#What it 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 it 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.
