What gap analysis is
Gap analysis is the practice of comparing a current profile against a target profile and mapping the differences dimension by dimension. In hiring, it answers two distinct questions:
1. At the candidate level: what does this person lack compared to the role's required profile?
2. At the team level: what capabilities does this team need to add (via hiring or development) to deliver on the strategy?
Done well, gap analysis turns a vague intuition into a concrete list of dimensions with magnitude and priority.
A typical gap-analysis workflow
1. Define the target profile: which competencies, at what level
2. Map the current profile: objective measurement (tests, structured interview, reference check)
3. Compute the gap per dimension: difference between target and current, in comparable units
4. Prioritize: critical dimensions vs tolerable ones
5. Decide: develop internally, hire, or reframe the role
Why gap analysis matters in hiring
Without gap analysis, hiring becomes "find someone like the people we already have." With gap analysis, it becomes "find who complements the team", a more sophisticated and more resilient selection principle.
Concrete examples:
- A backend Python team with weak coverage on distributed systems → the next hire should optimize for that, not for "another strong Python developer"
- A team with excellent operational delivery but weak strategic vision → optimize for openness and intellectual breadth
- A team fluent in English but with no German speakers → roles where the DACH market matters require that specific dimension
Gap analysis and Big Five
The Big Five profile is especially useful in behavioral gap analysis. If a team's distribution skews high on conscientiousness and medium on openness, the next hire can be framed as a complement (higher openness to introduce novelty) or a reinforcement (another execution-oriented profile).
Gap analysis for the candidate
For candidates, gap analysis is the foundation of career development. Knowing where their profile sits relative to a target role identifies:
- What to study or train first
- Which experiences to pursue
- How to position themselves in interviews
Platforms with a Career Score (like NORT) make this direct, the candidate sees their own polygon and the dimensions where the target role demands more.
Gap analysis at NORT
The Career Score is a multidimensional polygon. Companies filter by minimums per dimension. Candidates see their polygon and identify where to improve. Gap analysis becomes a natural part of the experience, not a separate report.