Talent gap simply refers to a lack of skilled personnel in an organization. Every organization occasionally faces the tough issue of talent gap. The HR Department makes an all-out effort to fill this gap through various methods, most of which are discussed in subsequent chapters of this tutorial.
Persistent talent gap is likely to hamper the growth and development of an organization. It also has a negative impact on the employees’ motivation as they feel demotivated due to lack of talented people to look up to for necessary instructions and advice to work effectively.
Talent Gap is very important when it comes realizing the need for improvement or training. Skill gap can be based on the job fit or actual gap in technical or functional skills to complete a job. Once we analyze the skill gap, we can work on the improvement plan to fill this gap.
If this gap is allowed to persist, this would be mean the employee would keep doing the job unequipped with right skills required and would lead to loss in productivity. If this problem is evident for a large number of employees or department, it can become an issue for the organization.
Talent gap is expected in any employee or organization. It is more of an opportunity analysis to improve and assess the existing workforce and further improve them through coordinated trainings and grooming during through the job tenure.
Strategies to Fill Gaps
To fill the talent gap in an organization, the HR Department needs to follow certain basic steps. It helps in working out solutions to deal with talent gap. Following are the steps to address talent gap.
- Know the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) required for the positions or vacancies.
- Identify the areas where proficiency needed.
- Look for persons with required KSAs within the industry or market.
- Select the right or deserving candidates with required proficiency.
- Identify the skill gap of the candidate to the position.
- Devise plans to mitigate the skill gap.
- Provide training and refreshment to the newly-hired employees.
- Roll out professional development plans to help employees succeed in their role.
- Periodical assessment of individual performance and identify the areas where extra training or specialized attention is required.
Strategies to Reduce Talent Gap
Following are some of the strategies that can help reduce the talent gap in an organization:
Develop a Culture of Talent Development
Culture is the environment for people at work. Every organization has its own culture. Culture in an organization includes the norms and behavior that outline its shared values. Managers need to build and maintain an effective culture for the larger interest of the organization.
Organizational culture should be so nurtured that it will facilitate to retain, sustain, and grow talent.
Build Sustainable Processes
Managers should coach and develop their people. Every employee knows what areas they need to improve, and for those with particularly high potential, career tracks should be developed that give them a sense of a sustainable relationship with the organization.
Strengthen Shared Values
Every employee should be able to connect their daily work productivity and responsibilities to the values of the organization. They need to understand the job and the reason for completing the job successfully.
Leverage Problems as Opportunities
Problems in the workplace should be seen by employees as opportunities to develop their skills and hone their talent for future performance. Learning the causes and stresses inherent in the problems can be helpful for both the organization and the employees.
Act as a Role Model
Be transparent about your own needs to learn, develop and share. Embrace openness. Leaders are never more powerful than when they are shown to be learning.
Reinforce the Value of Learning
Go beyond the preliminary conversation about goals. Ask employees what they want to accomplish and what they feel their gaps are. When someone completes an assignment, celebrate both the outcome and the learning, especially if the assignment wasn’t completed smoothly. Reinforce shared values.
Build Sustainable Processes
Managers should coach and develop their people. Every employee knows what areas they need to improve, and for those with particularly high potential, career tracks should be developed that give them a sense of a sustainable relationship with the organization.
Strengthen Shared Values
Every employee should be able to connect their daily work productivity and responsibilities to the values of the organization. They need to understand the job and the reason for completing the job successfully.
Leverage Problems as Opportunities
Problems in the workplace should be seen by employees as opportunities to develop their skills and hone their talent for future performance. Learning the causes and stresses inherent in the problems can be helpful for both the organization and the employees.
Talent Gap Analysis
Identifying skill gaps is essential for the companies to ensure that the workforce is well trained, knowledgeable & better equipped to perform the job. This analysis helps achieve the following objectives:
- Make employees aware about the critical skills they’ll need to grow.
- Helps one refine and define skills the agency needs, now and in the future.
- Helps in recruiting efforts when current employees don’t have the skills or the interest.