I know, that word 'audit' brings some of us out in a rash or starts a thought process that leads to doom and gloom - but this is not that type of audit. What I am talking about here is the need for businesses to do more to understand exactly what they have in terms of people resource; not just numbers on the page but knowledge and skills.

How many of us receive a resignation letter on our desk or our inbox and dread the thought of replacing that person? Let's be honest although they may be an absolute delight to work alongside the dread is normally all about replacing the skills and knowledge and sometimes that is heightened by the fact that we don't exactly completely know what we are replacing and how important that person is/was to our businesses success - if you are an SME that becomes particularly scary I am sure.

So what is this Skills / Knowledge Audit lark all about then you may ask? Well I am talking about a service that Consortio offers and which can be easily assimilated into a business strategy for the future for all businesses. Being able to move from department to department and have a very firm handle on exactly what makes that team tick and what level of skills and knowledge are firstly in place at the moment and secondly needed long term are crucial to making an MD's / CEO's job asier.

You might be over skilled - there's a shock in the waiting! Having seven people at a level of skill and knowledge when you only need 4 of them at that level has huge salary and succession planning implications. Equally having only 1 when you need 1 is a huge concern and can lead to a gun being put to your head come salary / performance review time that you can avoid.

I suppose we should call this a Talent Review which sounds more 'now' and progressive and would sit more comfortably with managers, staff, unions and the whole employer brand thing. So where do we start with our Talent Review and how?

I am a big believer that you need a contribution from outside of the business not just because it is something that we do, but because of the whole wheels within wheels / 'it is too complicated to explain' syndrome that some managers / staff will weave to keep you in the dark. It is also a hugely positive thing - use the idea of; let's celebrate what we know and how skilled we are! This is far more likely to work as a rallying cry than 'let's audit skills and kowledge in case you leave'....

The process itself is what it is - a process, a means to an end and I am happy to talk about the detail with anyone that wants to ask but the key here is understanding that staff issues like turnover, tenure and satisfation levels are all caught up in how they perceive their future, how valued / challenged they feel and where they fit into your succession planning model. To know exactly what you need from each person within each team is a fundamental to being able to plan for the future.

This is really meaty stuff and can be a hugely powerful tool in making your business successful and putting the structure in place to continue that success. let me know if you want to talk some more!