Mastering skills management like a chef: the ultimate guide to GPEC tools

Forward-looking management of jobs and skills is crucial for any company wishing to adapt to a constantly changing market.

Our guide offers you an overview of the main GPEC tools and methods for implementing it, enhanced by our invaluable advice. 🚀

See all software Performance Appraisal

Let's go back over the definition of GPEC

What is GPEC?

Forward-looking management of jobs and skills(GPEC) helps companies adapt to changes in the market and technological developments, in particular by anticipating and planning their skills requirements.

This strategy makes it possible to manage human resources proactively, using a range of tools. So why put it in place?

In practical terms, the GPEC enables you to:

• Align human resources with the company's overall strategy,
• forecastneeds in terms of skills and jobs,
• ensure career management and internal mobility.

💡 The French law on social cohesion (known as the Borloo law) requires companies with more than 300 employees to negotiate a GPEC agreement every 3 years!

A strategy with many challenges and benefits

GPEC is crucial to the long-term future of your company. Strategic alignment, skills management and organisational responsiveness are the main issues you need to consider.

What's more, this strategy offers so many advantages that it would be a shame not to take advantage of them 😉

• By ensuring that your employees ' skillsmeet your objectives, you can anticipate market developments so that you can adapt to change.
• With the prospect of rewardingcareer development within your company, you have something to attract and (most importantly) retain your talent - ultimately, they'll be happier and more productive.
• Your ability to respond to technological and economicchange is crucial to the survival and success of your business.
• Employees who are in tune with your needs contribute directly to improving your company' s performance.
• Anticipating your skills needs is particularly important when it comes to managing your budget. By taking a proactive approach, you can significantly reduce the costs associated with recruitment and staff turnover.
• Last but not least, GPEC gives you a primeposition in the market. Anticipating trends and your future needs puts you in a favourable position compared with other companies.

The main tools of GPEC

Like a recipe for cookies, you need to gather the ingredients before you can start preparing the perfect GPEC. 🍪

Failing to give you our favourite recipe, here are the tools needed for a harmoniousGPEC.

Tools for preparing the GPEC

Organisation chart

The organisation chart is a schematic representation of the organisational and hierarchicalstructure of your company and its business lines. It clearly establishes the relationships and functions between the various positions. This document makes it easier to understand each person' s roles and responsibilities, thereby facilitating communication and decision-making. It helps managers, human resources and employees to clearly identify their position and relationships within the company.

This tool is essential in identifying structural gaps. Without it, it would be impossible to plan changes or understand the links between different positions and departments. 🪢

✅ Organisational charts need to be regularly updated to reflect organisational changes and help with strategic alignment.

And because a picture is worth a thousand words, here's an example of an organisation chart :

Job description

The job description details the responsibilities, tasks and qualifications required for a particular position. Human resources departments use this tool to recruit, assess performance and plan any necessary training.

This document is essential for clearly defining your expectations of your employees and identifying your skills needs!

✅ Clear job descriptions are crucial for complying with employment legislation and preventing misunderstandings about responsibilities.

Find our full guide to job descriptions here, with a lovely template as a bonus. 📄

Skills mapping

Skills mapping lists the skills available within your company. It allows you to identify and visualise the skills you currently have and those you need. This gives you all the information you need to set up training programmes and launch recruitment campaigns.

This tool enables HR and managers to strategically manage skills within the company.

✅ A skills map must be dynamic and evolve in line with changes, both internal and in the market!

Here's an overview of a skills map to help you visualise :

Skills repository

The skills repository is intrinsically linked to the mapping, defining the skills required for different roles. This detailed guide makes it easier to plan training, assess performance and manage internal mobility. So you can align skills development with your strategic objectives.

Through a standardised framework, this tool is indispensable for human resources, managers and employees (we talk a bit more about it here 😉 ) .

✅ Although the skills repository is based on standards, it must be adapted to meet the specific needs of each department.

Tools for implementing GPEC

With all the ingredients in hand, you're now ready to get on with preparing the perfect GPEC!

Annual appraisal interview

• Why? Annual appraisal interviews allow you to measurethe performance of your employees and their contribution to your company by discussing the objectives they have achieved. Ultimately, you can identify your needs and plan training.
• Who is it for? All employees, whatever their hierarchical level, should have an interview with human resources or their manager.
• How? Each party should prepare as well as possible for the interview. Gather together the objectives for the past year, the successes and areasfor improvement. Discuss future objectives, training needs and development opportunities for your employee.

✅ Encourage open and honest communication! This interview is an opportunity for professionalgrowth and development, not just a simple administrative exercise.

Professional interview

• The job interview is an opportunity to discuss careerdevelopment prospects, your employee 's aspirations and your training needs . It's also the perfect time to gather feedback on how to improve the working environment!
• As with annual appraisal interviews, it is conducted by human resources or managers for employees seeking professional and personal development.
• The dialogue should focus on long-term professionaldevelopment, independently of annual performance. You can also use interview management software to support you. 💻

✅ Focus on your employee's future and potential. Listen carefully to provide personalised advice.

💡 The professional interview is compulsory and must take place at least every 2 years!

Training plan

• Why: The training plan ensures the ongoing development of your employees ' skills in line with your objectives, either through training courses or recruitment campaigns.
• Who is it for? The plan must be developed by human resources in consultation with managers and, in some cases, the employees themselves. Your entire company is involved, and the plan must be tailored to each person's specific needs.
• How? Identify training needs through the GPEC. The plan allows you to create a structured training programme using a variety of methods, including e-learning and face-to-face training.

✅ A personalised training plan is relevant and engaging for employees. By promoting this approach, you give your employees a better chance of career development.

GPEC software

If this seems like a tedious task, you should know that there are a number of software packages available to help you set up job and skills planning tools.

HRIS software

HRIS software ( Human Resources Information Systems) is an ideal option if you are looking to automate all the processes involved in forward-looking employment and skills management.

The tool is integrated with variousmodules ( talent management, payroll, recruitment, etc.) and makes it easy to centralise human resources . As a bonus, the GPEC tools mentioned earlier (organisation chart, job description, etc.) are directly supported and updated from your software.

In practical terms ,HRIS software allows you to:

• Generate and update the organisation chart,
• list and analyse available skillsin order to draw up a skills map,
• plantraining and recruitment campaigns more clearly, using the repository as a basis,
• store and manage job descriptions.

✅ Choose an HRIS tool tailored to the size of your company and its specific needs. The solutions you choose should be scalable, accessible and in line with your budget.

All our software is listed in our directory . 📁

See all software Performance Appraisal

Our latest advice for the road

GPEC is an essential strategiclever for any company aiming for excellence. By relying on the righttools ( and also our sound advice 😉 ), you can offer your employees prospects for development and turn your human resources into a major competitiveasset. All you have to do is follow goodpractice!