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From what I’m seeing, organisations are fast realising that there’s far more talent hidden inside their teams than they previously thought. Often, businesses have great people, but they might be using only a small part of what these people can actually do. Without knowing exactly what skills your employees have, you’re missing opportunities to boost productivity, employee satisfaction, and your company’s overall success.
This is exactly why tools like a Skills Matrix matter so much; they help you see exactly who can do what. But beyond just tracking skills, they uncover hidden talent and potential that might otherwise go unnoticed.
At its core, a skills matrix is simply a tool used to track and visualise employees’ abilities. It clearly shows who has what skills, who might need training, and where gaps exist in your team. Think of it as a simple but powerful way to keep track of the talent within your organisation.
The real value comes from being able to see hidden strengths and capabilities that aren’t always obvious. For example, someone on your customer support team might have exceptional writing skills that could benefit your marketing department. Without a structured approach to tracking skills, these talents often remain hidden.
This is precisely what a skills matrix from Upleashed does; it brings clarity to your team’s capabilities, helping you match people’s talents with the right tasks.
Harvard Business Review (HBR), one of the world’s most respected business research organisations, conducted extensive research into workplace talent. According to a recent HBR article, many businesses fail to recognise the skills that their employees already possess. Often, people can do much more than their current job requires, but managers might not realise it. HBR provided a clear example: when companies assess employees based on their actual skills rather than job titles, they often find hidden talent that can fill urgent business needs immediately (Harvard Business Review source).
In fact, HBR shared a remarkable story: in one business, more than 70% of food service workers who lost their jobs during the pandemic actually had the exact skills needed for high-demand customer service roles. Had this company used a skills matrix earlier, they could have saved significant time and money by redeploying their existing talent rather than hiring new employees from outside the company.
When you have clear visibility into your team’s skills, you immediately unlock new opportunities. You can better allocate talent to projects, close skill gaps efficiently, and utilise hidden capabilities you didn’t even realise existed.
Let’s talk about productivity in simple terms; when employees have the right skills, they work faster, better, and with fewer mistakes. Conversely, when people lack critical skills, productivity suffers. This is common sense, but many organisations overlook how deeply skill gaps affect day-to-day performance.
McKinsey & Company, a global leader in management consulting trusted by major corporations and governments around the world, has done significant research into workplace productivity. According to McKinsey, one of the top reasons employees underperform is because they lack the right skills. It sounds simple, but many organisations don’t fully grasp how skill deficiencies directly harm business outcomes (McKinsey source).
McKinsey also points out that companies investing in regular skill training and development significantly outperform their competitors. Companies that prioritise talent development achieve higher revenue growth, increased customer satisfaction, and notably better overall business performance.
People naturally want to learn and grow. When organisations invest in employees’ professional development, people stay longer and perform better. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), a leading authority on HR and workforce issues, found clear evidence that continuous training boosts employee retention. According to SHRM’s latest findings, 76% of employees said they would be more likely to stay with a company if it offered regular skill training opportunities (SHRM source).
This makes practical sense: if you don’t provide people with opportunities to learn and advance, they often look elsewhere. When people feel valued and supported, they become more committed and loyal. Using tools like the Skills Matrix from Upleashed helps you create personalised development plans, keeping your best talent engaged and satisfied (Upleashed Skills Matrix Implementation Guide).
Here is the upleashed skills matrix in action:
Investing in skills development is also financially smart. Top organisations worldwide, such as Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, and PwC have recently invested billions of dollars in upskilling their employees. They wouldn’t make these investments if there wasn’t clear financial benefit.
These businesses understand that improving employee skills directly boosts productivity, innovation, and profitability. When organisations develop existing talent instead of constantly hiring from outside, they save money and retain valuable institutional knowledge.
For example, McKinsey discovered that companies prioritising skills development generated higher returns for their shareholders. These organisations were more profitable, agile, and better positioned for long-term success (McKinsey research).
Work is changing and its changing fast!! According to the World Economic Forum, around 42% of core job skills will change significantly over the next two years. Companies need a clear strategy to keep up with these rapid shifts.
A skills matrix is central to strategic workforce planning. It gives organisations clear visibility into the skills they have and the skills they’ll soon need. Deloitte, one of the world’s largest professional services networks, advises businesses to rely on real-time skills data for workforce planning. Deloitte stresses that clear skills visibility allows organisations to quickly adapt to new challenges and take advantage of new opportunities (Deloitte source).
To start benefiting immediately from these advantages, consider using the Upleashed Advanced Skills Matrix:
Follow these straightforward steps to effectively implement your skills matrix:
This structured approach ensures your skills matrix remains practical, actionable, and central to the ongoing success and growth of your team and organisation.
You can also begin immediately with our Free Skills Matrix Template, ideal for smaller teams or simpler projects.
Ultimately, your people’s skills define your company’s success. Using a skills matrix isn’t complicated, it’s a straightforward tool that offers clear, powerful benefits. Organisations that clearly understand their team’s capabilities simply perform better.
If you’re serious about improving your team’s performance, retaining your best people, and positioning your business for long-term success, adopting a skills matrix is one of the most effective decisions you can make.
So here’s my question for you to think about carefully:
Do you truly understand your employees’ full capabilities, or are you missing out on hidden potential that could transform your business?
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