Identifying Network Skills Gaps in the Organization

Whether network managers are deciding whom to hire or how to upskill staff, they can perform a skills gap analysis to determine which skills are missing and how best to fill them.

How do you conduct a gap analysis, and what's the best way to fill any skills gaps once you find them?

What Gap Analyses Do

Companies undertake gap analyses when they sense they're missing something , such as gaps in their product lines, business strategies, operations or personnel. In network work areas, the gap discovery might focus on completeness of network architecture, security, policies, documentation or other things. This article focuses on network staff skill sets.

The goal of a gap analysis performed on staff skills is to identify skills weaknesses and learn from that assessment so network managers can enact a plan to fill the identified skills gaps. Many network managers I visit say they already feel they know where their skills shortages are. Nevertheless, by performing a more formal skills gap analysis, one can often uncover unanticipated skills shortfalls -- or an underdocumented and undertrained area of network operations, such as disaster recovery and backup.

It's also important to consider what happens when a key contributor on the network staff decides to leave the company. Is there someone who is sufficiently trained who can take over?

How to Perform a Skills Gap Analysis

The argument for performing periodic network staff skills gap analyses is strong. But network managers are technology people, not HR specialists. How can network managers do a skills gap analysis on their own, and effectively?

1. Identify the skills needed in each area of network operations for now and the future

A skills gap analysis is like a risk assessment . You identify where your staff must be in terms of skills and competencies, and during the evaluation, you uncover the areas of risk.

Many of the discovered staff skills shortages might be in skills areas you need today. Other shortages might turn up in skills your staff will require in the future. For example, it might be sufficient today to have network specialists who enact, monitor and mitigate security -- but you might need to hire a security forensics specialist in two or three years.

2. Measure staff expertise against the skills you need

Once network managers compile a list of required skills for the network staff, they can assess their team for skills readiness. This is the point where managers gauge staff expertise against what is required and pinpoint any shortfalls in knowledge and competencies.

3. Develop a plan

How are you going to plug the gaps you've identified?

If a skill is highly acute and difficult to find, the plan might be to go to the market and recruit for the skill. In other cases, you might be able to identify raw talent on your junior staff and have a senior team member who is willing mentor and develop them into the role. In other scenarios, a needed skill might be more short-term, so you can opt to hire an outside consultant or outsource the job.

The bottom line is network managers must have a plan to plug each skills gap so they can ensure all the network's present and future needs are addressed.

4. Establish a timeframe for filling the gaps

I've known managers who have lived with recurrent skills gaps on their teams for years. They argue they can't obtain the budget to hire a new person or they have too many projects, so they don't have time for training or mentoring. It's almost impossible for individuals with this mindset to make progress in staff skills development.

This is why it's critical for managers who perform skills gap analyses to create timelines for when they want to achieve competency in the skills areas they've identified. These needed skill sets should closely align with business priorities. They should be planned, budgeted for, timelined and communicated to management.

5. Take advantage of gap analysis tools

Network managers don't have to attempt a skills gap analysis from scratch. Many gap analysis tools, templates and methodologies are already available. You can also ask your HR department for assistance.

6. Continuously monitor progress against goals

Skills gap analysis -- and plugging skills gaps -- is an ongoing effort. The key is to set timeline metrics for the skills gaps you want to fill and then measure progress against those timelines. This enables you to regularly review your plan and assess your staff's technical readiness.