How To Identify A Skills Gap On Your IT Team

Having a skills gap on your IT team is kind of like having a hole at the bottom of your pants pocket – it could be affecting you a lot and you don’t even know it’s there. Given the dynamic, ever-changing nature of IT, it’s common for a skills gap to develop, or for a small gap to suddenly grow into a large one. But just because it’s holding you back, doesn’t mean you can point to exactly what it is or where. Use these strategies to help you identify where one may be and get to full strength faster:

Identify Where the Problem Lies

Did you come in overdue on a deadline or over budget on a project? Did a piece of code that you had been depending on not work the way it was supposed to? Does your team seem to be avoiding a particular task or assignment? These are all indications that you do in fact have a skills gap on your team. Study these problems closely to better understand the skills involved and the nature of the gap.

Talk to Your Employees

No employee wants to admit that they can’t do something, or can but not very quickly or competently. That’s part of why it’s so hard to pinpoint a skills gap. Don’t try to spot it by studying resumes, these are polished documents that don’t reflect current conditions, instead talk with the employees directly. Assure them that they will not be punished for the information the reveal, and then have a frank conversation about what your team does and does not do well. You may be able to glean details that are hard to spot from the manager’s office.

Look to the Future

You may not have a skills gap now, at least not a significant one, but there could be one coming down the pipeline. Now is the time to identify and adjust your staff accordingly. Study the work you have planned over the short-, mid-, and long-term, and compare that with the strengths and weaknesses of your team. You may be able to spot some glaring deficiencies that will hold you back down the road. You may need to talk to the people above you to get a clear picture of your company’s plans for the future.

Spotting a skills gap is only the first step, closing it is often the bigger challenge. The simple solution is to work with a staffing partner who has already developed a diverse pool of talent. You can dip into that pool to find the exact skill(s) you need. When you’re ready, contact INSPYR Solutions.