3 Responses

1. Skills audit
   Hi Sue,

   I had to do this for roughly the same amount of people and this is how I did it.

   I created an excel spreadsheet template and I set up a face to face meeting with the managers of each department to sell the benefits of completing this piece of work.

   I asked for every to skill assess themselves and then for the managers to confirm the accuracy of the form through coaching and mentoring. This would then identify skills gaps in particular roles.

   Its in the managers interests to do this because you can then provide a training skills gap report and capture the information to provide the correct training solutions

   Those managers who did not complete it did not receive training. The benefit to you is that you then get the information provided to you by department and it will make your life far easier.

   Hope this helps you.

   Sue

   p.s. find an excel guru to format the sheet for you so all you have to do is copy and paste the results 😉

2. Skills audit
   Sue

   I agree with Sue’s advice, especially around excel. There are a few other things you might want to consider. Firstly, this is a skills audit but the response scale does not reflect this. I’d go for 1 = little or no skill; 2 = basic skill; novice; 3 = reasonably skilled; competent; 4 = highly skilled; expert. You might also want a second scale: 0 = not required in my current role; 1 = required in my current role and I would like to develop this skill to a higher level; 2 = required in my current role to the skill level I possess; no development required.
   This is more complex – so does have a down side – but it is likely to provide you with data in a more useful form.

   You might also want to think about the briefing you give at the beginning. What is basic presentation skills for a senior manager may feel like a high skill level for a new junior administrator. Without guidance most people will rate themselves according to a) a mythical standard they have in their own heads; b) how they feel they compare to their peers; or, c) how fearful they are of the consequences of rating themselves too low or too high. Think head and heart: people need to understand why you are doing it and what it will be used for. They will want clarity about how to fill it in and what all the terms mean. They will also want reassurance and encouragement. As to them thinking more widely about their skills, I think you are right and a simple example, like you gave above, may be sufficient.

   The skill descriptors need some care too. Things like communication skills, IT skills or project management skills are too generalised to be meaningful. They will also lead to unhelpful ratings (eg I have a colleague who is a great listener but is not very articulate – do they rate themselves as a 1 or a 3 for communications? Even if they rate as a 2, that doesn’t tell you much useful about their development needs or where they might be deployed).

   Finally, you may want to think about confidentiality, data protection, timescales (give them about 2 weeks, or 3 if you start in the holiday season), how to chase if response rates are low, and how to collate, analyse and interpret the results when you get them back (do this at the design stage, not when you get the forms back).

   Best of luck

   Graham

3. Thanks
   Hi Sue / Graham – thanks so much for your replies they are really helpful and most appreciated.

   Sue