Understanding skills mapping and how recruiters work with it
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We are at an age where people refer to the coming fifth industrial revolution as if it’s already happening. This is when the world is still getting used to being in the midst of the 4th industrial revolution. Would it surprise you to learn that the first and second industrial revolutions were spaced almost a century apart? The same applied to the second and third industrial revolutions. Now here you are in the midst of Industry 4.0 and you are already hearing the murmurs of Industry 5.0. Today’s day and age epitomise the saying, “The only certainty is uncertainty.” Technology, and, by extension, our world, are evolving at such a rapid pace that organisations need to have the foresight to keep up with the changes and future-proof themselves.
Skills mapping is one such tool.
A skills map is a visual tool that allows you to identify, assess and align the skills of your workforce with your organisation's current and future goals. In short, it gives you a bird’s eye view of:
- What the organisation needs now and in the future
- What you have within the organisation
- What is missing
This makes it an invaluable resource to plan your recruitment strategy and your training strategy. It allows you to pinpoint the skills you need to hire and the skills you can develop by upskilling the team.
Skills mapping facilitates succession planning by identifying high-potential employees and developing plans to groom them for future leadership roles. By identifying individuals with the necessary skills and potential to fill key positions, organisations can ensure continuity and stability in leadership positions.
By clearly defining the skills required for various roles and career paths, organisations can provide targeted feedback, coaching and development opportunities to help employees enhance their skills and advance in their careers.
From a recruitment standpoint, skills mapping allows the recruitment team to map the skills requirements in the job description to a candidate’s skills. This makes the entire process of recruitment sharply focussed on the skills required and reduces any other biases that could otherwise creep in.
Here’s how we can apply skill mapping in the recruitment life:
- Conduct a thorough job analysis to understand the role requirements.
- Identify the key skills and competencies needed for success in the role. Recruitment platforms like HirePro maintain a database of candidate profiles, including their skills, experiences and qualifications. Recruiters can use this talent pool to identify candidates with desired skills for current or future job openings, facilitating proactive talent sourcing and recruitment.
- Evaluate candidates' resumes and applications to assess their skills and qualifications. ATS platforms capture data on candidates' skills and qualifications through resumes, applications and assessments. Recruiters can use keyword searches and filters to identify candidates with specific skills relevant to job roles or projects.
- Use skills assessment tools and techniques to validate candidates' proficiency. Skill assessment platforms enable organisations to assess candidates' skills and competencies through various assessment methods such as quizzes, tests, simulations and coding challenges. These assessments provide objective data on candidates' abilities in specific skill areas.
- Match candidates' skills with job requirements to shortlist suitable candidates. Skill assessment platforms generate candidate profiles that include detailed information on their strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement. Recruiters can use these profiles to match candidates with job roles or projects based on their skill sets and abilities.
While skill mapping is a very useful tool to sharpen your recruitment process, it becomes more effective only when you ensure alignment between job descriptions and actual job requirements. It is also imperative that you overcome biases in the recruitment process and keep pace with evolving job roles and skill requirements. As you move towards a future that is filled with possibilities, you want to be sure that your team is equipped with the necessary skills to turn your vision into reality. The skills map is the compass that points you in the right direction.
