Best Skills Matrix Setup and Design
See the skills your people have, compare them with the skills their roles require and make development priorities easier to identify.
A skills matrix is a framework used to match employees’ skills with their corresponding levels. It contains information about the skills employees possess and helps monitor, manage and plan existing and projected skills for an individual employee, a team or a specific department.
Generally, a skills matrix is a visual table showing employees’ names and abilities. An employee is assessed, and their skills are recorded in the table. To develop a skills matrix, you can conduct an assessment for employees to complete or use feedback from your clients.
View Skills Matrix Templates, Forms and Examples
Turn skill levels into a development plan
Fictional team and role requirements. Select a person to compare their current levels with the example target.
| Person | Communication | Data analysis | Problem solving | Team leadership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Role target | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Alex | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Sam | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Jordan | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Amber cells are below the example role target of 2.
Alex: 2 of 4 skills meet the target
Development priorities: Data analysis (1 → 2); Team leadership (0 → 2). Plan targeted learning, mentoring and a follow-up assessment.
What are the possible uses of a skills matrix in 2026?
A skills matrix is an essential tool for human resource and project management teams to analyse the skills employees possess and compare them with the skills the organisation needs.
The skills matrix keeps track of workers’ skills, qualifications and certifications. Used constructively and without intimidation, it can support employee development and efficiency. Once established in an organisation, it helps identify existing strengths, including soft skills, and areas where employees need support. In project management, it can help pair less experienced employees with skilled colleagues so they can learn from them and support a smoother transition of duties.
A skills matrix helps identify the skills to include in job descriptions when the human resource department advertises new positions. It can also support planning for employee holidays and leave by showing whether the organisation has enough people with the skills required.
It may commonly be included as part of your wider online training platform, and competencies might be captured as part of your initial employee induction.
Components of skills matrix
A skills matrix can contain communication, management, marketing, problem-solving, data analysis, technical and technology skills.
Skills available
A skills matrix records the skills employees already possess. Some may be well established, while others need further development. Communication is a fundamental skill, but it should be assessed rather than assumed. Skills such as management, marketing and design may require a combination of formal learning, practice and support beyond learning from colleagues while on duty.
Skills required
A skills matrix also records the skills the organisation needs to carry out its processes, including skills not currently available within the workforce. The organisation can use this information to plan employee training programs. It helps group employees for mentoring and training because people working in different departments may need different skills.
Skills required by different departments
A skills matrix gives a visual presentation of the skills required by different departments. Project managers can design matrices that help the human resource manager recruit people for specific work. A project-specific matrix can focus on the skills needed for that particular project.
Discover our skills matrix module
Benefits of skills matrix
Establishing a skills matrix for your organisation can be highly beneficial. It can help identify skills gaps, opportunities for upskilling and the current skill base of your workforce or team.
It is a way of capturing key employee information in an easy-to-digest format. By reviewing development needs and competency levels, managers can gain insight into who might be suitable for new roles or projects, while understanding how experienced employees are in particular areas. This information can support recruitment, multi-skill training opportunities and team development initiatives throughout an organisation.
Starting with recruitment, it can also help with:
Identifying the proper task force
A skills matrix enables the human resource manager to identify suitable candidates for the organisation and the tasks to be completed. It helps project managers form productive teams and fill project roles. Human resource teams can also use it to identify skills that may be lost when an employee leaves the organisation.
Trace employee development
Human resource and project managers use the skills matrix to identify required skills and plan training and mentoring programs. It can also support employee career planning and the transition of responsibilities between people.
Identify missing skills
A skills matrix helps identify skills the organisation is missing so it can plan how to develop or recruit them. It can also highlight capabilities that employees lack compared with those needed to compete effectively. This evaluation gives the organisation a clearer training path and helps it work towards the required results within a planned timeframe.
Identify skills-employee mismatch
Understanding employees’ strengths and development needs helps managers match people with appropriate work. When gaps become visible, the organisation can act sooner and direct time and resources towards relevant support. Project managers may rotate employees within a department to help them develop a broader set of skills.
A skills matrix is an important visual tool for an organisation. Identifying strengths and weaknesses gives teams a clearer starting point for improving the quality of their work.
Creating an Online Skills Matrix
To create a useful skills matrix, first assess job descriptions against the current organisational structure. Look at the core tasks carried out in each department and the expertise required for individual roles. Then identify potential skill gaps within and between departments that could affect operational effectiveness or cause delays if left unaddressed.
Choose a format that allows you to record relevant assessment criteria and update the results consistently. The format may be a spreadsheet-based framework such as Systems2win, a dedicated skills matrix tool or a manual chart, depending on your preferences and the way your team works.
Keeping skill levels accurate and up to date can support employee selection, resource planning and decisions about further training. It can also reveal emerging needs and inform strategies for developing the workforce. When considering software, assess the value it offers for your organisation, including the effort involved in maintaining records and the usefulness of the information for managers and employees.
An accessible matrix makes it easier to find relevant talent within the existing workforce, plan transitions and maintain continuity as roles or projects change. Regular reviews help keep the matrix connected with current responsibilities and development priorities.
Create a Skills Matrix and Templates
Try our online skills matrix builder, templates and examples.