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Does Your Staff Have the Skills to Succeed? (continued)

Morello recommends two approaches to streamlining IT talent management. Software competency models identify consistent behaviors and demonstrable practices to indicate if a person has particular skills and at what level. Automated resource management and portfolio management tools help track people's skills, as well as their availability and project assignments. Which choice is best depends on how geographically dispersed the organization is.

"If you're an organization that has 10 people and you know everyone sitting there, you can probably [manage skill sets] on an Excel spreadsheet,'' Morello says. "But if your organization stretches across cities and continents and time zones, then the more automated the process is, the more visible it will be to people in different areas so you can capitalize on what skills exist in different locations."

Brian Domenick, the director of IS and Technology at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, N.J., begins to develop a clear understanding of the skills of each member of his 10-person staff during the interview/hiring process. "The key is communication from the start to figure out who is best suited for what tasks," says Dominick. "Over time it becomes apparent who has what tasks and what skills match. When a project comes up, I have no question in my mind who should do it."

Domenick gets very involved in the interview process. "Even though I have managers underneath me, I like to converse with people periodically. That keeps me abreast of who does what." (article continues)

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