Skills management software is a valuable resource for any organization. These tools can optimize every aspect of your business, enabling you to better understand bottlenecks, get the right people into the right roles, and analyze core competencies so people are in the positions they need to be in as their skills grow and develop. You can find skills management software free online, but some of the best skills management software programs do require a subscription fee. If you’re looking for a skills manager software, it’s important to understand what your company is really trying to achieve. If you’re trying to save money, you might be able to get by with a free employee skill management system; however, if you’re looking for a robust set of bells and whistles, you’ll probably do best with a skill management solution that comes with a bit of a price tag. Remember, you often do get what you pay for, so if you’re seeking optimal customer support and a skills tracking software that does tricks and knows what to do from the moment it’s installed, you should consider investing in a paid system.Open source skills management software solutions can be great alternatives, as they’re constantly being updated by some of the best and brightest brains in the business. Many skills management software open source solutions profile free skills management software programs that are basically plug-and-play options that can work for many different organizations.

A competency matrix is a tool that’s used to map required and desired skills for a team or project. Each employee skill matrix chart helps HR leaders and managers visualize the required and available skills of the people on particular teams; conversely, these tools also help leaders choose team members for future projects, ensuring that each business need is met by people who demonstrate the ideal qualities for their particular roles. Competency matrices typically come in two forms: Skills matrix template Excel-based or employee skills matrix software from which you can run reports. Skills matrix software is great because it enables you to easily view employee skills and competencies relating to teams, departments, and locations. You can easily find skilled personnel to man the projects you have coming down the pipeline when you opt for one of the best skills matrix software solutions available with today’s technology. You can also find skills matrix software open source-style; many of these options offer skills matrix software free of charge.

Competency mapping tools enable you to identify individuals’ strengths and weaknesses based on questionnaires, assessments, and other developmental processes. The aim is to give leaders and employees the ability to better understand how each person is doing and to point out where career development efforts need to be directed. A competency mapping template will guide you along this journey, giving you the ability to ask questions and know what next steps are as you journey through the process. You can also use skills mapping software to create visual representations of the skills needed to perform various roles within your organization. There are free competency mapping tools available that can help you undergo skills mapping exercise tasks so you can become familiar with this process.

An employee skills database is a catalog where you can keep track of your employees’ skills, opportunities, and goals. You can use a free skills database to keep tabs on your employees’ inventory of skills, so to speak. A skills database enables you to capture:

• Skills by roles
• Updates made by employees as part of your regular process
• Skills encompassed by subject matter experts on whom you can rely when you really need to look to those go-to people as projects get underway

Skills databases can help you accumulate the skills your existing employees have and the qualities people will need to have when they walk into those roles. When you’re armed with this information, you can easily help existing team members find new roles within the company, recruit outstanding candidates, and ensure great succession planning because you’ll already know what’s expected of people and how you can help them be their best selves when they’re in their positions.

Talent management software is a technology that HR professionals use to manage employees as a competitive advantage. Talent management solutions may refer to standalone applications or more robust talent management tools that encompass a variety of analytics and measurement milestones you can use to gain insight about your employees’ behaviors, skills, and competencies. Talent software can be used in a variety of ways, including:

• Competency Management
• Career Pathing
• Succession Planning
• Performance management

The talent management software market is filled with outstanding tools that can help you capture a better snapshot of your company’s employees. Here’s a quick look at a few talent management system examples:

• Recruitment & onboarding. HR professionals often use free talent management software to vet incoming employees and screen candidates to make sure they’re the best fit for the positions the company is offering.

• Performance management. Free open source talent management software can help you keep track of your employees’ performances. Are they meeting their goals? Have they missed deadlines? Are they doing everything you expect of them?

• Succession planning. Who will best person to step in and run leadership positions when the current C-suite retires or leaves to pursue other avenues? It’s important to keep up with your team members’ performance so you can find a suitable fit when the time comes.

Companies that use talent management software have their fingers on the pulse of the people that make their businesses run.

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, the first thing you need to do is assess the skills of your team. A great skills management software will lead your whole team in the right direction.