How to Identify Workplace Skills Gap in 2026

Identifying skills gaps in the workplace has become a critical conversation as the labour market looks very different from how it did five years ago. Generative AI and automation continue to reshape job roles, climate and sustainability goals are shifting skill demand, and businesses that move fastest on reskilling are the ones most likely to stay relevant.

This reality makes it critical for organisations to tighten their seat belts and position themselves as strong competitors in both local and global markets. There was a time when most workplace processes were manual, but that era is long gone. Any company still operating with that mindset is already falling behind and risks becoming irrelevant as the world of work continues to move at speed.

This is why identifying skills gaps within teams is no longer optional. Businesses must actively spot where capabilities are lacking and put clear plans in place to close those gaps, not only for organisational growth but also for employee development and long-term performance.

The World Economic Forum estimates that a significant share of core job skills will change by 2030, highlighting the urgent need for continuous skills monitoring and proactive workforce planning.

This blog shows you how to identify skills gaps methodically in 2026, with practical templates, metrics, and tools you can use this quarter.

What is a Skills Gap?

A skills gap exists when the knowledge, capabilities, or behaviours required to perform current or future work exceed those actually possessed by your workforce or available in the labour market. 

It shows up at the individual, team, or organisational level and can be temporary (training needed) or structural (hire or redesign role). 

Organizations can experience gaps in both hard and soft skills. Examples of in-demand hard skills include analytics, digital communication, and project management. Examples of in-demand soft skills are critical thinking and problem-solving, managerial and supervisory skills, communication and interpersonal skills.

The Skill Gap Problem: Nigeria and the World at Large

Across the world, businesses are facing the same uncomfortable truth: the skills people are no longer fully matching the skills businesses need. Technology is moving faster than learning systems. Job roles are evolving quicker than job descriptions. And entire industries are being reshaped in real time.

Nigeria is not exempt as the gap seems to be wider.

Globally, companies are struggling to find people with practical digital skills, analytical thinking, adaptability, and the ability to work with new tools. In Nigeria, this challenge is amplified by:

• An education system that often lags behind industry needs
• Rapid tech adoption without enough structured upskilling
• A growing youth population entering the workforce without job-ready skills

The result of this is high unemployment on one side, talent shortages on the other.

The Nigerian Context: Why This Matters More Now

Nigeria’s business environment is already challenging. Inflation, policy changes, economic uncertainty, and global market pressure all play a role.

For Nigerian businesses, skill gaps show up as:

• Teams struggling to adapt to new tools
• Overdependence on a few “key people”
• High turnover when employees feel unprepared or overwhelmed
• Slow execution despite growing workloads

As more Nigerian companies expand globally, work remotely, or adopt international tools, skill gaps become more visible and more costly.

Five Signs You Already Have a Skills Gap

• Repeated missed deadlines or quality issues in work tied to newer tech or processes (e.g., AI tools, cloud platforms).
• High turnover in technical or emerging-skill roles (candidates leave for better-skill-fit jobs).
• Hiring takes much longer than expected because candidates lack the precise skills in the market.
• Low uptake of new tools despite training (training exists, but it doesn’t convert to performance).
• Product/market problems: customers ask for features or services the team cannot implement.

If you see one or more of these consistently, run a skills-gap discovery following the steps below.

Step-by-Step Method to Identify Skills Gap

Step 1 – Define the business-critical skills (future-forward)

Start by listing the skills that most directly impact your strategic goals over the next 6 – 24 months e.g., Generative AI prompt design, data literacy, cyber hygiene, sustainable supply-chain management. Use industry forecasts and your business roadmap to decide which skills are mission-critical.

Step 2 – Build a competency map

For each critical role, map core tasks and the skills required to do them at three levels: basic, proficient, and expert. This converts job descriptions into measurable competencies. AIHR and other HR authorities provide repeatable templates for this mapping.

Step 3 – Collect data

Combine multiple data sources to measure current capability:

• Performance data: KPIs, error rates, productivity measures from your HRIS or ops tools.
• Skills assessments: Role-specific tests, work-sample tasks, or validated online skill checks.
• Manager calibration: Structured manager ratings using the competency map.
• Self-assessment: Employee self-rating (use calibrated scales to reduce bias).
• Market signals: Job-posting analysis and labour market data (LinkedIn, job boards) to see which skills are scarce.
• Learning platform activity: Course completions and on-the-job project work.
• Exit interviews and recruitment feedback: Reasons for leaving and candidate gaps.

Step 4 – Run a skills-gap analysis

For each skill, score the required level vs current level using your competency map. A simple matrix (Role × Skill) with “Required” and “Actual” columns flags the gap size. 

Step 5 – Prioritise gaps using business impact

Don’t try to fix everything. Prioritise by two axes: business impact (revenue, risk, strategic aim) and gap size (how far current skills are from required). 

Step 6 – Validate with pilots

Before rolling out large reskilling programs, run small test (e.g., 10–20 people) using the new training or job redesign, measure results, iterate, then scale. McKinsey notes that re-skilling pilots have become key to successful large-scale upskilling efforts.

Tools and Data Sources to Use in 2026

• People analytics / HRIS: BizEdge, Workday, BambooHR
• Skills intelligence platforms: LinkedIn Skills Graph, internal skills taxonomies, third-party skills platforms that map job-posting data.
• Learning platforms: Coursera for Business, Udemy Business, and in-house microlearning tied to projects
• Assessment tools: Work-sample tests, code-pairing platforms (for tech roles), role-specific scenario assessments.
• External reports: WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025, OECD Skills Outlook 2025, McKinsey learning/AI reports for strategic signals.

Metrics to Track After you Detect Gaps

Track the business outcomes of closing gaps (not just training completions). Examples:

• Time-to-proficiency: Average time from program start to meeting required competency.
• Performance lift: Change in output quality or productivity for the trained cohort.
• Hiring velocity: Time-to-fill roles requiring the skill (should decrease with good reskilling).
• Retention in critical roles: Turnover rate for critical-skill roles.
• Internal mobility rate: % of open roles filled internally using reskilled talent.
• ROI of L&D investments: (Performance lift × value) − cost of programs.