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Before identifying skill gaps, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of your marketing team’s objectives and overall business goals. These objectives will help define the skills your team needs to succeed.

According to McKinsey & Company, “Identifying the areas where organizations need to improve their capabilities most is an important step in any change effort. This is especially crucial in times of cost-cutting, where limited training resources must be used to address critical competency gaps that hinder business success.”

To align skills with business needs, consider these key questions:

• What is the company’s long-term vision?

• What are the short-term and long-term business goals?

• Who is the target audience, and what are their key needs and expectations?

• What financial targets are set for revenue, profitability, and growth?

• What new projects, products, or services are planned for launch?

• What risks could impact goal achievement? (Competitive analysis can help here.)

• What industry trends might shape future skill requirements?

Example:

If your company is preparing to launch a new product or service, think about the marketing strategies needed for a successful launch. What digital channels will be most effective? What expertise will be required—such as SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, or PPC advertising—to effectively promote it? Identifying these needs early on ensures your team is equipped with the right skills to execute the strategy.

The next step is to determine the essential skills and expertise your organization needs to achieve its goals.

This includes not only the skills required for current operations but also those that will drive long-term success. Additionally, as more companies adopt skills-based hiring, it’s crucial to consider both technical skills and soft skills like collaboration and problem-solving.

Key Questions to Consider:

• What capabilities are most valued within our company?

• What skills will be critical for maintaining a competitive advantage in the future?

• What competencies do employees need to perform their roles effectively?

• What emerging skills are becoming increasingly relevant in our industry?

• Which roles might be affected by automation?

• Are there new technologies our workforce must master to stay competitive?

• Are there roles we don’t currently have but may need in the near future?

Example:

AI technology is rapidly transforming marketing, from content generation to automation. As a result, AI skills are becoming increasingly valuable for both current and future marketers. Consider the AI capabilities your organization aims to develop and map out the necessary skills to integrate AI effectively into your marketing strategy.

Now that you have defined your goals and identified the key skills your organization needs to succeed, it’s time to assess the expertise of your marketing team.

There are several methods to gather this information, including:

• Employee self-assessments: Have team members evaluate their proficiency in relevant skills through surveys, questionnaires, or performance reviews.

• Manager evaluations: Supervisors or team leaders can provide insights into the skills their team members apply in their roles.

• Skills testing: Utilize practical assessments or specialized tools to measure competencies in specific areas, such as coding challenges or marketing simulations.

• 360-degree feedback: Collect input from peers, direct reports, and supervisors to gain a well-rounded understanding of each employee’s strengths and areas for improvement.

• DMI Teams Skills Test: Contact our team to request a comprehensive skills assessment that benchmarks employees’ abilities and identifies key training opportunities.

Example: Use a survey or questionnaire to understand what skills employees feel they need to develop or refresh. Since skill levels vary by role, creating a skills matrix can help tailor training efforts accordingly.

Once you’ve gathered data on current skills and compared it to the required competencies, you can start identifying skill gaps.

It’s helpful to conduct this analysis at both the department and team levels to gain a broader organizational perspective. Then, refine it at the individual role level, as skill requirements and their importance will vary based on each person’s responsibilities and current proficiency.

Steps to Follow:

1. Create a comparison chart or matrix: List each role or team member alongside their existing skills and the skills they need. Highlight any gaps.

2. Assess impact: Determine how each skill gap affects business performance.

3. Prioritize gaps: Rank skill gaps based on their importance to organizational goals and the urgency of development.

To streamline this process, you can use tools like Excel, Google Sheets, or skills management platforms to organize and visualize your findings.

Example: A simple matrix can help illustrate the importance of a skill, as well as the required versus actual skill levels.

Once you’ve identified the skill gaps, the next step is to develop a strategy to bridge them.

Depending on the skill and the level of urgency, you may need to implement one or a combination of the following approaches:

• Training and development: Offer online courses, workshops, or mentorship programs to upskill your team. Keep in mind that not all training methods are equally effective—according to our report with marketing leaders, 95% agree that “bite-sized learning” is the most efficient training method.

• Cross-training: Encourage employees to learn from colleagues who possess the skills they need. This not only helps individuals grow but also empowers experienced team members as mentors.

• Hiring new talent: If skill gaps are too significant to address internally, consider recruiting professionals with the required expertise—especially in specialized fields like SEO or PPC.

• Outsourcing: For short-term projects or highly specialized tasks, outsourcing may be a more cost-effective solution.

• Reassigning roles: Adjust responsibilities to align with employees’ strengths and skills, ensuring the right people are in the right roles.

In today’s competitive market, businesses across all industries need the right skills to succeed—both now and in the future.

Gaining a clear understanding of your organization’s strengths and skill gaps allows marketing leaders to design training programs that are relevant, customized, and impactful.

By following these six simple steps, you can create learning and development programs that engage employees, enhance retention, and foster a workplace culture that attracts top talent—helping your organization stay ahead of the competition.

To compete and thrive in the digital landscape, companies need a strong foundation of key digital skills. Marketing leaders must assess their team’s current capabilities against industry standards and competitors to stay ahead.

Our Digital Skills Evaluation & Benchmarking tool helps you measure and benchmark your team’s digital expertise, enabling you to develop a targeted action plan to close skill gaps.

Get in touch today to evaluate your marketing team and drive future success.