Training and Coaching

Skills Matrix Software | Hone Essential Skills with Seismic

By Seismic — On February 29, 2024

Developing a skills matrix is a critical first step toward building an effective employee training program. A skills matrix is, in essence, a visual representation of the skills each employee possesses, plus those they need to improve upon. Here's how to get started.

Summary

Building your organization’s skills matrix can seem overwhelming. However, as with all things, the hardest part is taking the first step. With the right skills matrix software, you can quickly and easily develop a database of skills from which to move forward. By building a visual map of the skills each employee already possesses, plus those you would like them to acquire, you can form a complete picture of all the skills mastered by everyone in your organization. Here are some best practices to get started and use your skills matrix software to the best advantage.

A skills matrix is a tool used to track what team members have which skills and what level of proficiency they have in the skills they possess. It’s an invaluable tool for any organization that wants to boost proficiency, develop new capabilities, hire internally, close skill gaps, and mitigate the risks of missing or inadequate skill possession.

What is skills matrix software?

Skills matrix software does much more than just show you who embodies certain skills and abilities. It also lets you edit those designations on the fly, and sometimes automatically. But more importantly, it can alert you to critical skill gaps that may be ongoing or impending. For example, if you were to add new teammates to your inside sales team, your skills matrix software will analyze the various entries and skill matrix levels to give you important information about your team’s readiness to perform the job well.

Why you should use a skills matrix questionnaire

By asking your employees to fill out the skills matrix questionnaire, you will rapidly develop a clear picture of the capabilities your team has, which ones you don’t have, what to work on sooner, and what skills to work on later.

As the needs of your company grow, your skills matrix app can track the skills your team has, the skills your team needs, and the skills they need to improve. It can give you an ongoing assessment of what capabilities you have at your disposal, which you need to develop, and what kinds of risks may be present in the absence of a given team or skill set. It is also a great way to show investors and potential partners the true value of working with you.

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Benefits of a skills matrix for employees

One of the most important factors deciding whether or not a workplace is a healthy and happy one for your employees is whether or not they know what they can do in order to advance, and that advancement is possible. A skills matrix can give them a powerful resource to use in their efforts to become more valuable to your company by acquiring the skills they need to advance.

1. Fast and easy way to track skill sets

By giving your team members access to easy-to-understand data on what they need to do to get better at their job and fill key roles/needs related to their job, they become better, more competent, and confident employees.

2. Understand team and employee strengths

The skill matrix ppt shows them where they can improve, allowing them to get started on improvement right away. The traditional alternative to this is time-consuming and laborious testing, quarterly reports, and organized training sessions.

3. Provide great insights regarding team and individual performance

The employee skills matrix shows employees how they stack up to other members of your workforce. This promotes healthy competition with public rewards for improvement and performance.

4. Identify gaps in skills for improvement with training and coaching

Rather than beat them over the head with unpredictable counseling sessions over what they aren’t doing well enough, skills matrix software lets them discover this on their own and seek out development independently.

5. Helps create specific career development paths for employees

Not only does this type of tool help them to become a better fit for their current job and team, but it can lay out a direct path to new job titles they would like to prepare for.

We think that in time, skills matrix software will be widely seen as a critical way to make employees enjoy better job security, and better job satisfaction, and to improve in the ways they need and want to improve.

How to get started with skill mapping of employees

Now that we know just how beneficial to your team and your bottom-line skills mapping software can be, we’re sure you’re eager to get started. We’re going to go over ways your managers can get the most out of these tools and put rubber on the road quickly. But we would be remiss should we fail to mention the importance of working with a company that will help you with launch, and integration, and will give you the customer service you need to work out any kinks in the system.

1. Don’t forget the soft skills

The soft skills are like the glue that makes the other skill sets work. They are too hard skills, what wisdom is to knowledge. Some of your team members are going to be chock full of soft skills, and their contributions to your team and productivity are likely to have gone under-appreciated for too long. Don’t forget to include at least one or two soft skills while doing a skills mapping exercise.

Soft skills include:

  • Communication
  • Negotiation
  • Persuasion
  • Body language
  • Adaptability
  • Resilience
  • Critical thinking

2. Focus on individuals and entire teams

One nice feature of skill matrices is they can be used to describe an existing team, a potential team, an entire corporation, or a set of departments. Be sure that while you’re doing your skill mapping of employees focus both on individuals and entire teams. Part of the enthusiasm workers have for these tools comes from their desire to be seen as unique and valuable. It’s also a great opportunity to develop a rapport with them by showing them that you are aware of their skills and appreciate them.

3. Include realistic levels

Perhaps the most challenging part of making a good skill matrix is getting the skill levels correct. Maybe start with conservative estimates of capabilities and elevate them as team members strive to shine. The idea is to get a useful picture of what you can and cannot do.

4. Talk to your employees

Finally, ask your employees what they think of the system. Ask for ways they think you can improve it, and listen. You can take our word when we say they want the skill matrix to work well, and they will help you to make it do just that.

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Skills tracking software

Skills matrix software is rapidly gaining popularity among businesses and organizations of all sizes and industries. The technology has already proven itself time and time again by helping managers get the most out of their teams while improving the quality of life for workers. Some experts are so excited about the technology, that they believe that it may make it possible for the kind of loyal, optimistic careerism that disappeared with the end of the industrial revolution to return. This may be your opportunity to transform your workplace into a career ladder where employees feel welcome and are engaged in the process of helping your company grow.

With it, you’ll know what skills your company needs, and which it can do without in some cases. You’ll know what to do to meet the challenges of the future and help your team grow and become the best in your field.

Improve skills with Seismic Learning

If you find gaps in your employees’ skill levels or simply want to level up your team’s skills, Seismic Learning (formerly Lessonly) can help. Our enablement software makes continuous training and coaching possible for all customer-facing teams.

With Seismic Learning, trainers and managers can easily create, deliver, and track training on key skills for entire teams and individual employees so everyone has what they need to succeed. Our powerful solution also enables team members to apply newly learned knowledge and hone skills through interactive practice exercises. See how teams train faster with us.

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