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David Middelbeck
Managing Director
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In medicine, the decoding of human DNA has enabled groundbreaking advances - from precise diagnoses to personalised treatment methods. A similar perspective can be applied to companies: the abilities and skills of employees shape their structure and determine their development. To a certain extent, every company has its own ‘genetic’ identity, which is reflected in its specific combination of skills - the so-called ‘skill DNA’. But how can this be visualised and used in a targeted manner? To understand this, it is first worth taking a look at the parallels between DNA and skills.
A person's DNA defines basic characteristics, influences strengths and determines development opportunities. Skills play a similar role in companies: they define which abilities are available, where potential lies and which challenges can be overcome. While there are precise methods for analysing genetic information in medicine, such detailed insights into a company's skills are often not self-evident. The question of existing skills can usually only be assessed selectively or qualitatively - but a systematic analysis can provide valuable insights.
The metaphor of DNA serves as a vivid model to visualise the networking and structure of abilities. In research, DNA sequences are often depicted in colourful, detailed illustrations in order to identify connections. Transferring this logic to companies creates a new perspective on how skills can be recognised and understood.
When companies decode their skills DNA, they gain valuable insights into their existing competences and development potential. But how exactly can this structure be mapped? Which elements play a role? And how can visualisation help to use and develop skills in a targeted manner?
A tried and tested means of depicting complex patterns is the visualisation of genetic information in the form of heat maps. In medicine, such visualisations make it possible to recognise connections in genomes, identify anomalies or make ‘white spots’ visible. A similar approach can be applied to companies: skill DNA can also be visualised in a heat map in order to systematically record existing skills.
Visualising your own skills DNA may seem complex at first glance - but unlike decoding human DNA, it is easy to implement in a company with the right steps. With the help of a structured approach, existing skills can be systematically recorded and meaningfully analysed in just six steps.
Step 1: Define scope and determine key roles
Before the skills DNA of a company can be recorded, it is important to define the exact focus of the analysis. On the one hand, this includes the question of which strategic goals are at the forefront - because relevant key roles and their requirements can only be precisely determined once it is clear where the company is heading. On the other hand, the level of detail plays a role: should a broad overview of the existing skills be created or a detailed recording of individual skills? These decisions form the basis for a meaningful and targeted analysis.
Especially at the beginning, it can make sense to focus on specific departments or teams instead of analysing the entire company at once. A step-by-step approach makes it possible to gain initial insights and adapt the process if necessary. These decisions form the basis for a meaningful and targeted analysis.
Step 2: Determine required skills per role
Once the scope has been determined and the key roles have been identified, the next step is to define the relevant skills for each of these roles. There are various approaches to this: Existing job advertisements or job descriptions can serve as a guide, as can direct dialogue with employees. The experiences and assessments of employees often provide valuable insights into the skills that are actually required. A combination of several sources provides as realistic and complete a picture as possible of the skills required.
Step 3: Assessment of the current skill level
Employees assess their own abilities based on the previously defined skills. This self-assessment provides an initial indication of what skills are already available and where there may be a need for development. Optionally, managers or colleagues who are familiar with the respective skills can also be consulted in order to incorporate an additional perspective into the assessment.
Step 4: Analysing the data and identifying skill gaps
Once the skills have been recorded, the data is then analysed. Depending on the scope of the analysis, this can be the most time-consuming step, as the information collected must be analysed and compared in a structured manner. By comparing the skills within individual teams or across the entire company, patterns can be identified - for example, areas with a particularly high level of expertise or ‘white spots’ where important skills are missing. These findings form the basis for targeted development measures and strategic personnel decisions.
Step 5: Development of a targeted skills development plan
As soon as the skills gaps have been identified, a targeted response can be made. The main purpose of the analysis is now to derive specific measures for the further development of employees. A structured development plan helps to systematically close skills gaps - be it through targeted training opportunities, mentoring programmes or knowledge transfer within the team. It is crucial that the measures are individually tailored to the respective roles and requirements in order to enable a sustainable learning process.
Step 6: Continuous review and adaptation
The skills landscape in a company is not static - new requirements arise, employees continue to develop and business objectives can change. It is therefore important to regularly review the recorded skills and adapt the development plan if necessary. Continuous analysis helps to recognise changes at an early stage and react to them in a targeted manner.
The status of the skills DNA can be reflected on and further developed, particularly as part of annual development meetings or team reviews. This keeps the skills strategy dynamic and aligned with the company's current needs.
A clear overview of the skills within the organisation is essential for companies. By analysing the skills DNA, hidden potential can be uncovered and targeted gaps in skills can be closed. Visualising the skills DNA creates transparency about existing and missing skills in the company. It helps to recognise training needs at an early stage, promote individual strengths in a targeted manner and create customised development plans. It also enables strategic team building in which skills complement each other perfectly. The result: more efficient collaboration, greater innovative strength and sustainable corporate success.
Do you find the topic of skill DNA exciting, but are unsure how much effort it involves? The process doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming. With our edyoucated platform, many of these steps can be automated and simplified: Instead of identifying skills manually, this process can be carried out efficiently using AI and just a few inputs, such as job descriptions and job titles. Employee self-assessment is also simplified by a user-friendly interface that is clearer and easier to understand than traditional Excel spreadsheets. Best of all, Skill DNA is created automatically, while personalised learning recommendations help employees to develop their skills in a targeted manner.
Would you like to better understand which skills are available in your company and build on them in a targeted manner? We would be happy to support you in visualising your own skills DNA. Then get in touch with the edyoucated team!
edyoucated is funded by leading research institutions such as the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
