People Data & Analytics • 9 MIN READ
What Is an HR Gap Analysis? How to Create One and Why You Need To
JUN 18, 2026
An HR gap analysis compares your current workforce capabilities to those your organisation needs in the future. Here is how to run one effectively.
What an HR gap analysis is
An HR gap analysis is a structured assessment that identifies the difference between the workforce capabilities your organisation currently has and those it will need to execute its strategy over the next one to three years. It answers three questions: what skills and roles do we have today? What skills and roles will we need in the future? And how do we close the gap between the two? The output is a prioritised plan for hiring, development, and restructuring that is directly linked to the business strategy.
How to run one
Step one: define the future state by working with business leaders to understand their strategic priorities and the workforce implications of each. Step two: audit the current state by mapping existing roles, headcount, skills, and capability levels using HRIS data supplemented by manager and employee surveys. Step three: identify the gaps by comparing the two states, noting where you have surplus capability as well as where you have shortfalls. Step four: develop a closing plan that addresses each gap through the most cost-effective combination of hiring, reskilling, restructuring, and strategic outsourcing.
Making the analysis credible
An HR gap analysis is only as credible as the quality of the current-state data underpinning it. If your HRIS job titles are inconsistent, skills data is absent, and performance ratings are unreliable, the analysis will reflect those gaps. Invest in data quality before running the analysis, or explicitly acknowledge the data limitations in your output. The most useful gap analyses are those that are revisited annually and refined as both the strategy and the workforce evolve.
