Skill Matrix - Learning (LMS)

Overview

The Skill Matrix is a live competency grid that shows the entire workforce at a glance. Employees form the rows and skills form the columns. Each cell shows the employee's current proficiency level for that skill — or is empty if the skill has not been assessed yet.

Managers use the Skill Matrix to identify skill gaps, plan training, and track the effect of completed courses over time. HR uses it to match employees to projects based on verified competencies. Team leads use it during performance reviews to give structured feedback.

Shared with HR

The employee roster in the Skill Matrix is pulled directly from the HR Employees. There is no separate employee list to maintain. Any new employee added in HR is immediately available as a row in the Skill Matrix.

Proficiency Levels

Each cell in the matrix represents one of four standardised proficiency levels. Keeping levels consistent across the organisation makes gap analysis meaningful — "Advanced" means the same thing regardless of which manager assessed the employee.

Beginner

Aware of the skill; can perform basic tasks with guidance. Needs supervision for real work.

Intermediate

Can apply the skill independently in standard situations. Needs help with edge cases.

Advanced

Applies the skill confidently in complex situations. Can mentor junior colleagues.

Expert

Deep mastery. Recognised authority. Can design processes and solve novel problems in this domain.

Skill Categories

Skills are grouped into categories so the matrix stays navigable even when dozens of skills are tracked. The default categories are:

Category	Example Skills
Technical	Python, SQL, React, Docker, REST APIs, Data Modelling
Soft Skills	Communication, Negotiation, Presentation, Conflict Resolution
Domain Knowledge	Financial Accounting, Supply Chain, Healthcare Regulations
Leadership	Team Management, Strategic Planning, Decision Making, Coaching
Language	English (Business), Turkish, German, Spanish

Administrators can add custom categories and skills in Settings. New custom skills appear immediately in the matrix as an unassessed column for all employees.

Updating Skill Levels

Click any cell in the matrix to change the proficiency level for that employee–skill combination. A small dropdown appears with the four level options plus a "Clear" option to remove the assessment entirely.

Cells can be updated by:

Managers — updating their direct reports' levels after a performance review or observation.
HR administrators — bulk-updating after a training session or certification exam.
Employees themselves — self-assessment mode (if enabled by admin). Self-assessments are visually flagged as unverified until a manager confirms them.

Level Change History

Every level change is logged with a timestamp and the name of the user who made the update. Hover over any cell to see the last update date and who set the current level.

Views

The Skill Matrix supports three view modes toggled with the three-button view selector in the header toolbar:

Table View — the full grid: employees as rows, skills as columns. Best for a complete overview and direct cell editing.
Card View — each employee is shown as a card listing all their assessed skills and levels. Better for reviewing a single person's competency profile.
Department View — groups employees by department. Shows the competency coverage within each team. Useful for identifying team-level gaps before a project kick-off.

Filtering and Gap Analysis

Use the filters at the top of the Skill Matrix to narrow the view to specific subsets:

Department filter — show only employees in a specific department or team.
Skill Category filter — show only columns for a specific category (e.g. only Technical skills).
Level filter — show only employees at or below a chosen level for at least one skill. This is the gap analysis mode: set "Level ≤ Beginner" to see everyone with critical skill gaps.

Combine filters to answer questions like "which engineers in the backend team are below Intermediate on Docker?" — the kind of targeted query that drives focused training decisions.

Export

Export the Skill Matrix in two formats from the Export button in the top-right toolbar:

Excel (.xlsx) — the full grid with all employees, skills, and levels. Includes the current filter state so exported data matches what you see on screen.
PDF — a print-ready version with the department header. Useful for including in performance review documents or board reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the employee list in the Skill Matrix come from?

The employee roster is pulled directly from the HR Employees — there is no separate list to maintain for the Skill Matrix. Any employee added, updated, or removed in HR is automatically reflected as a row here, so the matrix never drifts out of sync with your actual headcount.

Can employees rate their own skill levels?

Yes, if self-assessment mode is enabled by an administrator. Employees can set their own proficiency levels, but these self-assessments are visually flagged as unverified until a manager reviews and confirms them. This keeps the matrix trustworthy for gap analysis while still letting employees flag skills they believe they have.

How do I find employees with critical skill gaps?

Use the Level filter in gap analysis mode — set it to "Level ≤ Beginner" (or another threshold) to surface everyone whose proficiency in a given skill falls at or below that level. Combine it with the Department or Skill Category filter to answer targeted questions, such as which backend engineers are below Intermediate on Docker.

Can I add new skills or categories that aren't in the default list?

Yes. Administrators can add custom skill categories and individual skills from Settings. Once added, the new skill appears immediately in the matrix as an unassessed column for every employee, ready to be filled in by managers, HR, or self-assessment.