory can also help you avoid a talent shortage stemming from high growth. By understanding your current capabilities, you can align your growth strategy with your talent strategy to avoid a shortage of key skills during a crucial turning point in your business. Lightcast’s recent research and report The Rising Storm - Demographic Drought Report demonstrates the challenges and underlying issues accessing talent.

Definition and Purpose

A skills inventory is a centralized repository of information detailing the skills, qualifications, and experiences of an organization's workforce. Its primary purpose is to:

Identify existing skills within the organization
Highlight skill gaps
Inform strategic decision-making around talent acquisition, development, and utilization

Key Components of a Skills Inventory

An effective skills inventory should include:

Current job titles and responsibilities
Relevant skills and competencies
Education levels and certifications
Work experience and tenure
Performance ratings and achievements
Career aspirations and development goals

It's important to note that skills inventories should be regularly reviewed and updated to remain relevant and accurate.

Skills Inventories are a Workforce Strategic Advantage for Synergies

A comprehensive skills inventory becomes an invaluable strategic asset during mergers and acquisitions, serving as a cornerstone for realizing post-merger synergies. When organizations combine forces, understanding the complete spectrum of available skills across both workforces enables leaders to identify complementary capabilities and unlock powerful synergistic opportunities.

McKinsey's research demonstrates that companies leveraging detailed skills inventories are 2.3 times more likely to achieve their targeted post-merger synergies. By mapping the skills landscape across merged organizations, leaders can strategically combine teams, eliminate redundancies, and create new value-generating opportunities that wouldn't be possible independently. For example, a technology company's artificial intelligence expertise could be combined with an acquired company's industry-specific knowledge to develop innovative solutions, but only if leaders have visibility into these capabilities through a detailed skills inventory. Moreover, during post-merger integration, a well-maintained skills inventory helps organizations retain critical talent by identifying key expertise that must be preserved to maintain operational excellence and achieve desired synergies.

This data-driven approach to workforce integration has proven essential for organizations aiming to maximize the value creation potential of their mergers and acquisitions through strategic talent deployment and skills optimization.

Prepare Your Workforce to Ensure a Smooth Digital Transformation

Digital transformation is an inevitable change many organizations will face in the coming years. As a business leader, you may be asking yourself “Is my company prepared to address this change? Do we have the technical skills necessary to make these changes? What skills will we need to hire for or re-train our employees in? And how much will all this cost?”

A skills inventory can answer these heavy-hitting questions by revealing the current skills and capabilities of your workforce, where the gaps reside, and what you need to change to transition your company smoothly into the digital era.

Build Dynamic Teams That Win Business and Get Results

Companies are turning to more dynamic teams to meet the growing demand for speed, performance, and reliability expected from modern products and services. With everything connected 24/7, there is no grace period anymore. Rapid adaptability has become the key to success.

In response, companies are deploying cross-functional, dynamic teams. Ideally, these teams leverage an assortment of skills, roles, and people that best align with project requirements.

Building a team that produces results requires more than a diverse group of people. It involves a strategic combination of hard and soft skills. Instead of relying on job descriptions or word-of-mouth recommendations, a skills inventory provides managers with the data they need to position their teams and projects for success.

Learn more about skills-based organizations and their benefits.

Retain and Attract Experts To Elevate Your Competitive Advantage

A skills inventory can help you identify and retain experts in your field by refining the recruitment process and driving an environment of continuous learning. Lack of career development is the top reason employees leave their jobs. Keeping your top talent is already challenging, especially in fields experiencing a skills shortage like data science. Tailored development driven by the needs of your workforce can help ensure your employees feel they are continuing to grow in their individual careers with your organization. In return, your experts will strengthen your workforce, help you develop high-performance teams, and win more business for your organization.

The Business Benefits of Having a Skills Inventory

A skills inventory, a comprehensive database of employee skills and competencies, provides valuable insights that can drive strategic decision-making and improve organizational performance.

Key Benefits of a Skills Inventory:

Informed Decision-Making: A skills inventory empowers organizations to make data-driven decisions regarding talent management, resource allocation, and strategic planning. By understanding the skills and capabilities of their workforce, leaders can identify areas of strength and weakness, allocate resources effectively, and address skill gaps proactively.
Enhanced Talent Management: A skills inventory facilitates more effective talent management practices. It enables organizations to identify high-potential employees, create tailored development plans, and foster a culture of continuous learning. Additionally, it supports and enables succession planning by identifying potential successors for critical roles.
Improved Operational Efficiency: By matching employees' skills with project requirements, organizations can optimize resource allocation and improve operational efficiency. This can lead to increased productivity, reduced costs, and faster project completion.
Enhanced Competitiveness: A well-managed skills inventory can give organizations a competitive edge. By understanding their workforce's capabilities, businesses can identify opportunities for innovation, develop new products and services, and respond more effectively to market changes.
Risk Mitigation: A skills inventory can help organizations mitigate risks associated with talent shortages, skill gaps, and succession planning. By proactively identifying and addressing these challenges, businesses can ensure a stable and resilient workforce.
Improved Employee Engagement: When employees feel valued and recognized for their skills and contributions, they are more likely to be engaged and committed to their work. A skills inventory can help organizations identify and reward employees for their talents, fostering a positive work environment.

These are just a few key benefits of developing a skills inventory. Analyzing the current skills and capabilities of your workforce can help you proactively avoid skills gaps, maximize your experts, and make key business decisions that are backed by data-driven insights. Your workforce is your greatest asset and should be leveraged to maximize business results, just like any other resource. Take the first step and start developing a skills inventory today.

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