How to identify skills gaps in your team for better results

Understanding how to identify skills gaps is the difference between a team that merely stays afloat and one that consistently exceeds its targets. In today’s workplace, the speed of change means the capabilities you had yesterday might not be enough to carry you through tomorrow.

The hidden cost of ignoring skills gaps

We often think of skills gaps as a future problem – something to worry about during the next annual review or hiring round. However, the reality is that these gaps are felt every single day. They show up as missed deadlines, frustrated employees, and a general sense that the team is ‘busy’ but not necessarily ‘productive’. When we fail to identify these gaps early, we risk burnout as high performers try to cover for missing expertise.

For many HR leaders and managers, the challenge isn't just knowing that a gap exists, but pinpointing exactly where it lies. Is it a technical deficiency, or is it a lack of soft skills like communication or leadership? Without a structured way to analyse these needs, we often rely on gut feel, which can lead to biased hiring or training that doesn't actually move the needle on performance.

Define your future goals before looking back

You cannot identify a gap if you don't know what you are aiming for. The first step in a successful skills gap analysis is to look at your business objectives for the next twelve to eighteen months. Are you launching a new product? Are you looking to improve customer retention? Each of these goals requires a specific set of ‘work actions’ to be successful.

At Compono, we’ve spent over a decade researching high-performing teams. Our research has identified eight key work activities that define success: Evaluating, Coordinating, Campaigning, Pioneering, Advising, Helping, and Doing. By aligning your team’s current capabilities against these eight activities, you can start to see where the ‘white space’ exists. If your goal is innovation but your team is heavily weighted toward ‘Doing’ and ‘Auditing’, you have identified a clear gap in ‘Pioneering’ and ‘Campaigning’.

Audit current capabilities with work personality

Once you know what you need, it is time to look at what you have. Traditional resumes only tell half the story. To truly identify skills gaps, you need to understand the natural work preferences of your people. Some people are naturally inclined to scrutinise details – these are your Auditors – whilst others thrive on selling a vision – your Campaigners. Both are vital, but they serve different purposes.

Using a tool like the Compono work personality assessment allows you to map your entire team on a single framework. This isn't about pigeonholing people; it is about visibility. When you see your team plotted on a wheel, it becomes obvious if everyone is clustered in one quadrant. This visual data makes it much easier to justify a new hire or a specific training programme to senior leadership because the gap is no longer theoretical – it is visible.

Create a development plan that actually works

Identifying the gap is only half the battle; the next step is closing it. You generally have three options: train your current staff, hire new talent, or outsource the work. For mid-market companies, the most sustainable path is often a mix of the first two. If you find a gap in leadership capability, for example, you might look at internal candidates who show a natural preference for 'Advising' but lack the formal training.

When you use data to drive these decisions, the conversations with employees become much warmer and more supportive. Instead of saying "you aren't performing," you can say, "we’ve identified that our team needs more strength in strategic planning, and we think your natural analytical skills make you a great fit for this development path." This approach builds trust and helps people feel like they are part of the solution. You can learn more about how we view this in The Compono Culture, Engagement & Performance Model.

Recruit specifically for the missing pieces

Sometimes, the gap is too large to fill with training alone. When this happens, your recruitment strategy needs to be laser-focused on the specific work personality you are missing. If your team is struggling with execution and deadlines, you don't just need another ‘good hire’ – you specifically need a ‘Coordinator’ or a ‘Doer’.

This is where modern recruitment technology changes the game. Within Compono Hire, business leaders can actually select the work personality they need for a role. The platform then automatically scores and ranks candidates based on that specific need. This ensures that every new person you bring into the organisation is actively closing a skills gap, rather than just adding more of what you already have. It turns hiring from a replacement exercise into a strategic growth exercise.

Key takeaways

• Start with your business goals – you can't find a gap without a destination.
• Use the 8 work actions framework to categorise the types of activities your team needs to perform.
• Move beyond resumes and use work personality assessments to find the hidden strengths and weaknesses in your current team.
• Visualise your team data to make the gaps obvious to all stakeholders.
• Align your hiring strategy with your skills gap analysis to ensure every new hire adds a missing capability.

Where to from here?

• Explore: Compono Platform
• Talk to an expert: Book in a 15-minute chat to get a walkthrough of Compono.

Frequently asked questions

What is a skills gap analysis?

A skills gap analysis is a systematic process used to determine the difference between the current skills of your workforce and the skills required to meet your business goals. It helps HR leaders decide whether to train, hire, or restructure.

How often should we identify skills gaps?

In a modern workplace, we recommend conducting a formal review at least once a year, or whenever there is a significant shift in business strategy. Ongoing monitoring through people intelligence platforms can provide real-time insights.

Can personality assessments help identify skills gaps?

Yes – whilst traditional skills tests measure technical knowledge, work personality assessments help you identify gaps in work behaviours and preferences, such as leadership, coordination, or innovation capabilities.

What is the best way to close a skills gap?

The best way depends on the urgency. If the need is immediate, hiring a specialist via a platform like Compono Hire is best. If the need is long-term, investing in employee development is more cost-effective.

How do I present a skills gap report to my CEO?

Focus on the business impact. Use visual data – like a team personality wheel – to show where the team is currently weighted and how that imbalance is preventing the company from reaching specific strategic objectives.