Leaders and managers must know the skills of their employees and the competencies they lack that are critical to the job. Knowing this helps them organize learning and development initiatives to fill the gaps in capability. Here are some of the ways employee skills and competencies can be assessed –

#1 Give Them a Test

Tests are a traditional and efficient way to assess technical and theoretical knowledge. However such tests are conducted in “laboratory” conditions and might give inaccurate results. Use this kind of assessment occasionally, otherwise you might be disappointed of the kind of skills you see in more realistic conditions.

#2 Have Them Prepare a Self-Assessment

Send your staff a questionnaire on the skills they must have to perform their job, and have them determine whether they have such skills, or the level by which they can demonstrate these. Note that self-answered questioners may provide subjective answers. Thus, this method should be used in combination with a more objective one.

#3 Get Feedback From Their Teams

There is some subjectivity in what the team members would say, but it is more objective rather than just relying on the opinion of one person. Simply ask employees to share their feedback on each other’s performance and on the skills needed for the job, and how you think they fare or are able to demonstrate their capability in each.

#4 Put Them In Real Situations

This is the most efficient way to assess skills – nothing can be better than practice. Put employees in real life conditions to challenge them and check their proficiency. Observing how they react, solve problems and take actions gives you an objective appraisal of their capability.

#5 Have Them Play A Business Game

Gamification has penetrated various aspects of our lives. Today, children are not the only ones that play games, and many games do not function solely as a form of entertainment, but also serve professional goals and are created for adults, a business simulation helps you appraise employee capability in analysis and critical thinking.

#6 Ask For Clients’ Feedback

This is a type of real life situation testing. It is a good way not only to see how your employee works, but also to communicate with the client and learn more about their needs. Use this opportunity, but make sure that your staff already have sufficient skills to be tested with this method.

It is up to each leader or manager to choose the best method for skills assessment, depending on the skill that you want to test and the conditions you are in, you can choose one of the methods we just discussed. Normally, a combination of assessment methods would be a great way to start and compare your findings. You can always learn and adjust along the way.