There are two types of field values in BigTime that apply specifically to skills matching. It’s not required that you use these fields when creating skills – however, they can be a helpful tool for organizing your skill types. The two skills-specific field values are SKILLS CATEGORY and INDUSTRY TYPE, and you can add them just like you would add any other field value. In this article, we’ll take a look at what each of these values means, and how they can bring order to your skills list.
NOTE: This article, and all other articles in the Skills Matching section, explain how to use BigTime's basic skills matching features. If you need a more advanced tool for skills management that also lets you manage time off and utilization, talk to your customer support person about adopting BigTime's resource management module, BigTime Foresight. You can learn more about this module by visiting the BigTime Foresight section of our Knowledge Base.
Skills Category
Depending on your firm’s industry or specialty, you’ll group your skills under specific categories or umbrellas. The SKILLS CATEGORY field value lets you create and name skill groups with the specific language your firm uses. For instance, your could create a skill category called Development Skills, under which you could group skills like Python Proficiency, Project Management and SQL.
Industry Type
The INDUSTRY TYPE field value gives you a way to specify where a staffers skillset is most relevant, or what their professional background might be. As an example, let's say you run an architecture firm, and you hire an employee with a software background to manage your firm's website. You could create an industry type field value called SOFTWARE, and apply it to that staffer’s skills. That way, if any software-related projects or tasks come your way, you’ll know which staffer you should assign them to.
Now that you understand how to create skills-specific field values, you can start creating skills for your firm. Read the articles below to get started: