Faced with the rapid evolution of technologies and generational renewal, skills mapping makes it possible to accurately identify the strengths available and the skills to be developed.

How to build a skills map that goes beyond the simple frame of reference to become a real strategic management tool? How do you really measure professional skills beyond traditional statements and MCQs? And how can this vision be transformed into a tangible competitive advantage?

What is skill mapping?

Skills mapping is a structured and visual representation of all the knowledge, know-how and interpersonal skills present within an organization. It makes it possible to accurately identify the skills possessed by each employee and to put them into perspective with the strategic needs of the company.

Concretely, this approach leads to a dynamic framework that lists:

• Technical skills (hard skills) specific to each profession
• Transversal behavioral skills (soft skills)
• The mastery levels associated with each skill
• Gaps between available and required skills

Unlike a simple organization chart that describes hierarchical relationships, or a job description that lists responsibilities, competency mapping offers a multidimensional vision of human capital. It is therefore a powerful decision-making tool to guide HR strategy and development actions.
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Why do a skills map?

There are several reasons why skills mapping may be required.

Reducing the skill gap

The gap between available skills and those required (skill gap) is a major obstacle to the performance of organizations. Mapping makes it possible to precisely identify these differences in order to better fill them.

Anticipating changes

Faced with the accelerated obsolescence of skills (estimated at 40% by 2030 according to the World Economic Forum), cartography is becoming a crucial forecasting tool. It makes it possible to identify areas requiring up-to-date knowledge and to plan training accordingly.

Optimizing internal mobility

Mapping facilitates the identification of bridges between professions and promotes internal mobility. It reveals transferable skills and possible career paths, thus meeting the aspirations of employees while maintaining talent within the organization.

Streamline hiring

By clearly visualizing skills needs, HR teams can target their recruitments more effectively and build personalized integration plans for newcomers.

Personalizing talent development

Mapping offers an objective basis for building individualized training paths, thus maximizing employee engagement and the effectiveness of training investments.

The steps to build your skills map

Step 1: Define goals

Any cartographic approach starts with the clear definition of its objectives. This essential first step guides the entire process and determines the level of granularity required.

The possible objectives are numerous:

• Optimizing recruitment
• Facilitate the predictive management of jobs and skills (GPEC)
• Identifying training needs
• Promoting internal mobility
• Anticipate business changes

For this phase, involve strategic decision makers and align the approach with the company's medium and long-term directions. A well-defined objective makes it possible to establish measurable indicators of success and to mobilize the necessary resources effectively.

Step 2: Preparing the ground

This phase consists in precisely defining the scope of your mapping and mobilizing the key players.

Start by identifying the stakeholders to be involved: Human Resources Department, operational managers, representative employees or business experts.

Then, identify existing data and tools:

• Job cards
• Business references
• Past Assessments
• Results of annual interviews

Also, determine the methodology and tools you will use to collect, analyze, and visualize competency data.

Step 3: Define your competency framework

The frame of reference is the backbone of your mapping. To structure it effectively:

1. Categorize skill types:
   • Technical skills (hard skills)
   • Behavioral skills (soft skills)
   • Transversal skills
2. Define mastery levels based on recognized models such as Bloom's taxonomy:
   • Remember
   • Understand
   • Apply
   • Analyze
   • Evaluate
   • Create

This scientific approach makes it possible to go beyond simple theoretical knowledge to assess the real capacity for application.

For each skill, specify:

• A clear definition
• Observable behaviors
• Objective evaluation criteria
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Step 4: Assess Existing Skills

This is the crucial stage where you confront your frame of reference with the reality on the ground. Several methods are possible:

1. Self-assessment : simple to implement but susceptible to bias. Beware of the Dunning-Kruger effect, which causes the least competent people to overestimate their abilities and vice versa.
2. Evaluation by managers : more objective but potentially influenced by confirmation bias, especially after investments in training.
3. Practical tests : they assess the real capacity for application, beyond simple theoretical knowledge.
4. Situations : particularly relevant for evaluating behavioral skills.

The ideal is to combine these approaches to obtain a multi-dimensional assessment.

Step 5: Bring your skills map to life

A map is not a static document but a dynamic tool that must evolve with your organization:

• Plan for regular updates (at least annually)
• Integrate it into existing HR processes (recruitment, training, mobility)
• Communicate on the results and the resulting actions
• Measure its impact on the indicators initially defined

The success of this stage depends largely on the appropriation of the tool by all actors and its integration into the organization's routines.

How to measure real skills effectively

Objective measurement of skills remains one of the major challenges in mapping. Traditional methods have significant limitations:

• MCQs mainly assess the first level of Bloom's taxonomy (remember)
• Self-positioning is subject to cognitive biases
• Managerial evaluations often lack objectivity

Behavioral science teaches us that the transition from understanding to action is complex. A person can fully understand a concept without being able to apply it effectively in a professional context.

The solution lies in an approach combining:

1. Assessments in real situations that measure the capacity for concrete application
2. Progressive levels of complexity adapted to the learner profile
3. An artificial intelligence capable of finely analyzing the answers beyond the simple “right/wrong”

This approach makes it possible to obtain a much more precise and actionable measure of real skills.

Didask: the alliance of AI and cognitive sciences

To meet the challenges of skills mapping, Didask offers an approach based on cognitive sciences and amplified by educational artificial intelligence.

Unlike traditional solutions, which are often limited to multiple choice questions evaluating simple memorization, the Didask platform allows a multidimensional assessment of skills:

• Of situations rather than theoretical quizzes
• One Adaptive learning Who adapts the assessment process to the level demonstrated

Educational artificial intelligence developed by Didask makes it possible to objectively measure skills at various taxonomic levels:

• Understanding the concepts
• The application capacity
• Critical analysis
• Creativity in problem solving

This scientific approach makes it possible to overcome cognitive biases such as the Dunning-Kruger effect and to obtain a reliable and actionable mapping of skills within the organization.

To find out how educational AI can revolutionize your approach to skills mapping, book a demo with our experts.
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