# What is a skills gap analysis? Findem publishes a public search API over its indexed pages; the guide is at https://www.findem.ai/lazyweb/agent-access. Source: https://www.findem.ai/glossary/skills-gap-analysis Source observed: 2026-11-11T21:16:27.289Z Last checked: 2026-11-13T04:07:13.506+00:00 Indexed: 2026-11-11T21:22:19.35+00:00 --- --- title: "What is a skills gap analysis? Definition and steps | Findem" description: "A skills gap analysis compares the skills a workforce has with the skills it needs. Learn how it works, what data it uses, and how teams close gaps." url: "https://www.findem.ai/glossary/skills-gap-analysis" --- # What is a skills gap analysis? ← Back to glossary HR & Workforce Planning A skills gap analysis compares the skills, knowledge, and competencies a workforce has today with the ones it needs now and in the future. It can cover a whole organization, a team, a role, or one person. The result shows where capability is short, so leaders can decide whether to train, redeploy, or hire people to close each gap. ## How a skills gap analysis works The US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) [Workforce Planning Guide](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/human-capital-framework/reference-materials/talent-management/workforce-planning-guide.pdf) defines a skill gap as a variance between the current and projected workforce size and skills needed to ensure an organization has the talent to meet its mission, now and into the future. Citing the Government Accountability Office's report [GAO-15-223](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-15-223), the guide splits gaps into two kinds: - **Staffing gap:** Too few people to complete the work. - **Competency gap:** People without the skills, abilities, or behaviors to perform the work successfully. Identifying skill gaps is step two of OPM's [five-step workforce planning model](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/human-capital-framework/reference-materials/strategic-alignment/workforceplanning/), where the method is to evaluate the gap between current supply and projected demand. The capability gap analysis form reproduced in the guide shows one way to do it. For each competency in an occupation or workforce segment, the team records the current attained proficiency level, the current desired level, and the future desired level, then calculates a current gap and a future gap. Competencies with gaps are then put in priority order. The evidence can come from inside and outside the organization. OPM lists competency assessments, training data, job analysis, subject matter expert interviews, and workforce dashboards as internal sources, and labor market analysis, O*NET, and Bureau of Labor Statistics data as external ones. GAO's review of federal efforts adds three lessons: use data early in the process, prioritize occupations by their impact on the work, and consult subject matter experts before deciding where the gaps are. Usage varies. Some organizations run the analysis for a whole workforce during annual planning, and others run it for a single team or role when the work changes. ## Why skills gap analysis matters for talent teams - **Choosing build, buy, or move:** OPM's model follows gap analysis with strategies to close the gaps, including recruiting, training or retraining, restructuring, contracting out, and succession planning. The analysis tells a talent team which of those to use for each gap. - **Seeing future needs:** OPM's guide says workforce planning gives organizations a comprehensive picture of staffing level gaps alongside current and future competency gaps. - **Grounding hiring plans:** When a gap is better closed by hiring, the analysis becomes the input for headcount and role requirements. Findem's post on [proactive talent pipelines](https://www.findem.ai/blog/from-reactive-to-proactive-talent-pipeline) describes teams running skill gap analyses to anticipate future capability needs rather than backfilling roles one at a time. ## How Findem approaches skills gap analysis Findem's [workforce planning](https://www.findem.ai/platform/workforce-planning) capabilities help leaders identify emerging roles, anticipate skill gaps, and understand how career patterns shape success. Teams can compare team composition, experience profiles, and tenure across companies and peers, and see where talent is concentrated by location. [Market intelligence](https://www.findem.ai/products/market-intelligence) grounds that planning in observed outcomes, such as experience gained at key growth stages. In [Findem Studio](https://www.findem.ai/studio), HR consulting agents map skills gaps, analyze how talent moves in and out of an organization, benchmark leadership structures against comparable companies, and build succession plans. Findem's example [workforce skills gap analysis](https://studio.findem.ai/templates/workforce-skills-analysis.html) shows the approach with sample data. It reports how many employees have documented experience in each capability, notes that coverage does not measure proficiency, and states that missing evidence does not establish a skills gap. Its suggested next steps are to validate the evidence with employees and managers, agree on target capabilities for each role, and then plan development. ## Further reading - [From reactive to proactive: Building a future-proof talent pipeline](https://www.findem.ai/blog/from-reactive-to-proactive-talent-pipeline) - [Workforce skills gap analysis: Example with sample data](https://studio.findem.ai/templates/workforce-skills-analysis.html) ## Related terms - [Headcount planning](https://www.findem.ai/glossary/headcount-planning) - [Workforce intelligence](https://www.findem.ai/glossary/workforce-intelligence) - [Skills-based hiring](https://www.findem.ai/glossary/skills-based-hiring) - [Skills taxonomy](https://www.findem.ai/glossary/skills-taxonomy) - [Skills intelligence](https://www.findem.ai/glossary/skills-intelligence) ## Sources - [Workforce Planning Guide](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/human-capital-framework/reference-materials/talent-management/workforce-planning-guide.pdf) US Office of Personnel Management, November 2022 - [Workforce planning model](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/human-capital-framework/reference-materials/strategic-alignment/workforceplanning/) US Office of Personnel Management - [GAO-15-223, Federal workforce: OPM and agencies need to strengthen efforts to identify and close mission-critical skills gaps](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-15-223) US Government Accountability Office, January 2015 - [Talent workforce planning](https://www.findem.ai/platform/workforce-planning) - [Findem market intelligence](https://www.findem.ai/products/market-intelligence) - [Findem Studio](https://www.findem.ai/studio) - [Workforce skills gap analysis example](https://studio.findem.ai/templates/workforce-skills-analysis.html) Findem Studio, sample data Finished work you can trust. Findem Studio turns expert-labeled people intelligence into evidence-backed talent deliverables, from succession plans and market maps to calibrated searches. [See Findem Studio](https://www.findem.ai/studio) ## Frequently asked questions. **What is the difference between a skills gap and a staffing gap?** A staffing gap means there are too few people to do the work. A skills gap, which GAO and OPM call a competency gap, means people are in place but lack the skills, abilities, or behaviors the work requires. A workforce can have either or both. **What are the steps in a skills gap analysis?** Define the skills or competencies the work needs now and in the future, assess the level the workforce has today, and compare the two to find current and future gaps. Then put the gaps in priority order and choose how to close each one, such as training, redeployment, or hiring. **What data does a skills gap analysis use?** OPM lists internal sources such as competency assessments, training data, job analysis, and subject matter expert interviews, and external sources such as labor market analysis, O*NET, and Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Many teams combine both views. **How do you close a skills gap?** OPM's workforce planning model lists strategies such as recruiting, training or retraining, restructuring, contracting out, succession planning, and technology changes. The right choice depends on how large the gap is, how soon the skill is needed, and whether current employees could build it. **How does Findem support skills gap analysis?** Findem helps leaders anticipate skill gaps and emerging roles, compare team composition and experience with peers, and see where talent is concentrated. 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