Closing the skills gap in tech teams with holistic performance insights

In today’s technology-driven world, one constant is change. Cloud adoption, DevOps, Gen AI integration, and rapid digital transformation are redefining the nature of tech roles. As a result, organizations are discovering that the most pressing challenge is not recruiting new talent but unlocking and evolving the potential of the talent they already have.

The widening skills gap in tech teams is no longer a future problem but a present risk. To stay competitive, tech leaders need more than just data; they need performance insights that are rich, multidimensional, and actionable. By focusing on these holistic insights, organizations can identify hidden skill gaps, foster a culture of learning, and ultimately build more adaptable, high-performing tech teams.

The term skills gap is often misunderstood. It’s not just about missing knowledge of the latest programming language or tool. In tech teams, gaps can exist in communication, collaboration, leadership, and adaptability. These areas are essential in today’s cross-functional and agile work environments.

Take, for example, a cloud engineer who’s technically proficient but struggles to coordinate with DevOps teams. Or a product lead who is excellent at strategy but lacks mentoring skills to guide junior developers. These issues don’t always show up in formal performance reviews or delivery metrics, but they impact efficiency, innovation, and team morale.

What makes the situation more complex is the dynamic nature of tech itself. The skills required today may not be the same as those needed six months from now. That’s why companies can’t rely solely on annual performance reviews or output-based assessments. They need systems that provide continuous, holistic performance insights to help them stay ahead.

Performance insights refer to a comprehensive understanding of an employee’s contribution across their tech skills, collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and growth potential. These insights extend beyond binary metrics, such as ‘tickets closed’ or ‘code quality scores.’ Instead, they provide a 360-degree view of how an individual or team operates within the broader organization.

One of the most effective methods of generating performance insights is through 360-degree feedback. Unlike traditional top-down evaluations, this approach gathers input from a variety of sources, including peers, subordinates, supervisors, and even clients.

This richness of feedback provides a roadmap for development that is far more nuanced than standard performance metrics. Mercer | Mettl’s 360View enables organizations to design and implement feedback processes tailored to tech roles, making feedback more relevant, structured, and scalable.

Tech roles are often hybrid, requiring both deep technical expertise and strong interpersonal skills. A software architect must not only understand systems but also be able to explain them to non-technical stakeholders. A data engineer must translate business problems into scalable solutions.

This complexity means that feedback needs to reflect a diverse set of interactions, not just a manager’s perspective.

Key reasons why 360-degree feedback works well in tech

• Multidimensional input: Developers don’t work in isolation. Peers, testers, designers, and clients all provide valuable perspectives.
• Encourages ownership of development: When tech professionals see how they’re perceived across the board, they’re more likely to take initiative.
• Improves soft skill visibility: Critical thinking, communication, and adaptability, often the hardest to measure, are captured through peer and cross-functional feedback.
• Enables data-backed L&D: Insights from 360 feedback can be mapped to tailored training plans using platforms like Mercer | Mettl’s assessment solutions, ensuring L&D is purposeful and measurable.

Define what success looks like

Identify the mix of technical and behavioral competencies critical for each tech role. For instance, a DevOps engineer may require knowledge of cloud security, collaboration skills, and incident response agility.

Use the right tools

Select a platform that can scale across tech teams and offer customizable feedback templates. Mercer | Mettl’s 360View allows tech organizations to define competencies, gather feedback, and generate insight-rich reports.

Build a culture of constructive feedback

Communicate the intent of feedback cycles clearly – development, not judgment. When team members trust the process, they engage more deeply.

Analyze with context

Feedback should not be read in isolation. Look for patterns. Are multiple people highlighting similar gaps? Are specific competencies consistently rated low across teams?

Link insights to action

Insights only create impact when acted upon. Pair feedback with skill-based learning modules or mentoring programs to enhance the learning experience. Mercer | Mettl offers assessments that can validate skill improvements post-intervention.

Repeat and evolve

Performance management is not a one-time activity. Plan for regular feedback cycles, for instance, every 6 months, is a good start, and refine the process as needed.

How can organizations know if their efforts to close the skills gap are working? These key metrics offer clarity:

• Competency improvement scores: Track before-and-after skill ratings across cycles.
• Team performance metrics: Monitor project delivery timelines, quality metrics, and defect rates to ensure optimal performance.
• Internal role progression: Watch how many employees move into new roles based on development feedback.
• Learning completion and ROI: Evaluate whether employees are engaging with L&D programs and whether those programs effectively address the gaps identified in feedback.

Tech teams are the engines of modern organizations, but even the best engines need fine-tuning. As the demand for newer, faster, and more innovative solutions grows, so does the need for continuous growth and upskilling within these teams.

By leveraging holistic performance insights, organizations can move from reactive to proactive talent development. Tools like Mercer | Mettl’s 360View and assessment platforms not only provide the feedback loop but also offer a framework for acting on it.