The problem

An organization’s information about the current skills, interests, and prior experience of the staff is fragmented across documents, HR systems, and spreadsheets. This makes it difficult for libraries to make system-wide plans about priorities. Nor can they identify staff with the expertise or best suited to respond to new needs from the user community. 

Leaders find themselves in a maze of phone calls, emails, or relying on managers’ memory for specialized training or growth assignments. Because of this, as libraries work to allocate professional development budgets equitably, leaders face challenges. They struggle to connect opportunities to staff interests. Additionally, they find it hard to align these opportunities with career goals. This is due to the absence of the right skills data.

Without current, standardized skills data, libraries may be unable to utilize their training budgets fully. They also miss out on key moments to engage staff ready to contribute to their libraries’ future. This makes the library less effective. 

The solution

Skilltype unlocks the hidden capabilities within organizations to meet new challenges head-on. Our Talent Audit allows for a deep dive into the areas staff are keen to explore. Identifying those eager to acquire skills critical for the library’s future, regardless of their current role.

leaders can also effortlessly pinpoint internal expertise in real-time, unlocking several advantages. This includes the flexibility to cross-train staff, assemble dynamic teams for special projects, pair new staff with seasoned mentors, and identify potential candidates for open positions.

Imagine discovering that staff in circulation also possess untapped expertise in electronic resources or collection data analysis from previous roles or coursework – insights not always visible on an org chart. Skilltype’s Directory and Talent Audit make starting this journey of internal talent discovery seamless, whether searching for specific skills like accessibility or browsing through the Skills tabs within Insights.

As new members create profiles on Skilltype, selecting from a library-specific controlled vocabulary encompassing skills, products/services, and job categories, the system continually refreshes these insights. This standardized data allows libraries to effectively locate talent across different departments, locations, and work schedules.

Furthermore, a library’s Talent Audit can reveal staff eager for growth through their selected Interests and training activities. Leaders may uncover individuals ready for mentorship or leadership roles, and can foster a culture of knowledge-sharing across departments. By exploring the Interested column details for a skill, libraries can identify staff keen on areas like Analytics, ready to apply their learning to real-world scenarios, such as analyzing data from recent library surveys.

In essence, Skilltype is not just a platform; it’s a bridge connecting libraries to their most valuable asset – their people – and unlocking their full potential in a rapidly evolving information landscape.