Strategic HR planning is important to the success of any organization. It involves analyzing the need for and availability of human resources in meeting the organization’s goals and objectives. Creating and maintaining a skills inventory can assist HR in these efforts.
A skills inventory is a compilation of the skills, education and experiences of current employees. Organizations use these inventories to assess their ability to meet certain company goals. Understanding the company’s pool of current skills/talents and its future skill requirements can aid an organization in its strategic planning efforts.

Recruiting. Tracking the skills and abilities of your current employee population can focus your recruiting efforts. Skills inventories provide an accounting of the abilities, skills, training and experience of its current employees and can help identify skills gaps. These inventories can help guide hiring decisions that will ensure employers have the manpower necessary to meet the current and future needs of the organization.

Training. Skills inventories can identify skills gaps for employees and allow employers to budget for and determine appropriate training programs.

Succession planning. Succession planning ensures that an organization has the right personnel to function in the event of an employee’s departure. Creating and maintaining current skills inventories allow employers to develop succession plans based on current employee skills sets and identify key employees for future openings critical to the company’s leadership and business success.

Skills inventories should be reviewed on an ongoing basis and employers should take steps to ensure employees keep their own skills inventory current and updated. By doing so, employers can help ensure the success of their strategic plans and achievement of their company’s short- and long-term goals.

Professional Pointer: Regularly update your company’s skills inventories to identify new and/or hidden employee talent

 
Please Note: This material is provided as general information and is not a substitute for legal or other professional advice. Contact the Knowledge Center for more information.
 

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