Introduction

Whatever the size of your business and whichever sector you operate in, to be successful you need to identify any areas where you’re underperforming and make improvements.

Developing the skills of people working in your business is an important way of doing this - new skills can improve your productivity, competitiveness and profitability. Comparing the skills you have with the skills you need to achieve your business goals is an important step towards improving your performance.

This guide explains how to assess your business performance, how to identify skills gaps that might be holding you back and where to begin trying to fill these gaps.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• Benchmark the performance of your business
• Identify skills gaps holding you back
• Make the most of the skills your staff already have
• The importance of leadership
• Use staff training to improve performance
• The benefits of qualifications and accreditations
• The new Investors in People Standard
• Practical considerations