The power of surveys to perform skills gap analysis
Discover how surveys can simplify skills gap analysis and help UK businesses identify workforce needs, boost productivity and drive targeted growth.
Finding ways to stay competitive in an ever-evolving business landscape is – or should be – a top priority. Identifying areas where your workforce may be falling short or could be improving is one of the golden keys to long-term success. A skills gap analysis offers a simple yet effective way to help organisations understand which skills might be lacking among their teams, helping them focus training and development efforts where they’re needed most. Read on to explore how surveys can make a skills gap analysis easier, faster and more accurate.
What is a skills gap analysis?
The aim of a skills gap analysis is to identify the difference between the skills employees currently have and the skills they need to meet business objectives. This helps businesses pinpoint areas where training or recruitment is required to close these gaps, ensuring teams are equipped to perform at their best.
Key elements of a skills gap analysis
- Assessment of current skills: evaluating the capabilities of your workforce.
- Defining required skills: outlining the skills necessary to achieve organisational goals or adapt to industry changes.
- Gap identification: comparing current skills with required skills to uncover areas for improvement.
Why skills gap analysis matters for UK businesses
In the UK, businesses face growing challenges such as evolving industry standards and rapid technological developments which can cause the workforce to lag behind across various sectors. A skills gap analysis allows organisations to tackle these challenges head-on by identifying and addressing shortages in their workforce.
Benefits for UK businesses
- Adapts the workforce: helps them stay ahead of industry changes by equipping teams with new skills.
- Boosts productivity: closes gaps in key areas to improve overall efficiency and output.
- Enhances employee engagement: employees value investment in their development, leading to higher morale and retention rates.
- Future-proofs your business: prepares for emerging trends and technologies to remain competitive in your sector.
As an example, UK businesses in sectors like manufacturing or healthcare often face specific skills shortages. A skills gap analysis enables these organisations to create targeted training initiatives or recruit talent with the right expertise, ensuring long-term sustainability and success.
How surveys simplify skills gap analysis
Traditional methods of conducting a skills gap analysis are generally time-consuming – and this is probably the key reason they are overlooked. One faster and efficient alternative to take the pressure off HR teams and managers is to conduct surveys tailored to each department. Let’s have a look at why:
The benefits of using surveys over traditional templates
- Flexible design
Surveys are a way for organisations to tailor questions to their specific needs, focusing on areas that matter most to their industry or goals. Unlike static templates, surveys can adapt to changing priorities or new insights.
- Real-time data collection
With online survey tools available from SurveyMonkey, data can be collected faster and updated instantly, enabling businesses to identify skill gaps as they emerge. This ensures rapid responses to workforce needs, particularly in fast-paced sectors.
- Customisation options
Surveys can be segmented by department, job role, or even location, providing insights that generic templates often miss. This enables businesses to create targeted strategies for specific teams or functions.
- Increased participation and honest feedback
Employees are more likely to respond to anonymous surveys, leading to more accurate data. Traditional methods often fail to capture this level of openness, limiting their effectiveness.
- Integration with analytics tools
SurveyMonkey surveys offer built-in reporting features, making it easy to analyse data and create visual reports. This eliminates the manual effort required to compile results from traditional methods.
Key metrics to track in a skills gap analysis survey
Tracking the right metrics is important to ensuring effective and actionable results. Focus on specific areas of employee performance to determine where improvements are needed and create targeted strategies. Here are the key metrics to include in a survey:
Core skills
Assess whether employees excel in the foundational skills required for their current positions. These could be technical skills or industry-specific knowledge.
Soft skills
Interpersonal and communication skills, teamwork, adaptability, and emotional intelligence are often just as essential as technical expertise. Soft skills are rapidly gaining recognition as sought-after workplace qualities, directly impacting team productivity.
Leadership potential
Identify employees who show the ability to take on leadership roles. Metrics like decision-making skills, the ability to motivate others, and strategic thinking are key.
Technical proficiency
Gauge whether employees have the technical knowledge and abilities needed for their jobs, particularly in fast-paced fields like IT, engineering, or healthcare.
Knowledge gaps in critical areas
Use the survey to identify areas where employees may lack the skills or training needed to meet evolving business demands, such as adopting new software, and understanding new technology or processes.
Future readiness
Gauge whether your workforce is equipped to handle evolving industry trends. This includes assessing innovation skills, the ability to learn new technologies, or the potential for upskilling.
These metrics will give you a clear overview of your team’s strengths and weaknesses, ensuring you can focus training and development on the areas with the biggest impact on employee performance and organisational growth.
Step-by-step guide to conducting a skills gap analysis with surveys
A skills gap analysis can truly transform your organisation with knock-on effects on employee satisfaction, engagement, and ultimately, productivity – but only if it’s executed effectively. Below, we outline a step-by-step guide to conducting a skills gap analysis using surveys.
Designing a skills gap survey
The foundation of a successful skills gap analysis lies in the quality of the questions you ask. Here are some tips for designing surveys that produce effective results:
- Use clear and concise questions
Avoid jargon or overly complex phrasing – questions should be straightforward to ensure employees can respond accurately.
- Focus on both soft and hard skills
Include questions about interpersonal skills like teamwork or adaptability, alongside technical skills specific to their jobs.
- Incorporate rating scales
Use a Likert scale (e.g., 1–5) to measure employee confidence in their skills or their perceived importance of certain skills.
- Customise questions by department or job
Adapt questions to reflect the unique skill requirements of different teams or jobs, such as leadership for managers or specific software knowledge for technical staff.
- Include open-ended questions
Allow space for employees to provide detailed feedback on skills they’d like to develop or challenges they face.
Gathering data and ensuring anonymity
For your survey to be effective, employees need to feel comfortable sharing honest feedback:
- Guarantee anonymity
Clearly communicate that responses will remain confidential and used solely for skill development purposes. This encourages accurate feedback.
- Use an accessible format
Distribute surveys online through platforms that employees can access easily on a mobile device or desktop.
- Provide clear instructions
Give guidance on how to complete the survey and outline its purpose upfront.
- Encourage full participation
Use reminders or incentives to ensure maximum participation. A higher response rate gives more accurate insights into organisational skill gaps.
Analysing and interpreting survey results
The next step is turning your data into actionable insights. Here’s how to effectively analyse and interpret the results:
- Identify trends and patterns
Look for recurring themes or consistent gaps across teams or departments. For example, if several employees highlight a need for technical training, it’s a clear area for improvement.
- Compare responses by job and level
Analyse results based on job roles or seniority to understand specific training needs. Managers might need leadership development, while entry-level staff could benefit from onboarding improvements.
- Highlight strengths and weaknesses
Pinpoint areas where employees excel and where additional training or support is required. This ensures training courses are targeted and efficient.
- Set actionable goals
Translate the data into tangible objectives, such as implementing a leadership training course or investing in technical upskilling for certain teams.
Implementing solutions based on skills gap analysis
A skills gap analysis is only as effective as the actions that follow it. Once you’ve identified gaps and opportunities, the next step is to implement targeted strategies that drive measurable improvement.
Targeted training and development initiatives
Focus on areas that will have the most immediate impact, such as upskilling employees in technical tools or improving soft skills like communication and teamwork.
Monitor progress over time
Use follow-up surveys to assess whether training efforts are closing the gaps and identify new areas for improvement.
Refine strategies as needed
Regularly review the effectiveness of your initiatives, adjusting training to align with evolving business goals and employee needs.
By using surveys to conduct a skills gap analysis, businesses can identify essential skill shortages, prioritise training initiatives and measure progress over time. Surveys offer a flexible and data-driven approach to workforce development, ensuring organisations remain competitive and adaptable in a dynamic business landscape. Get started with SurveyMonkey to design skills gap surveys that provide clear, actionable insights tailored to your workforce’s needs.
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