A solid strategy for competence development and upskilling is essential to identify the knowledge and skills your organization currently possesses – and what is needed to achieve both tomorrow’s goals and long-term objectives.

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Plan Competence Development Together with Employees

After mapping existing skills and identifying any gaps, you can begin designing actions that truly address your organization’s needs and determine which tools to use. Plan this in close collaboration with employees, so that individual development supports the company’s strategic direction.

Here’s a checklist for planning strategic competence development:

• Define which competencies the organization needs
• Involve employees in developing the competence plans
• Prioritize actions based on organizational goals
• Ensure regular follow-up and evaluation
• Facilitate continuous learning and growth
• Balance employee development with the company’s interests

These steps will help guide you and your organization through the competence development process.

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Map the Knowledge You Need for the Future

Assess the knowledge your organization will require to achieve its goals in the coming years. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Where are we now, and where do we want to go?
• What kind of competence is needed to reach our goals?
• What skills do we already have, and what are we missing?

Involve leaders and subject matter experts early in the process to address any potential financial considerations. It’s important that your competence development strategy is both realistic and achievable.

This mapping process will help determine which positions can be developed internally – and which may need to be filled through recruitment or outsourcing.

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Where Are You Lacking the Necessary Competence?

To ensure your company has the specialized knowledge required to reach its strategic goals, it’s crucial to evaluate the skills that already exist internally. A review of your team’s current competencies will reveal where there are gaps – and whether you need to recruit new talent or upskill existing employees. This also contributes to cost-efficiency by reducing unnecessary recruitment.

Key questions to ask:

• Which areas are lacking essential competence?
• Who can be developed into new roles?
• How can you better utilize internal resources?

A systematic review with employees and management teams is essential for an accurate assessment. Documenting employee skills – such as work experience, education, training, certifications, and other relevant knowledge – is key to understanding your current competence base.

In addition to formal assessments, employee development conversations can uncover skills that aren’t listed on a CV – helping you identify hidden talents and potential growth areas.

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The Employee’s Role – and How to Use It Effectively

When evaluating a team member’s role within the company, you must assess their qualifications in relation to the organization’s needs. Even if the required skills exist somewhere in the company, it may be that their talents would be better utilized in a different department or function.

Ask yourself:

• Do we have the right person in the right job?
• What specific skills are needed for this specific role?

You should also consider how to leverage existing talent in new roles to help close any competence gaps. The process of defining and refining job roles should be part of the development conversations between you, the department manager, and the employee, to ensure that all skills are used to their full potential.

This leads to more efficient resource use, higher motivation, and lower employee turnover.

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Competence Development in Practice – Solutions and Tools

Looking to strengthen employee skills? Here are some of the most commonly used methods and tools for effective competence development:

• Internal coaching: Offer one-on-one guidance for deep, personal development
• Knowledge sharing: Organize sessions where employees can exchange experiences and insights across teams
• Digital courses: Provide self-paced learning modules through digital platforms
• Game-based learning: Introduce quizzes and interactive games for an engaging learning experience
• Industry-specific conferences: Encourage participation in external events to expand networks and gain new knowledge
• Academic courses: Support formal education through recognized institutions for in-depth subject expertise

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Use Wittario for Competence Development

At Wittario, we’ve developed a game-based learning platform that can be used for a variety of purposes – including onboarding, culture building, teambuilding, kick-offs, and professional development.

Our learning games:

• Promote activity, collaboration, communication, and reflection
• Combine text, images, video, and GPS
• Provide concrete measurements of progress and knowledge

By making learning more interactive and social, you create both better learning outcomes and higher motivation among employees.

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Don’t Forget Follow-Up – and Ask for Feedback!

Once you’ve established a plan for competence development, it’s essential to engage in ongoing dialogue with your employees. Since learning often happens through day-to-day tasks, make sure to implement regular one-on-one meetings or deeper development discussions. Use a checklist to keep these meetings structured and effective.

As a leader, it’s crucial that you value your employees’ input. Invite them to share their thoughts on the initiatives that have been introduced. Ask yourself:

• What does the team think about the measures implemented?
• Have they gained new knowledge and skills?
• Can they now perform their tasks more effectively?

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Test the Impact of Your Competence Development Efforts

Evaluate how the development initiatives have affected employee performance. Tests and practical tasks are effective tools for measuring competence growth, and performance reviews or development conversations can help track progress over time.

Compare work performance before and after implementing the measures to assess improvements and identify areas for further development.

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Develop or Hire?

It’s important to measure your initiatives against the organization’s overall goals. Have the development efforts resulted in tangible benefits for the company? Has the business achieved the targets that were set?

Be sure to carefully evaluate key outcomes like productivity and revenue to determine the true impact of your competence development strategies.

This process will give you a clear understanding of whether your current in-house competencies are sufficient – or if you need to hire new talent to reach your strategic objectives.

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Ready to Elevate Competence in Your Organization?

With Wittario, you get a flexible, modern, and engaging tool for driving competence development – no matter your industry, role, or organizational level.

Try Wittario free for 30 days and discover how game-based learning can boost skills and knowledge across your workplace!

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