PeopleMuster

Skills matrix template

A skills matrix answers one question fast: who can do this work, and how well? Put your people in the rows and your skills in the columns. Score each cell from 0 to 4, then read down each column to find the skills that only one person holds.

Build one before you staff a new client project, plan training for the year, or approve a resignation from someone senior. Keep it to the skills your work actually sells. Twenty sharp columns beat eighty vague ones, because nobody updates a sheet they can't read on one screen.

SKILLS MATRIX
Team: [TEAM OR DEPARTMENT NAME]
Owner: [MATRIX OWNER]
Last reviewed: [REVIEW DATE]

LEVEL KEY
0 = No experience
1 = Aware: has seen it done, needs close help
2 = Working: does routine tasks with a review
3 = Strong: works alone, handles the odd case
4 = Expert: teaches it, sets the standard

CATEGORY | [SKILL CATEGORY 1] | [SKILL CATEGORY 1] | [SKILL CATEGORY 2] | [SKILL CATEGORY 2] | [SKILL CATEGORY 3]
PERSON | [SKILL A] | [SKILL B] | [SKILL C] | [SKILL D] | [SKILL E]
[PERSON NAME] ([ROLE]) | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL]
[PERSON NAME] ([ROLE]) | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL]
[PERSON NAME] ([ROLE]) | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL]
[PERSON NAME] ([ROLE]) | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL]
[PERSON NAME] ([ROLE]) | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL] | [LEVEL]

SUMMARY ROWS
People at level 3 or 4 | [COUNT] | [COUNT] | [COUNT] | [COUNT] | [COUNT]
Level the work needs | [TARGET LEVEL] | [TARGET LEVEL] | [TARGET LEVEL] | [TARGET LEVEL] | [TARGET LEVEL]
People the work needs at that level | [TARGET COUNT] | [TARGET COUNT] | [TARGET COUNT] | [TARGET COUNT] | [TARGET COUNT]
Gap | [GAP] | [GAP] | [GAP] | [GAP] | [GAP]

ACTIONS FROM THIS REVIEW
Skill | Gap | Action (train, pair, hire, contract) | Person | Due
[SKILL] | [GAP] | [ACTION] | [PERSON NAME] | [DUE DATE]
[SKILL] | [GAP] | [ACTION] | [PERSON NAME] | [DUE DATE]

What to put in each blank

[SKILL CATEGORY 1]
Group related skills under one heading, such as databases or design tools. Repeat the heading over each skill it covers so the sheet still sorts cleanly.
[SKILL A]
Name one skill a client would pay for or a project would stall without. Write it the way your team says it, not the way a job board does.
[LEVEL]
Enter a single number from the level key. Let the person score themselves first, then have their lead confirm or adjust it.
[COUNT]
Count the people in that column at level 3 or 4. In a spreadsheet, COUNTIF on the column does it for you.
[TARGET LEVEL]
Set the level the current and signed work needs, not the level that would be nice to have.
[TARGET COUNT]
Enter how many people must hold that level so one sick day or one resignation doesn't stop delivery. Two is the usual floor.
[GAP]
Subtract the count from the target count. Any positive number is a gap you act on this quarter.
[ACTION]
Pick one of the four: train someone you have, pair them with the expert, hire, or bring in a contractor.

Before you send it

  • Watch for a column with a single 4 and nothing above 1. That's a key-person risk, and it's the finding that justifies the whole exercise.
  • Review the sheet every quarter and after every big project. A skills matrix that's a year old describes a team you no longer have.
  • Keep the level key identical across teams. When one lead's 3 is another lead's 2, you can't compare departments at all.
  • Share each person's own row with them. People fix a wrong score quickly when they can see it, and they rarely argue with a gap they helped score.

PeopleMuster keeps your skills taxonomy in categories, gives each skill a description, and shows the skills mapped to each person on their Skills & Expertise profile tab.

Questions people ask about this letter

How do you make a skills matrix?

List your people in rows and the skills your work needs in columns, then score each cell on a fixed 0 to 4 key. Add a row that counts people at level 3 or 4 per skill, and compare it with how many you need. The difference is your gap list.

What is the difference between a skills matrix and a competency matrix?

A skills matrix scores concrete abilities, such as a framework or a tool. A competency matrix scores broader behaviours, such as ownership or client handling, usually against a role. Many teams keep both on one sheet with competencies as extra columns, and the template above works for either.

How many skills should a skills matrix have?

Aim for 15 to 30 columns per team. Fewer than that hides real gaps, and more than about 40 makes the sheet too wide to read or keep current.

Who should fill in the skill levels?

The person scores their own row first, then their lead reviews it. Self-scores alone run high for some people and low for others, and a lead's view alone misses work the lead never sees.

Other templates