What the Skills Gap Matrix Builder does
This builder turns a simple grid of people, skills and levels into a skills gap analysis: a heatmap of who is below the level each skill needs, a count of skills nobody covers, the single points of failure where only one person is at target, and a prioritised training plan that suggests who could learn from whom. Paste the grid from a spreadsheet or type it as CSV; everything is worked out in your browser.
The method is deliberately plain. Levels run from 0 to 4, each skill has a target level and a priority, and every figure on the page is a count or a subtraction you can check by hand. Blank cells mean 'not assessed' and are left out, so a missing rating never looks like a zero.
How to use it
- Put 'Person' in the first cell and one skill per column after it.
- Add a row starting 'Target' with the level each skill needs in the team, and optionally a 'Priority' row with 1, 2 or 3 for how much each skill matters.
- Add one row per person with their level in each skill, 0 to 4. Leave a cell blank if it has not been assessed.
- Build the matrix. Read the coverage figure, the uncovered skills and the single points of failure, then scan the heatmap for rows and columns that are mostly amber and red.
- Download the training plan as CSV and use it as a starting point for development conversations - not as a verdict on anyone.
Reading the results
Coverage is the share of assessed ratings that meet their skill's target. It measures the team's fit to the targets you chose, so it moves if the targets change.
An uncovered skill has nobody at target; a single point of failure has exactly one. Both are about resilience - the team is exposed when that person is away or leaves - and are usually more urgent than individual gaps.
The training plan ranks each gap by its size times the skill's priority, adding weight where coverage is thin. 'Could learn from' names the strongest colleague already at target, or suggests external training when nobody is.
Worked example: a four-person data team
Asha, Ben, Chloé and Dev are rated on SQL, Python, dashboards, statistics and data modelling, with targets of 3, 2, 2, 3 and 3. Ben's statistics has not been assessed, so 19 of the 20 cells have a rating, and 10 of those meet their target: 53% coverage.
Statistics is uncovered - the best rating is 2 against a target of 3 - and it has priority 3, so it tops the plan: Chloé (1, two short) scores 2 x 3 + 2 = 8, then Asha and Dev (2, one short) score 5 each. No colleague is at target, so the plan suggests external training.
Dev's data modelling (1 against 3, priority 2) comes next with a score of 4, and Chloé, rated 4, is suggested as the person to learn from.
Formulas and scoring rules
- Gap
gap = max(0, target - level); blank levels have no gap- Coverage
coverage = ratings at or above target / assessed ratings- Skill risk
uncovered if 0 people at target; single point of failure if exactly 1- Training priority
score = gap x priority + 2 if the skill is uncovered or has a single point of failureTies are broken by gap size, then skill and person name.
Using a skills matrix fairly
A matrix is only as good as its ratings. Agree what each level means for each skill - ideally with an observable example - and let people rate themselves before a manager does, then discuss differences. Treat the result as a map of where the team needs depth, not a ranking of people.
Targets are team decisions too. Not everyone needs every skill at level 3; many teams set a target for the team (for example, at least two people at 3) rather than for each person. The single-point-of-failure list supports that way of working directly.
Limitations: what the result does not prove
- Ratings are opinions. The analysis cannot tell whether they are accurate or consistent between raters.
- It treats every person as available. Part-time staff, leavers and people on leave change real coverage.
- The priority weighting is a simple convention, shown in full above; adjust priorities rather than trusting the order blindly.
- It does not know how long training takes or costs; plan that separately.
Privacy: where your data goes
Everything you paste, type or drop is processed in this browser tab. It is not uploaded, logged, stored or sent to analytics. Session recording and tag-manager scripts are switched off on this page.
Standards and sources
- UK Civil Service - Success Profiles framework
- SFIA Foundation - Skills Framework for the Information Age: levels of responsibility
Frequently asked questions
What is a skills matrix?
A grid with people as rows and skills as columns, where each cell holds a person's level in that skill. Adding a target level per skill turns it into a gap analysis: the difference between where people are and where the team needs them to be.
How do I do a skills gap analysis for my team?
List the skills the work needs, agree a target level for each, rate each person against them, and subtract. Then look at skills where too few people meet the target, and plan training for the largest high-priority gaps first. This builder does the counting and the ranking.
What rating scale should a competency matrix use?
Any scale works if everyone uses it the same way. A 0-4 scale is common: none, aware, working with help, practitioner working alone, and expert who can teach it. Write a short description of each level for each skill so ratings are comparable.
What is a single point of failure in a skills matrix?
A skill that only one person has at the required level. If that person is on holiday, ill or leaves, the team can no longer do that work well. Pairing someone with them is usually the quickest fix, and the training plan suggests who.
Should a blank rating count as zero?
No. A blank means nobody has assessed it, which is different from knowing the person lacks the skill. The builder leaves blanks out of coverage, averages and gaps, and lists how many ratings are missing so you can fill them in.
Can I paste my skills matrix from Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. Copy the cells and paste them into the box - tab-separated text is recognised, as is CSV. Keep 'Person' in the first cell, the Target and Priority rows beneath the header, and one person per row.
Last reviewed by the A2Z.Tools team against the sources listed above.
