skills development business plan

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With a skill development plan, you can take a more proactive approach to professional growth. Learn what one is & how to create one.

If you’ve ever played a video game, you probably know how experience works: the more you do something, the better you get at doing it. It works a bit slower in the real world, but there are a few tricks you can use to help your team level up.

A skill development plan is a great tool for team members or managers interested in professional development . Keep reading for an in-depth guide on skill development plans – and how to make plans that can help you or your team excel.

What is a skill development plan (SDP)? 

How to create a skill development plan.

• Benefits of skill development planning

A skill development plan is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a detailed series of steps that guide someone through skill development. 

No matter how good someone is at their job, there will usually be areas for improvement. That’s not a knock against them – even the most skilled, knowledgeable people can learn something new about topics they’ve known well for years. The more you learn about a job, the more you realize what you don’t yet know. A skill development plan can help you shine a spotlight on those skill gaps and come up with strategies to patch them over.

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Creating a skill development plan is like running a race. You draw a finish line in the sand that represents a development goal and work toward it step by step. The trick is finding the right steps to take so that you and your team don’t veer off course. Here’s how to create a great skill development plan.  

• Figure out your or your team members’ ambitions
• Find strengths and weaknesses
• Build a development strategy
• Set the plan into motion

1 Figure out your or your team members’ ambitions

Skill development can’t start if you haven’t defined your finish line. Without a goal to work toward, any improvements might not be relevant. 

The first thing you should do when developing a plan is sit down with the team member (or yourself if you’re doing this for you). A one-on-one meeting , for example, is a great time to jot down some short- and long-term ambitions. A skill development plan can accommodate most goals but, in this case, you probably want to shoot for something job-related. For example, earning a promotion and climbing the organization’s ladder is a common goal.

2 Find strengths and weaknesses

Let’s say you or a team member want to move to a senior role in your organization. They most likely need certain skills to get there, and these skills can be perfect benchmarks for this team member’s growth. Use your benchmarks to pinpoint your team member’s strengths and weaknesses, then decide how exactly they’ll reach their ultimate goal. 

3 Build a development strategy

Now, you can create a step-by-step plan for getting yourself or your team member from point A to point B. For instance, if your team member wants a promotion , the plan could include them shadowing someone already in that role.

4 Set the plan into motion

At this point, your skill development plan is ready to go. Following through on it is largely up to you or your team member. And if anything goes wrong, you can step in – after all, lots of plans work better in theory than in execution. 

If you or your team member falls behind on a skill development plan, a training course can help get them back on track. And if the total opposite is happening and the expectations weren’t challenging enough in the first place, you can find higher-level tasks to try.  

Benefits of skill development

Skill development planning is great for helping you or your team members grow within your organization – and that’s just the start. Here are some other ways that skill development planning can benefit you, your team members, or your organization.

• Helps avoid brain drain
• Gets new employees up to speed quicker
• Shares expectations
• Finds the most important skills
• Reduces stagnation
• Encourages progress tracking

1 Helps avoid brain drain

You never know when a team member might choose to leave your organization. And sure, you can hire someone new, but replacing your old team member’s knowledge and experience is a much bigger challenge. A skill development plan can keep that knowledge within your business – it’s a clear path for someone new to get up to speed.

2 Gets new employees up to speed quicker

It might take some time for new hires to get used to your organization, so they might not be 100% productive at first. You can cut down on the time it takes them to get there with a solid skill development plan. Think about it like this: You already know the soft skills needed for the job. Just learn your new team member’s strengths and weaknesses, and from there, you can use your skill development plan for top-notch onboarding .

3 Shares expectations

Skill development plans are meant to be simple and easy to understand. Team members reading them should instantly know what you expect of them – and what skills they should work on to be their best selves. 

4 Finds the most important skills

A skill development plan shows your team members the most important skills they need to bring to the table. This way, if a team member is limited on time, they can focus on their most important development goals. As they master their skills, they’ll become more productive and efficient. 

5 Reduces stagnation

Would you want to clock in every day if your work no longer challenged you? Probably not – and skill development plans can prevent you or your team members from falling into the trap. A skill development plan is a great reminder that there’s always more to learn. This alone can keep you or your best team members motivated, reduce career stagnation – and help them get even better at what they do.

6 Encourages progress tracking

Your skill development plan isn’t a “set it and forget it” process. Maybe your team members will be fine on their own, but if they do hit a snag, they’ll need your support. Keep tabs on your team members’ progress and make changes if they’re having trouble – or not having enough trouble. 

To be clear, we’re not saying you or your team members should always hit a wall. We’re saying you should face challenges every now and again. Overcoming challenges is one of the best ways to learn new skills – and stay engaged at work.

Help your team work at their best

Measuring your or a team member’s success with a skill development plan can be the key to long-term success. Direct peer feedback is a big part of moving your plan forward, and Fellow can help you get it. With Fellow, you can give and get real-time feedback as your development plan goes along. It’s the easiest way to readjust on the fly and get exactly where you need to go.

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How to Build a Successful Upskilling Program

• Susan R. Vroman
• Tiffany Danko

Employees say they want more training and development — but often struggle to identify which skills they’re looking for.

Upskilling is a longer-term investment in augmenting the knowledge, skills, and competencies that help employees advance their careers. When employees are offered and encouraged to take advantage of upskilling opportunities for their personal or professional growth, people metrics, such as employee engagement and retention, also go up. The problem is that too often, even the employees who say they want more training and development struggle to identify what they’re looking for. The authors offer three strategies to help organizational leaders identify the skills and competencies that employees will find valuable.

As the Covid pandemic accelerated how and where work got done, employee reskilling became a short-term survival strategy to fuel or sustain company growth . Companies found that investing in skills learning enabled both performance and reliability of their workers .

• Susan R. Vroman is a lecturer of management at Bentley University.  Her research interests include the impact leadership enactment has on organizational culture and employee engagement, with specific focus on supporting flexible work arrangements.  Prior to her academic career, Dr. Vroman worked for over 20 years as an organizational effectiveness and strategic human resource management executive and advisor. She continues this work in a consulting capacity.
• TD Tiffany Danko  is an adjunct associate professor at USC Bovard College and a captain in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. Her research focuses on leadership, as well as homeland security and emergency management concerns. 

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•  > How to build a skills development plan?

11 Minutes of reading

How to build a skills development plan?

A skills development plan is a must-have for any business looking to help its employees maximise their potential. After all, the success of any organisation is predicated on the abilities of its staff. By helping them to grow, you’re also investing in the future of your company.

However, it may not always be obvious how best to go about developing employees’ skills. Fortunately, this guide will go through every step of the process, from defining what a skill development plan is, listing its benefits, and showing you how to create your own.

What exactly is a skills development plan ?

Before we go any further, we need to understand the  purpose of a skills development plan , as well as what it includes.

A skills development plan can either be completed by an individual, or by an employee together with their manager. When an individual puts together their own plan, it may be known as a  personal development plan , while one created within a business is often called an  employee development plan . Here, we’ll be focusing on skill development plans for employees.

The purpose of a skills development plan is to help employees  achieve certain goals . While these will be aligned with the aims and future  objectives of the business , the plan will be primarily shaped around the individual’s  professional ambitions . They help to focus the employee’s mind on what they want to accomplish in the short and long term, and enable them to map out the actions they need to take in order to hit their targets.

For example, an employee’s short-term goals may be to gain more experience in different aspects of their role with a view to achieving a long-term goal of moving into a managerial role. A skills development plan could recommend a variety of employee development methods, from shadowing other staff members to completing courses.

An employee’s skills development plan is not, however, permanently set in stone. Instead, it should be thought of as an evolving document that adapts as their needs and wants grow and change over time. Additionally, the employee isn’t the only person who must take action—it’s also up to any relevant managers to ensure that support and resources are made available so that any objectives laid out in the plan can be achieved.

Benefits of a skills development plan

The advantages of developing employees’ competences extend both to the  team members themselves   and to the  entire company . If you’ve never put together a skill development plan before, though, you may not realise how many specific benefits they can bring.

See also Skills vs competencies: what is the difference?

Firstly, by creating a plan, you’re providing the employee with a  clear understanding of what’s expected of them   in the weeks and months ahead. Likewise, they can expect a level of support from management to help them meet their targets. Moving forward, both sides can then use the plan as a way of figuring out whether adequate progress   is being made. If one party is falling behind, then appropriate actions can be planned and taken to help improve employee development.

By implementing the recommendations set out in the skills development plan, businesses can help to  increase employee performance . Not only will this help them to excel in their current role, but it also prepares them to move upward within the company,  reducing the costs   associated with recruiting and training external candidates. Similarly, it makes the individual more employable over the long term.

Businesses can benefit in many additional ways. Firstly, by investing in  employee growth , they can help to  foster positive sentiment   towards the company, building  loyalty   and increasing  motivation  levels . What’s more, by putting the work in to upskill employees now, organisations can future-proof themselves by ensuring their staff have the necessary skill set required to tackle any future challenges.

How to create a skills development plan

Now that we’ve established the reasons why skills development plans work so well, you’ll surely want to know what goes into creating one. We’ll break down the steps you need to take in order to create a truly effective plan that works for both your business and your employees.

Step 1: Define your goals

It’s impossible to plan out employee skill development without knowing what your aims are . For example, it’s no use advising one of your web developers to learn Python, only to realise further down the line that they actually need an entirely different programming language in order to do their job.

To start off with, then, you need to have a defined set of goals in mind. This part is very much a two-way street. First off, think from the point of view of your business. What are your aims in the short, medium and long term? These could be as diverse as launching a new product line, becoming a market leader in your sector or expanding internationally.

The next step is to have a discussion with each employee regarding their own personal aims . This can include a whole range of professional development goals, from earning certification in a certain field through to improving soft skills. More long-term ambitions may include promotion to a specific role within the business.

Step 2: Assess existing strengths and weaknesses

Now that each side knows what they’re aiming for, you can begin working together to figure out how to make it happen. However, this can only be a success if you know where you’re starting from. This means assessing the skills you currently possess and recognising what needs to be worked on.

One way to achieve this is to complete a SWOT analysis , which takes into account areas of existing strength, weaknesses you can work to reduce, opportunities to seize and potential threats to be aware of.

This exercise can help both managers and employees alike to become aware of gaps in their knowledge they may not have previously considered, and will identify areas that need to be addressed in order for both sides to achieve their objectives.

Step 3: Create a plan of action

At this stage, you’re now ready to turn your ideas into a workable plan . Rather than focusing on more general concepts, your aim is to create specific actions to be completed. For example, if an employee wants to improve their public speaking skills, the plan might give them a goal of presenting a project in front of their team.

Any items forming part of the plan of action need to be SMART . This is a useful acronym you can use to make the process of setting goals more effective. It stands for…

• Specific: What exactly do you want to accomplish and why? How can you go about this?
• Measurable: What criteria can you use to measure your progress?
• Achievable: Can you realistically attain this goal?
• Relevant: Does the action help in the pursuit of your overall ambitions?
• Timely: When do you need to complete the action? Is it a short, medium or long term goal?

An employee’s completed plan will detail their professional goals, include their SWOT analysis, and list a number of SMART actionable items that can help them to reach their targets. Once again, though, it’s important to remember that this plan is not simply about what the employee needs to do. It also provides management with an idea of how they can make any goals set achievable.

Step 4: Implement the plan

Your skills development plan is ready to go ! Now, it’s time to think about how employees and managers alike can play their part in making it a reality.

Firstly, it’s important to remember that the majority of skill development should take place on the job. The 70:20:10 rule can help here—roughly 70% of learning happens through work, 20% from other people, and 10% via training. That’s why it’s so crucial to build in time into the working day to gain new skills , including activities such as mentoring or shadowing.

As for the training side of things, there’s no shortage of available tools that can help. One example of a success story is the Decathlon Academy , a solution that arose from a partnership between Rise Up and international sports retailer Decathlon. Here, employees each had their own personal training account and were given the power to determine their own goals, both inside and outside of work.

Step 5: Development over time

Your skills development plan is in full flow and your employee training course is going swimmingly. Now isn’t the time to rest on your laurels, though. It’s important to remember that the initial set of professional goals, business needs and required skills will evolve over time.

A successful plan will give both employees and managers the ability to make alterations as things change over time. For example, if an employee is falling behind, they may require additional support to help them reach their goal. Alternatively, if they’re exceeding their targets, more ambitious actions may be appropriate. By allowing both sides to reflect on the successes and failures of the plan, you can help to optimise it over the long run .

How to improve your employees' skills development

Any business that wants to thrive needs to take steps to help employees continually develop their skills . This means investing time and resources into ensuring that everyone has access to the most effective training resources for their needs.

This is where a learning management system (LMS) c an prove incredibly useful. Using this software, you can easily keep track of employee progression and schedule in additional development activities to help your staff achieve their goals.

Similarly, using a learning experience platform (LXP) is a fantastic way to improve employee development , as it provides staff with a whole range of tools to boost engagement and motivation , such as social learning and gamification. The best solution of all, of course, is to choose a portal like Rise Up that combines LMS and LXP features, giving you the best of both worlds!

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How To Design a Professional Development Plan for Career Growth

Updated: July 23, 2024

Published: September 25, 2023

Climbing the corporate ladder or growing your own business requires constant learning and improvement. 

Sometimes, you’ll learn from mistakes and general experience while working in the field daily. However, having a clear plan to develop your skills is necessary to grow in your profession and reach new heights over the long term.

A professional development plan is a tool that can ensure you gain and enhance your skills in a structured manner.

What is a professional development plan?

A professional development plan is a strategic road map designed to help individuals enhance their skills, knowledge, and expertise in their chosen field. It serves as a guide for setting goals, identifying areas for improvement, and mapping out actionable steps for continuous growth and career development. 

Why do you need a professional development plan?

If you’re on a career path with opportunities to expand into new or higher positions, then odds are you need a plan to develop your skill set. Creating one can increase your odds of earning spots in roles you weren’t eligible for before.

For example, imagine a content editor who aspires to become a digital marketing strategist. In order to earn that promotion and move into that new role, they will need to improve their digital marketing skills. This may involve attending industry conferences and events, enrolling in online courses, earning a new degree, and seeking mentorship from experienced digital marketers, amongst other strategies. 

By following a well-crafted plan, individuals can unlock their full potential and stay ahead in today’s competitive job market.

Benefits of a professional development plan

Here’s a look at some of the other benefits of having a professional development plan: 

It clarifies your goals

A development plan defines specific goals you want to reach, such as earning a promotion, learning new technologies, improving your communication, and enhancing your leadership skills . For example, a software engineer in product design may set a goal to become proficient in a new programming language to expand their job opportunities.

It identifies strengths and weaknesses

Professional development plans don’t just guide your next steps — they review your current performance to identify strengths and weaknesses. By assessing your current skills and knowledge, you can identify areas where you excel and areas that need improvement. For instance, a sales professional may realize they excel at building relationships but lack negotiation skills.

It keeps you motivated and focused

Having a development plan keeps you motivated and focused on your career growth. It provides a sense of direction and purpose, helping you overcome obstacles and stay committed to your goals.

A human resources professional who has a goal of becoming a director within a year, for example, may become disenchanted with her goal if she doesn’t have a clear-cut way of achieving it. Building a professional development plan that outlines the skills she needs to foster and the strategies she can use to do so can keep her motivated over the long term.

It helps you maintain a competitive edge

The business landscape constantly evolves. A development plan ensures you stay up to date with industry trends and advancements. For instance, a health care professional may include continuous education in their plan, as well as a goal of attending conferences to stay informed about the latest medical breakthroughs.

It increases job satisfaction

A development plan allows you to pursue your passions and interests within your profession. By aligning your career goals with your personal aspirations, you can find greater fulfillment and satisfaction in your work. For example, a graphic designer may focus on developing their illustration skills to work on print projects that align with their artistic interests.

Remember, a professional development plan isn’t a one-time task, but an ongoing process that evolves with your career aspirations. As you accomplish pieces of your plan and start to realize your goals, you should constantly return to your plan and think about what else you may want to add.

How to create a professional development plan

It’s time to walk the talk of improving your professional skills. But where should you begin when creating your professional development plan?

Follow these five steps.

Step 1: Assess your current skills and knowledge

Creating a professional development plan starts with assessing your current skills and knowledge. This identifies your strengths and areas for improvement.

Here’s how to assess your current skills and knowledge:

• Conduct a self-assessment: Reflect on your current skills, knowledge, and experience. What things can you do well? What projects or tasks do you struggle with the most? Then determine where you’d like to invest time to grow professionally.
• Seek feedback: Request feedback from your supervisors, colleagues, or mentors. They can provide valuable insights into your performance and areas where you can further develop your skills.
• Evaluate performance reviews: Review your past performance evaluations or appraisals to identify any recurring feedback or areas for improvement.
• Identify skill gaps: Compare your current skills and knowledge with the requirements of your desired career path or future roles. Identify any gaps that need addressing to achieve your professional goals.

By assessing your current skills and knowledge, you gain a clear understanding of where you stand professionally and can identify the areas that require further development.

Step 2: Set SMART goals

After assessing your current skills and knowledge, the next step is to set SMART goals. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Setting SMART goals ensures your objectives are clear, actionable, and aligned with your professional growth.

Here’s how you can set SMART goals:

1. Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve. Be specific about the skills or knowledge you want to develop and the outcomes you expect.

Example: Improve my presentation skills to deliver engaging presentations to clients and stakeholders confidently.

2. Measurable: Set criteria to measure your progress and success. This tracks your development and increases motivation.

Example: Increase my presentation skills rating from 7 to 9 on a scale of 1-10 within six months.

3. Achievable: Ensure your goals are realistic and attainable. Consider your available resources, time, and capabilities.

Example: Attend presentation skills workshops, practice presentations regularly, and seek feedback from colleagues and mentors.

4. Relevant: Align your goals with your career aspirations and the needs of your role or industry. Ensure that they contribute to your professional growth.

Example: Enhance presentation skills to excel in client-facing roles and contribute to business development efforts.

5. Time-Bound: Set a deadline or timeline for achieving your goals. This adds a sense of urgency and helps you stay focused.

Example: Improve presentation skills within six months by attending two workshops, practicing presentations weekly, and receiving feedback from colleagues.

When we put all those pieces together, we get a single goal that says, “Improve presentation skills within six months by attending two workshops, practicing presentations weekly, and receiving feedback from colleagues.” 

Step 3: Identify development opportunities

After assessing your skills and setting SMART goals, the next step is identifying development opportunities. This involves finding opportunities to enhance your knowledge and skills.

Here are several ideas:

• Research available resources: Conduct thorough research to identify the resources and opportunities that can support your professional growth. This may include online platforms, books, industry publications, professional associations, and training programs.
• Attend workshops, conferences, and online courses: Participating in workshops, conferences, and online courses can provide valuable learning experiences and help you acquire new skills and knowledge. Look for relevant events and courses that align with your goals and interests.
• Seek out mentorship: Finding a mentor experienced in your field can provide guidance, support, and valuable insights. Seek out professionals who have achieved success in areas you want to develop and establish a mentorship relationship with them.
• Find networking opportunities: Engaging in networking activities allows you to connect with professionals in your industry and expand your professional network. Attend industry events, join professional groups or associations, and participate in online communities to build connections and learn from others.

The more resources and opportunities you explore, the greater the possibility you’ll have to enhance your skills and grow your career. So add one or more from the list to your professional development plan.

Step 4: Create an action plan

Once you’ve identified development opportunities, create an action plan. Break down your goals into smaller, manageable milestones and create a timeline and schedule for your development activities.

Here’s an example of how you can create an effective action plan:

1. Breaking down goals into smaller milestones: Divide your goals into smaller, achievable milestones. This helps you track your progress and stay motivated as you accomplish each milestone. Break down your goals into specific tasks or activities.

Example: If your goal is to improve your project management skills, your milestones could be completing a project management course, applying the learned skills to a real-life project, and receiving positive feedback from stakeholders.

2. Creating a timeline: Set a timeline for each milestone and the overall completion of your goals. Consider the resources available to you and any external deadlines or constraints. Be realistic in your timeline to ensure you have enough time to complete each milestone effectively.

Example: You might allocate three months for completing the project management course, two months for applying the skills to a real-life project, and one month for receiving feedback and making improvements.

3. Scheduling development activities: Create a schedule for your development activities. Determine when and how often you’ll engage in each activity, such as attending workshops and networking events, or working on specific tasks. This helps you allocate time and resources effectively.

Example: You might attend a project management workshop every other week, spend two hours each week practicing project management techniques, and allocate dedicated time for networking activities on a monthly basis.

Creating an action plan establishes a clear road map for achieving your goals. This helps you stay organized, focused, and accountable, and ensures you take a structured approach to  reaching your goals.

Step 5: Implement and review the plan

With your action plan in place, it’s time to implement it and regularly review your progress.

Here’s how you can effectively implement and review your professional development plan:

• Stay committed to the plan: Prioritize the activities outlined in your action plan. Make a conscious effort to allocate time and resources for your development activities and treat them as a priority.
• Schedule regular check-ins: Set specific dates or intervals to check in on your progress. This allows you to assess how well you’re sticking to your plan and achieving your milestones. Regular check-ins help you stay accountable and make any necessary adjustments to your plan if needed.
• Review your progress: During your check-ins, review your progress toward your goals and milestones. Evaluate what’s working well and which areas need improvement. Reflect on the outcomes of your development activities and assess whether they’re helping you achieve your desired outcomes.
• Make adjustments: Based on your progress reviews, make any necessary adjustments to your plan. This may involve modifying timelines, revising milestones, or exploring additional development opportunities. Stay flexible and adapt your plan as needed to ensure continued growth and success.
• Celebrate achievements: Recognize and celebrate your achievements along the way. Acknowledge the progress you’ve made and the skills you’ve developed. This helps to maintain motivation and positive momentum in your professional development journey.

Measuring success and adjusting your professional development plan are crucial for growth. By tracking progress, identifying areas for improvement, and making necessary adjustments, you can ensure your plan remains effective and aligned with your goals. So stay proactive and adaptable to achieve continuous professional growth.

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4 Steps to Creating an Employee Skills Development Plan

• By Stephanie Kemp
• Talent Mobility
• October 31, 2023

Table of Contents

Find out how to create and action a skills development plan that meets evolving business demand and connects employees to L&D opportunities that boost their knowledge and competencies.

Meeting future demand means investing in employee training and development. Bridge’s report in partnership with HR Research Institute reveals that for 49% of HR professionals, developing employee skills is one of the most important factors driving workplace learning. What’s more, nearly 50% of respondents anticipate that learning technologies will increase their focus on skills-based learning and development in the future.

Skills power your people, allowing them to turn challenges into solutions and to work in new and flexible ways. This requires an ongoing strategy, so here are four steps to create a framework for employee skills development.

Step One: Define the Skills Your Organization Has and the Skills It Needs

Assessing skills connects goals and priorities with existing competencies, and if skills gaps exist, it allows you to target training.

1) Define Your Business Goals and Priorities

Skills development initiatives should be planned and enacted within the context of your organization and its strategy. And the first step is to identify your current and future objectives. 

Start with a broad view of your business before filtering goals down to departments and teams. Have a clear view of future planning and objectives at all levels of your organization.

2) Outline Skills Requirements to Meet Those Goals

By creating a detailed skills taxonomy, you build a framework to define and categorize the skills and behaviors your organization needs, the levels of proficiency within those skills, and the required roles to meet goals.

An accurate and efficient way to source and build this framework is with an AI-powered skills platform . Access to internal and external employee datasets can accelerate strategy building with insight into necessary and in-demand skills.

3) Conduct a Skills Assessment

With knowledge of the skills within your organization, it’s important to match them with specific job functions and roles in your business. In doing so, identify who possesses each of the desired skills and define their level of mastery.

Creating a competency framework helps quantify how your organization evaluates employee performance and defines which job titles are associated with each skill. This, in turn, makes it more straightforward to establish success standards and pinpoint where to target L&D efforts.

The methods used to measure employee skills can take a wide variety of forms, including:

• Data from previous performance evaluations and talent reviews
• Skills assessments and 360 feedback
• Test scores and assessments
• Interviews with managers and employees
• Practice-based exercises and activities to estimate skill levels

DISCOVER HOW TO MAP YOUR SKILLS | ‘ Skills Mapping 101: How to Visualize Employee Capabilities ’

4) Find and Fill Skills Gaps

A skills analysis leads to more informed talent decisions. Typically, addressing skills gaps will result in adjustments to HR processes and learning and development strategies in the form of hiring alongside reskilling and upskilling programs. 

While some skills gaps can be addressed through your recruitment efforts, a robust skills framework should also look to strengthen your internal talent. According to recruiting pros polled in LinkedIn’s Future of Recruiting report , the next five years of recruiting will be shaped by:

• Upskilling and reskilling talent (81%)
• Filling roles through internal hires (75%)

Analyze the findings from skills assessments to find existing gaps within your workforce. By visualizing these skills and overlaying them against goals, you can locate opportunities for improvement.

Step Two: Develop a Skills-Based Employee Training Strategy

A view of existing and priority skills can inform learning and development programs that fill gaps and target training in the most beneficial ways. Once you identify skills, you’ll want to plan how to connect people with training.

1) Define the Learning and Development Objectives

While a skills assessment will offer the information needed to revamp training programs, you need clearly defined metrics to track and assess improvements to operational performance, behavior, and the financial impact of skills development efforts.

After determining the skills you need, you should set learning objectives to outline what type of training should occur and what learners should be able to demonstrate as a result. Effective learning objectives should be measurable and based on the business needs and goals previously identified.

With a set of predefined success metrics, you can show the before and after of skills development programs, illustrating their impact and effectiveness.

2) Identify Your Subject Matter Experts

Equipping employees with the skills your organization needs to close gaps and plan for the future means fostering closer collaboration and transparency among business departments and functions.

Identify your in-house subject matter experts and those with the desired skills and behaviors. Your SMEs can enrich L&D programs through mentoring and coaching, sharing knowledge and resources with employees, and assisting with the development of course content.

MORE ON MENTORING | ‘ Corporate Mentorship: How to Match Mentors With Mentees ’

3) Develop a Project Timeline

Create a schedule to track the development and delivery of training. For straightforward training and skills gaps, this could be as simple as a deadline for completion.

For larger or more business-critical development initiatives and those likely to span longer periods, you'll want to devise a more detailed timeline complete with milestones and checkpoints. This way, you plan what people need to learn, at what point, and how you'll check that they're on track.

4) Select a Learning Platform

One of the most important elements to consider when making a skills development plan is the type of platform you need. An effective learning platform will enhance L&D experiences, enable greater personalization, and unlock deeper insight through data.

Review the tech your organization uses to manage skills, L&D, and performance. The best solutions will seamlessly integrate your L&D and HR tools and data , bringing everything together in one place, allowing for greater transparency.

Here’s how a learning management system can support your skills strategy:

• Recommending skills communities, mentors, and relevant L&D opportunities
• Creating, authoring, and categorizing courses
• Enabling scenario-based training and practice simulations
• Gaining visibility into feedback and goal performance
• Facilitating peer and community-based learning
• Integrating an HRIS to create a single source for your people data

FIND AN LMS THAT MEETS YOUR NEEDS | ‘ What Is a Learning Management System (LMS), and Why Would You Need One? ’

5) Build and Present a Training Budget to Stakeholders

With a plan informing content and technology needs, you'll have a view of the cost and time involved that you can share with stakeholders for approval.

To gain buy-in and support, you need to create a shared purpose and value for learning and development programs that demonstrate the impact. 

Leaders must see a short- and long-term vision for skills development programs. Whether it's your middle managers or C-suite execs, present the impact of skills development and the positive impact on business goals, such as minimizing risk and increasing revenue via employee productivity.

TIPS FOR BUILDING A BUDGET | ‘ How to Create an L&D Budget You Can Defend to Your CFO ’

Step Three: Implement Employee Learning and Development Programs

With the green light from your stakeholders, you're free to design and deliver training and development programs to employees.

1) Create and Curate Content

At this stage, think about the training methods that are most likely to build skills and lead to long-term behavior changes. You'll want to create a targeted and contextual approach that increases employee appetites for learning and ultimately results in organizational change.

Review existing training resources to assess what you have and what's missing. There's no need to start from the ground up—if the content is outdated or locked away in lengthy courses, refreshing materials with your in-house authoring tool or filling any gaps by buying premade content might be an excellent use of your resources.

Collaborate with your experts to create a relevant and user-friendly experience, encouraging their contributions through content creation and knowledge sharing. A library of informal how-to videos and best practices from familiar faces within your organization will immediately be more relevant and engaging to your people.

MORE INSIGHTS TO EXPLORE | ‘ 4 Ways to Create an L&D Experience That Truly Engages Learners ’

2) Provide Practical Skills Development Experience

For skills-based learning pathways leading to internal mobility and growth, look beyond linear career planning and integrate skills and knowledge-building opportunities into development pathways.

As Gartner finds , when organizations support habit-building through reinforcement and repetition, the effectiveness of building new skills can increase by up to 44%.

In addition, learning activities must also happen in the flow of work, giving people the space to practice and gain valuable on-the-job experience. Working alongside peers and coworkers through short-term gigs and projects puts their skills to the test and is an invaluable way to gain hands-on experience. 

Mentorship and coaching opportunities can further strengthen employee skills development through tailored advice and feedback based on learner performance. This connects people with experienced managers, SMEs, or peers based on their skills and keeps them on track toward achieving their goals.

RELATED READING | ‘ 3 Ways to Maintain an Effective Corporate Mentoring Program ’

3) Keep Training Relevant to Goals

Keep the end-goal in mind when building L&D programs to be sure that each course, program, and assessment adds value. When employee and business goals are closely aligned, and skills development feeds into performance metrics, your people immediately see the value in what they're doing and how it benefits the organization.

Learning pathways should also be designed to meet the diverse interests, needs, and learning styles of your people. Considering your audience and their specific needs and goals will help you deliver relevant and targeted training that leads to long-term behavior changes.

To help people make time for learning and encourage knowledge retention, include a mix of multimodal on-demand resources and interactive elements. 

Think about some of the following questions to keep L&D programs relevant:

• What’s the best delivery method for this training?
• What’s the end-goal or purpose of the training?
• Is the training mandatory or optional?
• Does the audience have prior knowledge of the topic?
• How much time does training require?
• How will learners demonstrate skills proficiency?

4) Roll Out Training Programs

No matter how comprehensive or well-planned a skills strategy is, you're unlikely to achieve the desired results if employees aren't fully invested or don't see the value. To get your people on board, clarify how L&D programs and tools benefit them, what they'll learn, and how L&D supports them in their career development and growth.

Start small and test a program on a single group before scaling your approach—this way, you can use their feedback to perfect programs along the way.

BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION | ‘ How to Roll Out New HR Software to Employees: 8 Ways to Make Sure Teams Use It ’

Step Four: Continuously Monitor and Improve Training Programs

A skills assessment isn’t a one-time process—it requires ongoing updates and improvements to maintain momentum. Continue to monitor training results after implementation and refine your strategies.

1) Continually Review Quizzes and Checkpoints to Assess Learner Progress

Measure training progress and performance against initial learning objectives using quizzes, assessments, and checkpoints during learning journeys. With this information, you can check how well people begin to cement their understanding of new concepts and develop existing behaviors and competencies over time.

By placing quizzes and assessments at key points during learning and development programs, you'll gain results and scores that can flag any gaps in training or areas where learners require additional support. Ongoing monitoring and reviewing makes it possible to proactively fill these gaps and tweak content as needed.

2) Ensure Managers and Employees Engage in One-on-Ones

It's best practice for managers and employees to set regular time aside each week to discuss performance, address priorities, and identify areas where employees could benefit from additional support. These conversations will gently nudge people toward their goals and help them overcome any barriers.

Engaging in regular conversations throughout the performance cycle and tracking them with an agenda can also lead to more informed decisions about talent. This feeds into an inventory of feedback, recognition, and employee achievements, all of which can inform career and performance conversations.

3) Use Performance Data to Assess Skills

Use readily available data to enhance training and talent management practices. With a learning platform, you're able to use skills as the basis to track and make decisions about the workforce based on output and competencies.

This is a sentiment shared by employees and leaders alike, and according to a report compiled by Deloitte , 79% of employees consider demonstrated skills and competencies as the most important criteria for organizations when assessing and rewarding performance. Likewise, 67% of HR and business leaders agree that it's a valuable source of information on the workforce.

By evaluating employee performance through demonstrated behaviors, competencies, and growth, you ensure your people have the skills to perform at their best and that you have your talent placed in suitable roles based on their strengths.

MORE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HR DATA WORK FOR YOU | ‘ The Power of People Analytics: How to Turn People Data Into Business Results ’

4) Meet With Content Stakeholders and Managers

When it comes to cross-functional collaboration, regular communication is key, as execs and decision-makers can offer timely updates about plans and actions that might inform the direction of training programs. Share the results of upskilling and reskilling initiatives in the form of easy-to-read metrics and reports that clearly show how skills development feeds into business goals.

Additionally, your people managers and leaders should continue to be part of conversations to share feedback about where employees' priorities lie. As those closest to learners, they're well placed to offer suggestions about what resources people can use to do their jobs well and provide learning formats that resonate.

ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS | ‘ 6 Reasons Why Employee Development Programs Are So Important—And How to Execute Them Well ’

5) Use Employee Engagement Surveys to Gather Learner Feedback

If you want to know how employees feel about the training and development opportunities available, simply ask them! Post-training and employee engagement surveys are a convenient way to measure learner sentiment and satisfaction over time and gather opinions about their likes and dislikes.

Use feedback to adjust and improve skills programs, and be sure to share any changes you intend to make and the reasons behind them. Follow-up pulse surveys at regular intervals throughout the year will show you the progress of your efforts and create a story with data you can share with stakeholders.

EXPLORE MORE SKILLS-BASED PRACTICES TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT | ‘ 4 Ways to Fuel Employee Engagement With Skills Development ’

Supercharge Your Skills Development With Bridge

Unleash the full potential of your training plans with a combination of Bridge's learning and performance management tools, paired with the AI-enhanced power of Bridge Skills Plus. 

Request a demo to see how Bridge can revolutionize your L&D strategies and empower growth by finding emerging skills gaps, connecting people with personalized training opportunities, and facilitating mentoring and coaching via skills communities.

Stephanie Kemp