Importance of skills gap analysis for effective employee and organizational performance

Introduction

Holzer (1997) describes skills gap analysis as ‘a tool used to assess the actual skills of the employee against the skills required to perform the current job, and effectively achieve the organization’s goals and objects’. Skills gap analysis is important for both the employee and employer. For the employer, skills gap analysis is critical as it facilitates the identification of skill deficiencies which are undermining the performance of employees and the providing of training and development to address these skill deficiencies. This in turn facilitates the achievement of organizational goals and objectives (Antonucci and d’Ovidio, 2012). From an employee perspective, skills gap analysis enables the identification and addressing of skill deficiencies which are undermining performance levels. This in turn improves employee performance levels and leads to greater reward, recognition, and career growth (Nakayama and Sutcliffe, 2005).

Objective

ABC International School of Sri Lanka which was established in the year 1980 is one of the country’s oldest international schools. ABC School has a student population of approximately 1,500 employees and 100 academic staff. The main objective in this study is to analyse the failure to conduct skills analysis impact on employee and organizational performance levels at ABC International School.

Research Methodology

Research methodology adopted in this study comprised of focused group discussions with 20 academic staff of ABC School. Academic staff were selected using a purposive non-probability sampling method. Thematic analysis was used in the analysis of data obtained from these group discussions.

Findings

Findings from the study indicate that failure to conduct a skills gap analysis has resulted in a marked difference in service delivery standards in the school. Highly skilled teachers deliver high standards of education, whilst teachers with limited skills and abilities service delivery standards are poor. This in turn has undermined student and parent satisfaction with teaching standards in the school and has put significant pressure on the school administrators as most parents want their children to be placed in classes which have the most skilled and competent teachers. This in turn has led to frustration and perceptions of inequity on the part of highly skilled teachers as their workload in significantly greater than that of other teachers, whilst the rewards in terms of bonus and salary increments are the same.

Recommendations

ABC International School should immediately conduct a skills gap analysis to identify and address skills deficiencies in teachers. Further, current frustration and perception of unfairness of highly skilled teachers should be addressed by introducing a performance based reward and recognition scheme for all employees of the school.

References

Antonucci, L., & d’Ovidio, F.D. (2012). An information system based on skills gap analysis  to planning training courses. Applied Mathematics, 3(6), 1619-1629.

Holzer, H.J. (1997). Is There a Gap between Employer Skill Needs and the Skills of the Work Force? In: A. Lesgold, M. J. Feuer and A. M. Black, Eds., Transitions in Work and Learning: Implications for Assessment, National Academy Press, Washington DC, 6-33.

Nakayama, M., & Sutcliffe, N. (2005). Managing IT Skills Portfolios: Planning, Acquisition and Performance Evaluation. Hershey: Idea Group Publishing.