The two key documents with regard to skills are Resumes and Job Descriptions (JDs). Then there are others such as Appraisal forms, Interview evaluation forms and so on. All these documents, particularly the JDs and Resumes, are unstructured and lack a common universal skill structure.
This lack of common format for presentation, poses tremendous challenges for users of these documents and reduces the efficiencies in their respective processes, for example recruitment. Imagine the plight of a recruiter receiving say 50 resumes each in a different format. Further, every site i.e. jobsite or social media wants its own way of presentation of information on skills. This adds to the woes of the users.
Universal Skill Structure: What needs to be done?
We need to have a simple universal skill structure for presentation or rather skills profile of jobs and individuals. A structure that can be used, by anyone in any industry or function, will be highly helpful. A structured presentation of skills will make it easier for anyone using the information on skills to comprehend, compare and analyse the skills.
Such a structure, when adopted by every jobsite or HR application will reduce the need to replicate information and they can spend more time on leveraging this information for better sourcing and matching.
If we create a structure such that it is the same as used for a job and the individual, it will be a boon. Information will become so much easier to compare and analyse, say for example in identifying the best fit for a job.
How Can Profiling from It’s Your Skills can help?
It’s Your Skills (IYS) has created a structure for Skills Profile. It is a combination of several skills (a word used to cover skills in tools & technologies, knowledge in principles and concepts, certifications, activities, domain experience and such).
The Skills Profile, apart from presenting the skills of a job or of an individual also gives the proficiency levels in the skills. It is the same format for job or individual. It can be used for presenting the skills required for a job i.e. creation of Job Skills Profile. It can be used by individuals (employees or applicants) for presenting the skills by creating an Applicant Skills Profiler or Employee Skills Profile through Enterprise level solutions offered by IYS.
Creation of the Skills Profile is enabled through the Skills Ontology. A powerful, yet, simple utility which, at the backend, is the most exhaustive library of skills, and, at the frontend, a simple web interface for picking, ticking and rating of skills.