HR Insights
Competency Matrix Definition, Uses, and Steps to Create One
Creating a competency matrix or skill matrix will give you an overview of what skills your employees have in relation to the needs of your business.
HR Insights
Creating a competency matrix or skill matrix will give you an overview of what skills your employees have in relation to the needs of your business.
Marcos Lopez
HR Consultant
8 of August, 2022
When it comes to explaining what is a competency matrix seems like an abstract task at first, but it is actually quite a useful tool to have in the workplace. Human resources management teams can benefit from a competency matrix as it can help them identify some core issues to address. We understand that, whether if you are a small business or in a major multinational corporation, you may still want to understand how to create a competency matrix. Keep reading this article to find out how.
A competency matrix, also known as a skills matrix, is an HR tool used to map the required skills for an employee or a team. It is an essential tool for HR professionals, where the grid makes it easier to visualize the required and available skills in a team. However, its overall goals are diverse. The main one however remains the visualization of what skills your team has and where it could do with more skill training or additional human resources.
HR teams use competency matrices as a way to determine what skills the company can rely on within each team and each individual.
A competency matrix helps with several problems that can arise in a team-based environment. These include answering the following queries about your team :
The function of a competency matrix largely depends on the size of your company, its resources and its overarching function. Some companies or organizations, including NGOs, will have much less leg room for making wide restructuring decisions. The matrix can still be useful to them though. It allows them to understand what their capabilities are and direct their recruitment team towards addressing any critical lack of skills.
If you are not an HR-trained person, the first step is to assign someone within HR for being responsible for creating the competency matrix. This is a task that needs to be treated with dedication. It requires a great deal of research about your own employees, strategic thinking, and Human Resources theory. If you organization has the resources, investing in a Human Resources department can help immensely.
The next steps are about the process of creating the matrix itself :
If you want to efficiently complete your projects, you already know that there are many digital solutions out there.
For example, with a task tracking software like Sesame HR you have multiple features that allow you to track projects easily. The best thing is that you can personalize basically anything!