Skills Gap

Depending on studies and reports, it is estimated that the skills gap in enterprises is growing and ranges from 33% to 58%. This will impair the productivity and competitiveness of companies.

Let's check:

• What it is, why it arises and what are its consequences?
• How to check if there's a skills gap in your company?
• How to reduce it and prevent its recurrence?
• What the current skills gap looks like in the Polish job market.

What is a skills gap?

A skills gap is the difference between the expected and actual level of competencies within an organisation. In other words, it is a misalignment between the organisation's competency potential and the requirements necessary to achieve its strategic and operational goals.

Skills gaps can occur at the following levels:

• Individual (single employee)
• Team (group of employees)
• Organisational (entire enterprise)

Causes of skills gaps

Skills gaps are a natural part of an organisation's functioning, and their emergence has various causes:

• Technological changes – the introduction of new technologies, automation, and digitisation of processes require competencies that were previously not critical or did not even exist.
• Changes in the market environment (economic) – new legal regulations, changing customer expectations, or the emergence of new competitors.
• Lack of systematic employee development – insufficient investment in training or lack of a clearly defined development path.
• Ineffective recruitment – hiring individuals who do not possess the appropriate competencies or whose potential is not properly utilised.
• Inadequate knowledge management system – lack of knowledge transfer between employees, especially when key experts leave.
• Strategic changes – new directions for company development requiring different employee competencies.

Consequences of skills gaps in a company

Ignoring the disparity between employees' skills and the company's needs can lead to serious problems:

• Decline in operational efficiency – tasks are performed slower, less accurately, with more errors.
• Increased employee workload – the lack of specialists means others have to work more or harder because they cannot efficiently perform their assigned duties.
• Loss of competitive position – companies with higher competency potential introduce innovations faster and better meet customer needs.
• Difficulties in strategy implementation – lack of appropriate competencies hinders or prevents the achievement of strategic goals.
• Decrease in employee morale – feelings of incompetence lead to frustration, burnout, and ultimately increased turnover.
• Higher operating costs – the need to outsource tasks or hire more expensive external experts.
• Recruitment difficulties – it's unclear who exactly to look for, and real experts are not interested in working for a company where employee potential is not correctly recognised.

Effective management of skills gaps is not just about eliminating problems, but primarily about building a competitive advantage through the strategic development of the organisation's potential.

How to diagnose skills gaps?

Effective diagnosis of skills gaps requires a systematic approach:

1. Identification of key employee competencies – defining which competencies are essential for implementing the company's strategy
2. Assessment of the current level of competencies – conducting a competency audit, using various methods:

• Performance reviews
• Development Centre
• Knowledge and skills tests (→ check out our employee surveys and tests tool)
• Observation of behaviour in the workplace
• Employee self-assessment
• Feedback from supervisors and colleagues (360-degree feedback)

1. Gap analysis – comparing desired and actual competency levels, identifying the largest gaps.

The tomHRM system offers a free module for marking employee competencies, which allows for systematic monitoring and analysis of competency levels within the organisation. Thanks to an intuitive interface, managers can easily identify areas requiring development, and HR employees receive comprehensive data for planning development activities.

How to close skills gaps?

Once we have a list of competencies needed across the company, we can begin to address skills gaps. There are many methods for reducing them. The choice of appropriate methods depends on the type of deficiency, the company's budget, and the employees themselves.

1\. Employee training and development

• Training programmes (internal and external) tailored to identified needs
• Coaching and mentoring – individual development support for improving qualifications and soft skills
• Job rotation – broadening employee experience, allowing them to understand the work and perspectives of others.
• E-learning and blended learning – flexible forms of knowledge acquisition
• Upskilling and reskilling (improving and retraining qualifications)

2\. Acquiring external competencies

• Competency-focused recruitment – hiring individuals with sought-after competencies
• Cooperation with consulting firms and research institutions
• Acquiring competencies from business partners
• Outsourcing – entrusting tasks requiring specialised competencies to external entities

3\. Knowledge management within the organisation

• Introduction of knowledge management elements – creating knowledge bases, documenting processes, a zone for knowledge exchange among employees on forums or discussion groups within the intranet.
• Building a knowledge-sharing culture – encouraging experts to share know-how.
• Creating interdisciplinary teams – combining individuals with different competencies, which promotes knowledge and skill exchange.

4\. Building internal potential

• Action learning – acquiring competencies through the execution of specific projects
• Building internal research and development potential
• Creating an environment conducive to innovation and experimentation

Preventing skills gaps at every stage of the employee lifecycle

Recruitment

• Defining competency profiles for specific positions
• Using selection methods focused on competency assessment (e.g., practical tasks, situational tests)
• Assessing not only current competencies but also a candidate's development potential

The tomHRM system enables the creation of competency profiles for positions, which significantly streamlines the recruitment process by clearly defining expectations for candidates, and thanks to the data obtained, it's possible to assess whether a candidate's potential extends beyond the occupied position.

Onboarding

• Structured onboarding programmes that include competency development from the first days of work
• Assigning mentors to support new employees
• Regular feedback indicating areas for development

Employee development and appraisal

• Regular competency appraisals (e.g., as part of performance reviews)
• Creating individual development plans for selected employees aligned with the company's strategy
• Diverse development forms considering different learning styles

The employee appraisal software tomHRM allows for systematic monitoring of employee competency levels, which facilitates the creation of targeted development plans that address the actual needs of the organisation.

Talent and succession management

• Identification of high-potential employees
• Career and succession planning
• Development programmes for future leaders

Restructuring and organisational changes

• Analysis of competencies required in the new structure
• Competency transfer plans between departments
• Reskilling and upskilling programmes

Skills gap forecasts in Poland for 2025 – 2030

According to reports on the Polish labour market, in the coming years we can expect skills gaps in several key areas:

Technology and digitisation

The “Future of Jobs 2025” report (WEF) for Poland indicates that 31% of employees' core skills will change by 2030 (compared to the global average of 39%). The most significant skills gaps will concern:

• AI and machine learning specialists – projected demand growth of 39%
• Big Data specialists – growth of 29%
• Data analysts and scientists – growth of 24%

Future competencies – top 5 in Poland

Polish organisations identify the following competencies as key in the near future:

1. AI and big data – 100% of surveyed companies indicate the growing importance of these skills
2. Networks and cybersecurity – 71%
3. Curiosity and lifelong learning – 70%
4. Technological skills – 64%
5. Flexibility and adaptability – 61%

Employee competency transformation

The Polish labour market faces a transformation challenge:

• 42% of employees will need training by 2030
• 31% will be trained within their current role
• 17% will require retraining and transfer to another position
• 10% may find it difficult to adapt to new requirements

Automation and the human-technology relationship

According to data for Poland, by 2030 there will be a significant shift in task execution:

• Tasks performed by people: decrease from 45% to 32%
• Tasks performed by technology: increase from 16% to 29%
• Tasks performed jointly by humans and technology: stable level of 39%

Summary

A skills gap is a natural phenomenon in developing organisations, but if left unmanaged, it can pose a serious threat to a company's competitiveness. Systematic diagnosis, reduction, and prevention of skills gaps should be an integral part of human resource management strategy.

In the era of digital transformation, AI, and automation, the Polish labour market faces particular adaptive challenges. Organisations that proactively address skills gaps will be better prepared for future challenges.

It is worth using available technological tools, such as the tomHRM system with its free competency module, which enables systematic monitoring and management of the organisation's competency potential. This not only allows for responding to current problems but, above all, for strategically planning competency development in line with the company's growth direction.