Skills Gap Analysis
Identify Competency Gaps. Close Them with Targeted Development.
Noova does not have a standalone skills gap analysis tool - and you do not need one. By connecting competency evaluation in performance reviews, Individual Development Plans, succession readiness assessments, and a full LMS with course builder and quizzes, Noova creates an end-to-end pipeline that surfaces where employees fall short and gives you the tools to close every gap.
Why Most Organizations Struggle with Skills Gaps
Competency Data Trapped in Spreadsheets
Performance reviews capture competency ratings, but those ratings sit in spreadsheets or disconnected tools. No one converts them into actionable development plans.
No Link Between Evaluation and Training
Managers identify skill weaknesses during reviews but have no systematic way to assign relevant training courses or track whether gaps are actually closing.
Succession Blind Spots
Leadership does not know which successors are ready and which have critical competency gaps that need development before they can step into target roles.
Development Plans Without Follow-Through
Individual Development Plans are created during review season but forgotten afterward because there is no system to track milestones, assign courses, or measure progress.
How Noova Connects Evaluation to Development
Noova's skills gap analysis is not a single feature - it is the result of four integrated modules working together. Performance Management identifies gaps through competency evaluation. IDP turns those gaps into structured development plans with milestones. The LMS delivers the training. And Succession Planning ensures future leaders are developing the right competencies. The AI Assistant ties it all together by helping analyze data and suggest activities.
Competency Evaluation in Performance Reviews
Rate employees against defined competencies with configurable rating scales during performance review cycles to surface exactly where gaps exist
Individual Development Plans
Convert identified competency gaps into structured plans with specific goals, assigned training courses, milestones, and deadlines
LMS Training Pipeline
Build courses, create learning paths, and assess knowledge with quizzes - then assign them directly from development plans to close specific gaps
Succession Readiness Tracking
Evaluate successor competency gaps against target position requirements and create development plans to prepare them for future roles
Features That Power Skills Gap Analysis
Five real features that work together to identify, plan, and close competency gaps
Performance Management - Competency Evaluation
Assess employees against defined competencies as part of performance review cycles. Configure rating scales, set competency requirements by role, and generate gap reports that show exactly where each employee stands relative to expectations. This is where gap identification begins.
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Individual Development Plan (IDP)
Turn competency gaps into actionable development plans. Set specific development goals tied to identified weaknesses, assign training courses from the LMS, define milestones with target dates, and track progress over time. Managers and employees collaborate on plans and review progress regularly.
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Succession Planning - Readiness Assessment
Identify successors for critical roles and assess their competency gaps against target position requirements. Track readiness levels, create targeted development plans for high-potential employees, and ensure your leadership pipeline has the competencies needed for future roles.
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Course Builder & Learning Paths
Create training courses with rich content - videos, documents, interactive modules - and organize them into structured learning paths. Tag courses to specific competencies so that when a gap is identified, the right training can be assigned directly from the IDP.
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Quiz & Assessment
Validate whether training actually closed the gap. Build quizzes and assessments with multiple question types to test knowledge after course completion. Results feed back into competency tracking so you can verify skill acquisition, not just course completion.
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From Gap Identification to Verified Skill Growth
A four-step process using Noova's integrated features to turn competency evaluation into measurable development
1
Evaluate Competencies During Performance Reviews
During performance review cycles, managers rate employees against defined competencies using configurable rating scales. The system compares actual ratings to required proficiency levels for each role, generating a clear picture of where each employee meets, exceeds, or falls short of expectations.
2
Create Individual Development Plans
Based on competency evaluation results, managers and employees create IDPs that target specific gaps. Each plan includes development goals, assigned training courses from the LMS, milestones with target dates, and progress tracking. For successors, plans are aligned to the competency requirements of their target positions.
3
Deliver Targeted Training via LMS
Employees access assigned courses and learning paths through Noova's LMS. Training content is built with the Course Builder and tagged to specific competencies. Employees progress through modules, complete activities, and take quizzes to demonstrate understanding. Managers monitor enrollment and completion.
4
Assess Knowledge and Track Progress
After completing training, employees take quizzes and assessments to verify that they have actually acquired the targeted skills. IDP milestones are updated as goals are met. In the next performance review cycle, updated competency evaluations show whether gaps have closed, creating a continuous improvement loop.
Real-World Use Cases
How organizations use Noova's connected features to identify and close competency gaps
Closing Leadership Competency Gaps Before Promotion
Challenge:
A growing company identified through performance reviews that mid-level managers scored below expectations on strategic thinking and team leadership competencies, but had no structured way to develop these skills before promoting them to senior roles.
Solution:
Used competency evaluation in performance reviews to quantify the gaps, then created IDPs for each manager with assigned leadership courses from the LMS. Succession planning tracked readiness for senior positions. After two review cycles, managers retook competency evaluations to measure improvement.
Results:
- Identified specific competency gaps for each manager rather than relying on subjective impressions
- Created targeted IDPs with relevant leadership courses instead of generic training
- Tracked milestone completion and course progress through IDP dashboards
- Measured competency improvement in the next review cycle to verify development effectiveness
Technical Upskilling Tied to Competency Requirements
Challenge:
A company adopting new technologies found that existing performance reviews showed low competency ratings in critical technical areas across multiple teams, but lacked a system to convert those ratings into structured development activities.
Solution:
Defined technical competency requirements by role in the performance management system. After review cycles revealed gaps, created IDPs with assigned technical courses built in the Course Builder. Used quiz assessments to verify skill acquisition before updating competency records.
Results:
- Performance review competency data directly fed into IDP creation - no manual spreadsheet analysis needed
- Built targeted technical courses with the Course Builder and assigned them through IDPs
- Quiz results provided objective evidence of skill acquisition beyond course completion
- Subsequent performance reviews showed measurable improvement in technical competency ratings
Successor Development with Competency Gap Tracking
Challenge:
An organization had identified successors for critical leadership positions but had no way to systematically assess which competencies each successor needed to develop or track their progress toward readiness.
Solution:
Used Succession Planning to map successors to target positions and assess their competency gaps against role requirements. Created IDPs for each successor with development goals aligned to missing competencies. Assigned relevant courses from the LMS and tracked progress through milestone completion.
Results:
- Each successor had a clear view of competency gaps relative to their target position
- IDPs provided structured development paths with specific courses and deadlines
- Succession readiness levels updated as IDP milestones were completed
- Leadership had visibility into the pipeline and could make informed promotion decisions
Benefits of a Connected Skills Gap Pipeline
When competency evaluation, development planning, and training delivery are connected in one platform, organizations gain real advantages
Competency gaps are identified through structured evaluation, not guesswork or subjective impressions
Development plans are created directly from evaluation data, ensuring every IDP targets real gaps
Training assignments are purposeful - employees take courses that address their specific competency weaknesses
Quiz assessments verify that training actually closed the gap, not just that the employee attended
Succession planning ensures future leaders are developing the right competencies for target roles
The next review cycle measures whether development activities actually improved competency ratings
Managers spend less time on administrative coordination because the evaluation-to-training pipeline is connected
AI assistance helps analyze competency data and suggest relevant development activities
Powered by Noova's Integrated Features
Skills gap analysis leverages these core Noova modules working together
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about skills gap analysis with Noova
Ready to Connect Evaluation to Development?
See how Noova's integrated performance, IDP, succession, and LMS features create a complete skills gap pipeline - from identification to verified skill growth
