Building a Skills Matrix and Succession Plan

The Skills Matrix shows who can do what across your team. It is also where certifications and their expiry dates are kept. Verified skills are used for technician job-matching, so the right person is suggested for the right work.

Step 1: Build the skill library

1. Go to HCM → Skills Matrix and open the Skill Library tab.
2. Click Add Skill. Give it a Name, and optionally a Category (for example Technical, Soft skills) and a Description.
3. Click a skill to rename or delete it. Deleting a skill also removes every employee's rating for it.

Skill names are unique, ignoring capitals: Azure AD and azure ad count as the same skill. Admins and HR manage the library.

Tip: start with the 20–30 skills that matter most rather than trying to be exhaustive.

Step 2: Rate employees

The Skills Matrix tab has one row per active employee and one column per skill. Click any cell to rate that person:

• Pick a proficiency: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced or Expert.
• Add Notes if you like (evidence, projects, context).
• Click Add skill, or Save for an existing rating. Remove takes the skill off that person.

Managers and HR can rate anyone. Other employees can add and update only their own skills.

Step 3: Verify

A rating is only verified once a manager or HR has checked it. Open the cell and click Verify. Verified cells show a green tick.

• You can't verify your own skill (admins excepted).
• Changing the proficiency of a verified skill clears the verification, so it has to be verified again at the new level.
• Completing an LMS course that grants a skill adds it as verified automatically.

Step 4: Record certifications and training

1. Open the Certifications tab and click Add Record.
2. Search for the Employee and enter the Title, Provider, Completed date, and optionally the Expiry date and a Certificate link.
3. Click Save record.

The status follows the expiry date: Valid, Expiring soon (within 30 days) or Expired. The cards at the top filter the list by status. Click a record to edit it. Admins and HR can delete records.

Succession planning

Use the matrix to find single-person dependencies: skills where only one person is rated Advanced or Expert. Then go to HCM → Succession Planning to name successors for key roles, with a readiness level: Ready Now, Developing (6–12 mo), Long-Term (1–2 yr) or Not Yet Ready.

Suggestions

• Review ratings after performance reviews, certifications or promotions.
• Pair skill gaps with LMS courses that grant the skill on completion.

Where to go next

• Understand the whole module → How HR & Payroll (HCM) Works
• Next in this module → HCM — Add an Employee
• How to Set Up Multi-Country Payroll
• HCM — Request and Approve Leave
• See where this fits in the bigger picture → How a New Hire Becomes a Paid Employee