Now is the time to take stock of skills, says Lindsay Nicolle
Keeping track of skills needs and skills gaps in a busy IT
department, and shuffling resources so that staff can go on
training courses without affecting the running of the business is a
never-ending quest.
But in today's economic climate, with companies facing headcount
freezes and budget constraints, it is important that managers
maximise the skills available and discover untapped
abilities.
The key is to conduct a skills audit process, sometimes called a
training needs analysis. There are plenty of software tools around
to automate this, including those from AdVal, Docent, Global
Knowledge, Personic, Sciigo (formerly Skillshelf) and SmartForce
(which now owns SkillScape).
A skills audit should include a database of all staff and
applicants' CVs, logging all training as it takes place with the
competencies achieved, reviewing staff and their progress on a
regular basis, listening to people on the shop floor who have
first-hand knowledge of where the skills gaps are, and updating
skills databases.
Overlooked skills
As well as technical skills, a sound
training needs analysis should also identify gaps in so-called soft
skills, such as the confidence to adapt to business change,
personal communications, negotiation, people motivation and
management, and, for more senior staff, skills such as project
management.
These skills are often overlooked but can be extremely valuable,
says John Hayward, head of education at Web services applications
specialist SilverStream Software.
He says, "Developers with good Java or C++ skills may be terrified
at the thought of a project involving Web services. However, a
training plan will often reassure members of a team that the
project will be well run and their career progression will be well
managed."
Such skills audits will help you to use staff skillsets effectively
on business projects. However, when it comes to assessing the
skills needed for future projects, it is wise to consider outside
help.
Under-used staff
Rick Bacon, managing director of the
technology staffing division of e-business services firm Parity
says, "Working with consultants who understand your business plan
will help you to identify the skills you need to achieve
objectives. You can map your current situation onto your business
requirements and establish which skills are needed to get
there."
Armed with this knowledge, employers should look around internally
for people who are under-used or can be retrained - outside the IT
department if necessary. There is always someone whose talents are
not used in the company because they are in the wrong job.
Recruitment is the only other way to acquire new IT skills the
business will demand in the future but it can be a long and costly
procedure, and skills evolve so rapidly that companies risk hiring
the wrong people.
Of course, training can be costly too but the expense can be
contained if staff needs are identified carefully. For example,
technology-based training courses, such as those from NETg, test
the competency of the trainee beforehand and then only take them
through the part of the course they need. Staff can learn on the
job so what they learn is immediately put into practice with
minimal disruption to the business.
NETg is taking this process further with "learner profiling". It is
developing a system that will learn about the trainee as an
individual, and deliver the training he or she needs based on their
individual preferences and learning style, while supporting the
needs of the business.
"Successful e-learning is more than courses on the company
intranet," says Nigel Howarth, vice-president of marketing at NETg.
Intelligent learning may not solve the skills shortage, but
combined with automated skills auditing it should help to speed up
the time it takes IT managers to train their staff to meet evolving
business needs. And in competitive markets, every second
counts.
Checklist for skills action
- Assess skills required - to complete a project successfully,
for example
- Assess the skills of individuals in the organisation and their
level of competency
- Match the skills required against the skills that exist and
identify the gaps
- Formulate a team for the project
- Devise a training plan to address the skills gaps
- Identify soft skills that may benefit the individual and team -
team work, time management, delegation and project management
skills, for example
- Execute the plan and manage training throughout to ensure the
schedule meets the needs of both the project and the
individual.