This content may be of interest to you
Resources
Competency mapping is now central to every organization. It enables teams' actual skills to be identified, analyzed and visualized. This clear vision helps HR, managers and employees to make better decisions, anticipate future needs and structure coherent, effective professional development. This article explains how to use it as a genuine strategic tool, what methods to employ and how to implement it in a fluid, actionable way.
Competency mapping consists in drawing up a precise inventory of the skills present in the company. This work is based on three types of skills. Hard skills, covering technical skills. Soft skills, which reflect behaviors, interactions and teamwork. And mad skills, which represent atypical competencies, often creative or stemming from original career paths. Effective mapping not only enables you to visualize the skills available, but also to identify what's missing and what needs to be developed.
In NUMA training courses, many managers discover that their teams possess under-utilized skills, sometimes invisible in their job descriptions. A structured analysis reveals unexpected strengths, areas for progress and opportunities for internal mobility. Mapping then becomes an HR and managerial steering tool that supports the company's transformations.
HR departments use mapping to align available skills with strategic needs. It helps them to identify gaps, target recruitment more effectively and anticipate changes in professions. When a company needs to reinforce a specific area of expertise, mapping helps it decide whether to recruit, train or reconfigure its organization. It also helps prepare for the succession of key positions by identifying emerging talents and employees ready to evolve.
Mapping serves as a basis for building customized training programs. By identifying the skills to be reinforced, training managers can design targeted programs. In this way, they avoid training that is too general or disconnected from the real issues at stake. This approach increases the impact of development initiatives. At NUMA, we have found that a well-exploited cartography makes training courses more effective, shorter and better aligned with needs in the field.
Thanks to the cartography, managers have a fine-tuned vision of their team's strengths and areas for progress. They can define more accurate individual development plans and better support internal mobility. With a clear understanding of key competencies, they are able to allocate tasks more fairly and efficiently. Some of the managers we support discover that difficulties encountered on a project stem less from a lack of effort than from a skills mismatch. Mapping then becomes an operational management tool.
Mapping improves everyone's understanding of their own skills. It highlights strengths and areas for improvement. Employees can use it to set realistic objectives, build their career paths and track their progress over time. This transparency strengthens commitment, because everyone understands what is expected and how to progress. It also helps employees to anticipate changes in their profession and develop the skills they need to remain ready for these transformations.
Competency mapping is based on a combination of complementary methods. They provide a comprehensive and nuanced view.
Development interviews provide access to in-depth information that is often missing from formal appraisals. They enable us to understand employees' real experience, aspirations and motivations. They are also one of the best ways of identifying tacit skills.
Annual or half-yearly assessments provide a solid basis for mapping skills mastery. They help identify successes, difficulties and areas for improvement. They are often the starting point for defining the critical skills to be reinforced. NUMA regularly assists organizations wishing to transform their performance reviews into a time for alignment and skills enhancement.
Questionnaires can be used to quickly collect declarative data on a large number of employees. They provide an initial snapshot, useful for identifying gaps between expected skills and those actually present. These surveys are often used for large-scale organizational development or skills enhancement projects.
Workshops enable teams to share their vision of the skills required, discuss expectations and collectively assess levels of mastery. This format opens up a space for listening and cooperation.
The 360-degree view provides a complete vision of an employee, thanks to feedback from several players. It highlights visible strengths and interpersonal skills that are often difficult to measure. This approach balances perceptions, nuances assessments and enriches mapping. Many managers testify that the 360 provides precise information on their leadership or collective impact.
It encourages each employee to take a step back and reflect on his or her skills. Self-assessment provides an initial perception of strengths and weaknesses. Combined with other methods, it becomes a valuable tool for raising awareness and empowering employees to take responsibility for their own development.
Technical skills cover the precise knowledge required for a particular profession. They include the use of software tools, mastery of methodological approaches, knowledge of procedures or computer languages. For example, mastering accounting software, coding in a specific language or using a CRM are identifiable and measurable hard skills.
Behavioral skills play a decisive role in collective performance. They include communication, listening, time management, cooperation, leadership and conflict management. In NUMA's training courses, these skills are the most decisive in driving a team forward and making day-to-day collaboration more fluid.
Atypical skills bring unique value. They often stem from unconventional experiences. They include creativity, innovation, the ability to imagine original solutions or expertise in emerging fields such as AI or renewable energies. These skills can transform a team by bringing a fresh perspective to issues.
Mapping is much more than an HR tool. It's a strategic tool for steering the organization. It helps identify critical skills, close gaps, anticipate transformations and mobilize human resources in the right place. It supports strategic planning, strengthens employee commitment and reduces recruitment costs. For growing companies, it becomes a tool for stability. For companies undergoing transformation, a tool for projection.
Organizations that map their skills gain in clarity, responsiveness and consistency. They develop fairer development paths, encourage internal mobility and prepare their teams for the professions of tomorrow. With a structured method and the right tools, skills mapping becomes a real driver of sustainable performance.
Competency mapping is now central to every organization. It enables teams' actual skills to be identified, analyzed and visualized. This clear vision helps HR, managers and employees to make better decisions, anticipate future needs and structure coherent, effective professional development. This article explains how to use it as a genuine strategic tool, what methods to employ and how to implement it in a fluid, actionable way.
Competency mapping consists in drawing up a precise inventory of the skills present in the company. This work is based on three types of skills. Hard skills, covering technical skills. Soft skills, which reflect behaviors, interactions and teamwork. And mad skills, which represent atypical competencies, often creative or stemming from original career paths. Effective mapping not only enables you to visualize the skills available, but also to identify what's missing and what needs to be developed.
In NUMA training courses, many managers discover that their teams possess under-utilized skills, sometimes invisible in their job descriptions. A structured analysis reveals unexpected strengths, areas for progress and opportunities for internal mobility. Mapping then becomes an HR and managerial steering tool that supports the company's transformations.
HR departments use mapping to align available skills with strategic needs. It helps them to identify gaps, target recruitment more effectively and anticipate changes in professions. When a company needs to reinforce a specific area of expertise, mapping helps it decide whether to recruit, train or reconfigure its organization. It also helps prepare for the succession of key positions by identifying emerging talents and employees ready to evolve.
Mapping serves as a basis for building customized training programs. By identifying the skills to be reinforced, training managers can design targeted programs. In this way, they avoid training that is too general or disconnected from the real issues at stake. This approach increases the impact of development initiatives. At NUMA, we have found that a well-exploited cartography makes training courses more effective, shorter and better aligned with needs in the field.
Thanks to the cartography, managers have a fine-tuned vision of their team's strengths and areas for progress. They can define more accurate individual development plans and better support internal mobility. With a clear understanding of key competencies, they are able to allocate tasks more fairly and efficiently. Some of the managers we support discover that difficulties encountered on a project stem less from a lack of effort than from a skills mismatch. Mapping then becomes an operational management tool.
Mapping improves everyone's understanding of their own skills. It highlights strengths and areas for improvement. Employees can use it to set realistic objectives, build their career paths and track their progress over time. This transparency strengthens commitment, because everyone understands what is expected and how to progress. It also helps employees to anticipate changes in their profession and develop the skills they need to remain ready for these transformations.
Competency mapping is based on a combination of complementary methods. They provide a comprehensive and nuanced view.
Development interviews provide access to in-depth information that is often missing from formal appraisals. They enable us to understand employees' real experience, aspirations and motivations. They are also one of the best ways of identifying tacit skills.
Annual or half-yearly assessments provide a solid basis for mapping skills mastery. They help identify successes, difficulties and areas for improvement. They are often the starting point for defining the critical skills to be reinforced. NUMA regularly assists organizations wishing to transform their performance reviews into a time for alignment and skills enhancement.
Questionnaires can be used to quickly collect declarative data on a large number of employees. They provide an initial snapshot, useful for identifying gaps between expected skills and those actually present. These surveys are often used for large-scale organizational development or skills enhancement projects.
Workshops enable teams to share their vision of the skills required, discuss expectations and collectively assess levels of mastery. This format opens up a space for listening and cooperation.
The 360-degree view provides a complete vision of an employee, thanks to feedback from several players. It highlights visible strengths and interpersonal skills that are often difficult to measure. This approach balances perceptions, nuances assessments and enriches mapping. Many managers testify that the 360 provides precise information on their leadership or collective impact.
It encourages each employee to take a step back and reflect on his or her skills. Self-assessment provides an initial perception of strengths and weaknesses. Combined with other methods, it becomes a valuable tool for raising awareness and empowering employees to take responsibility for their own development.
Technical skills cover the precise knowledge required for a particular profession. They include the use of software tools, mastery of methodological approaches, knowledge of procedures or computer languages. For example, mastering accounting software, coding in a specific language or using a CRM are identifiable and measurable hard skills.
Behavioral skills play a decisive role in collective performance. They include communication, listening, time management, cooperation, leadership and conflict management. In NUMA's training courses, these skills are the most decisive in driving a team forward and making day-to-day collaboration more fluid.
Atypical skills bring unique value. They often stem from unconventional experiences. They include creativity, innovation, the ability to imagine original solutions or expertise in emerging fields such as AI or renewable energies. These skills can transform a team by bringing a fresh perspective to issues.
Mapping is much more than an HR tool. It's a strategic tool for steering the organization. It helps identify critical skills, close gaps, anticipate transformations and mobilize human resources in the right place. It supports strategic planning, strengthens employee commitment and reduces recruitment costs. For growing companies, it becomes a tool for stability. For companies undergoing transformation, a tool for projection.
Organizations that map their skills gain in clarity, responsiveness and consistency. They develop fairer development paths, encourage internal mobility and prepare their teams for the professions of tomorrow. With a structured method and the right tools, skills mapping becomes a real driver of sustainable performance.
Discover all our courses and workshops to address the most critical management and leadership challenges.
Quality certification has been awarded for the following category of actions: TRAINING INITIATIVES
Training organisation registered under the number 11755339875. This registration does not imply state approval.
.svg)
.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
