HR-XML Competency Management:Current Activities

ePortfolio & Digital Identity Conference

Chuck Allen, HR-XML Consortium, Inc.

HR-XML in 2008“The recognized authority on, and leading source of, global interoperability standards for human resources management.” Now in its ninth year, but relatively young compared to peer organizations.Global – Broad interest in HR-XML in North America, Europe, Asia.Solid adoption across many sectors, but still much to be achieved. Beginning far-reaching re-architecture (our last in 2002). Known as “HR-XML 3.0”.

Recruiting• Candidate• Position Posting• Resume• New Hire

Benefits• Enrollment• Savings Plan Enrollment• Stock Plans•Audits

Staffing• Staffing Order• Assignment• Resume• New Hire

System Provisioning

• User Account• Indicative Data

Assessments• Assessment Order• Assessment Result• Assessment Catalog• Catalog Query

Payroll• Payroll Benefits Contributions• Payroll Instructions• Indicative Data

Background Check• Screening Order• Screening Report• Credit• Drug Test Result

Performance• EPM Result• Objectives Plan• Development Plan

Time • Time Card• Time Card Configuration

HR-XML Scope• HR-XML covers diverse sub-domains. • 40+ nouns; 2500+ components in HR-XML 3.0

Talent Management Stack

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Data Sources: ERP / HRMS / External DataBus

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Reporting / Analytics / Bus. Intelligence

Competency Management

Presentation: UI / Portal / Dashboards

Integration Services

Looks something like this…

Competencies

Thinking About Competencies

ContextDefinition

Evidence

Competency Conceptual

Remembering Claude Ostyn

A model Claude presented at HR-XML’s April 2002 meeting shortly after the release of HR-XML’s competencies specification shapes a lot of our thinking in the remodeling of competencies within the HR-XML library.

Thinking About Competencies

Definition

Evidence

Context

More attention to context in HR-XML 3.0 models.

The prior 2.* competency model was all-purpose. A way to associate a competency with a person or associate one with a position or developmental tool, etc.

HR-XML 3.0 model will recognize that evidence and dimensions are different and handled a bit differently based on whether the competency information is associated with a person or position (or similar entity – a role, a learning program, etc.).

Context

Competency Conceptual

Competency: Priorities• Time to re‐factor a “multi‐purpose element” into components. 

Drafts have been prepared and are being used as placeholders in our library conversion. 

• PersonCompetency. A competency at a specified level of proficiency. Context example: Candidate

• PositionCompetency (a competency associated with a position or role with a weight relative to peer competenices). Context example: PositionOpening

• Specified Competency References. Thin reference to a competency – ID, name – with a specified level of proficiency. Context examples: Assessment, Performance management

• PositionCompetencyModel – puts “Qualified Position Competencies” (and groups thereof) in the context of a position.

• Other components? RCD?  A model for taxonomies?

Thinking About Competencies

ContextDefinition

Evidence

DimensionsA measurable characteristic.Some dimensions explicitly defined:

Proficiency Level - a level of attainment or mastery. (“Specified Competency”)

Weight - a relative level of importance among peer competencies within a context. (“Qualified Competency”)

Others may be value added, proprietary, or vary according to the taxonomy source – Need to provide a way to plug these in.

Vary by context:Position: ProficiencyLevelDesired;

ProficiencyLevel Required; FrequencyOfUse

Person: ProficencyLevel (asserted or assessed); LevelOfInterest

Competency Conceptual

HR‐XML Competency 2.*

• Time to re‐factor a “multi‐purpose element” into components.

• Uses of Competency 2.*– A container for competency definitions.

– A way to exchange taxonomies.

– A way to reference specific competencies.

– A description of a qualified competency associated with a position. (e.g., proficiency required and desired, relative importance ‐weight‐ among sibling competencies, evidence policies, etc.)

– A record of a specified competency associated with a person (e.g., a measured or asserted proficiency level, associated evidence, dimenisions such as level of interest, etc.)

Scope Competency 3.0?

• More and less. Not a general purpose reusable, but a collection of types tailored to specific use cases.

• Give workgroups something they can use in place of the existing 2.* model. 

• PositionCompetencyModel. Would build on the “position competency” work above.

Person Competency

Position Competency

EPM Competency Result

Performance Management

HR-XML doesn’t build Talent Management Systems or prescribe measurement/management approaches (e.g., balanced score card, KPI, etc.)Simply stated, we are focused on EPM inputs and outputs –in particular where there was an identified need for arms-length integration. HR-XML cataloged many, many employee performance management use cases. e.g., providing systems with competency content, job competency models, interactions with recruiting systems for internal hires, etc., EPM program enrollment (employee data provisioning). Started with “EPM results” – most strategic/useful. Likely to get back to other use cases (e.g., employee provisioning).

Why “EPM Results”?

Provide High-Level Result

HRISCore HR System

Provide Full Result

Business PerformanceManagement System

Provide DevelopmentPlan

Provide ObjectivesPlan

Provide Interim Resultsagainst plan

Provide RemunerationRecommendation

Competency, Assessment,Other Talent Mngt Sys.

Learning ManagementSystem

Compensation ManagementSystem

EPMSystem

EPM Results:Actors /Use Cases

HR-XML EPM Results High-Level Data Model

JobCompetencyModel

CompensationRecommendation

CompetencyResults

ObjectiveResults

NewDevelopmentPlan

PastDevelopmentPlan

PastObjectivesPlan

NewObjectivesPlan

PerformanceManagementResult

Inputs

Outputs

(Formal or Ad Hoc)

Aggregation = “is part of”

Dependency

EPMResult (full result)Overall ScoreObjectives Rating (I’ll take a brief look)Competencies Ratings (Adam will address)

Competency Group RatingSingle Competency Rating

Behavioral Indicator Ratings“Other” Ratings

Handles Multi-Rater AppraisalsEPMSummaryResult (HRIS target)EPMObjectivesResult (Ent. Performance Mngt.; Compensation Mngt.)EPMRemunerationResult (Compensation Mngt.)EPMObjectivesPlan (Ent. Performance Mngt.; Compensation Mngt.)EPMDevelopmentPlan (Learning Mngt.)

HR-XML EPM Result Components

Competency Management Sys.

HRIS EnterprisePerformance Mngt.

Compensation Mngt.

LearningOther Tal. Mngt.

CreateObjectivesPlan

CreateObjectivesPlan

ProcessInterimObjectivesResults

ProcessInterimObjectivesResults

ProcessSummaryResult

ProcessEPMObjectivesResults

ProcessEPMObjectivesResults

ProcessEPMFullResult

CreateEPMDevelopmentPlan

Additional Operations in 3.0

Assessments

Scope: HR-XML Assessment Spec

A “procurement specification” for assessments. Consists of:

Assessment CatalogAssessment Catalog QueryAssessment OrderAssessment Order Acknowledgement (Status)Assessment Status RequestAssessment Order CancellationAssessment Result

Employer Interests In Assessments

Employers are using assessments more frequently to support candidate selection and decisions related to promotion, succession planning, and employee development. Integrated assessments get measurement data to the right people at the right time to support solid decisions and effect organizational change.

Opening distribution channels for testing services. Removing integration as an obstacle to obtaining new business.Differentiating services by satisfying customer requirements for advanced real-time integration and standards conformance.Reducing time spent on low-value interactions with the client (e.g., Handling phone calls to see if candidate has taken the test yet; fax and mailing of results, etc.).

Assessment Provider’s Interests

SecureAccessVia Web

App

ResearchTests Apply FilterAssessment Catalog

Query

ReturnResult

Assessment CatalogSelectTests

OrderAssessment

Assessment OrderRequest

Receive/Begin Assessment

Check Status Assessment StatusRequest Check Status

Return StatusAssessment

Acknowledgement

AssessmentResult Publish Result

Apply ResultWithin ATSWorkflow

AssessmentAcknowledgement Acknowledge

Order

Case StudyBusiness services company with more than 28,000 employees in US and Canada and $3 Billon in annual sales.

Looking for more than a driver – employees play multiple customer‐facing roles – delivery, service, and sales.

Company used targeted assessments to test for associated competencies.

Desired an integrated solution between its ATS and assessment provider.

Wanted to harness the efficiencies of on‐line applications, but wanted candidates to test in person.

Wanted to provide managers with actionable information to guide hiring decisions while reducing their administrative burdens

1. Candidate applies for job at Internet portal.2. Employer orders assessment if candidate

satisfies threshold requirements.3. Assessment Co. acknowledges order/schedules test.4. Candidate tests using on-site employer kiosk. 5. Results processed in near

real-time (in seconds) upon submission by candidate.

6. Results and interview guidance go to hiring manager.

7. If candidate satisfies threshold requirements, he/she is interviewed while still on-site.

Manager conducts “just-in-time” interview if candidate passed threshold requirements.

IntegratedAssessmentScenario

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HR‐XML 3.0 Architecture

Roadmap: Where We’re Headed• HR‐XML 4.0: 

– Completely model‐driven, syntax neutral?

• HR‐XML 3.0: – First major, non‐backwardly compatible release 

since 2002. 

• HR‐XML 1.0; 2.(*)– Long live 2.* ‐ will continue to support

– All the advantages and disadvantages of being by‐passed by EDI.

– Pioneering, ground breaking work.  Captured a rich set of domain expertise.

Where Does 3.0 Stand1st Q 2009 BallotOct. 13 Release of Candidate Specification at the Partnering and Integration Summit.June. Initial analysis and conversion of library to new modularity model is nearly complete.

2_5: 4882 ComponentsWith 90 percent the library converted: 2400 Components.

HR‐XML 3.0 Goals

Bring the large library we’ve developed over 8 years under a uniform architecture.

Support interoperability with the major ERP/HRIS vendors (ADP, Lawson, Oracle, SAP).

Align with approaches advanced by the Open Applications Group and UN/CEFACT.

Deliver component library that others will be able to reuse flexibly.

Flatten, Simplify, Prepare for more change.

New Messaging Architecture

2.* handled work‐group‐by‐workgroup.  Included things like special purpose “GetStatus” messages. A pure RPC design.

3.0 uses OAGi BODs. BODs aren’t RESTful, but they are arguably resource oriented. 

Narrow set of course‐grain verbs. Act on stored resources through combination of verb, noun, express (sets the scope of what is to be acted on) and “field selection.” 

2009 RESTful service description templates?

Core Components

• HR‐XML’s won’t access “core‐component types” directly – HR‐XML fields will be built with “unqualified” and “qualified” data types.

• Benefits:– No longer have to wrestle with technical nuances of a large number xsd:datatypes.

– Most everything thing we need is there.

• May use certain xsd:types where equivalent to cc types.

UN/CEFACT

• United Nations Centre for Trade facilitation and Electronic Business, (UN/CEFACT).

• The “Core Components Technical Specification” (CCTS) is the cornerstone of the UN/CEFACT approach to developing business languages. 

• Encourages all business languages to be based on same concepts.

• CCTS is complex – HR‐XML’s task in implementing CCTS is made somewhat easier by implementing OAGIS architecture based on CCTS.

Unqualified Data Types

• AmountType

• BinaryObjectType

• GraphicType

• PictureType

• SoundType

• VideoType

• CodeType

• DateTimeType

• DateType

• TimeType

IdentifierTypeIndicatorTypeMeasureTypeNumericTypePercentTypeRateTypeQuantityTypeTextTypeNameType

3.0/Resources/Components/CoreComponents/UnqualifiedDataTypes.xsd

Library Structure

HR‐XML 2.*

What Does This Mean?

• HR‐XML workgroups will be able to more easily build documents with a tighter correlation of content to use.

• Better able to deliver on projects such as “talent management provisioning” begun last year.

• HR‐XML becomes more valuable as a resource for implementers to use in constructing their vocabularies. Better able to “snap in” HR‐XML content directly rather than using HR‐XML merely as a source of ideas.

• Easier for implementers to re‐use HR‐XML components within UserArea extensions.

• Not all content will be global, some left locally scoped within particular documents (that which has “composition” versus “aggregation” relationship – in other words, the stuff not likely to be reused elsewhere.)

Fields<.xsd>

Components<.xsd>

Codelists<.xsd>

EnumeratedValues, “Lists”

“ReusableAggregates”

“Leaf-Level”Elements,

SimpleTypes,Complex Types

With SimpleContent

3.0/Resources/Components/HR

HR reusable content will have the similar modularity model as OAGIS common components – Fields, Components, Codelists.

– BODs

– Developer

- ProcessTimeCard.xsd (HR-XML target namespace)- Optional - ProcessOnlineOrder.xsd (OAGIS target namespace)

– Resources

– Components

Financial

HR

+ Common

+

+

+ CoreComponents

– Nouns

- TimeCard.xsd (HR-XML target namespace)- Optional - OnlineOrder.xsd (OAGIS target namespace)

HR‐XML 3.0

- Resources from which “Nouns” / BODs are built

- HR-XML is optionally installed with other verticals

-Globally-scoped HR-XML content here

- OAGIS 9.2 content here (all or subset?)

- OAGIS implementation of UN/CEFACT CCTS

- Messages (Verb-Noun Constructs)

- i.e., modular. Also will have “Standalone” version

- Miss HR-XML 2.*? Look here for equivalent major schemas.

- Globally available content

BODs

Imports

Core Components

QualifiedData Types

<. xsd>

UnqualifiedData Types

<. xsd>

OAGIS Common

Meta

<.xsd>

CodeLists

<.xsd>

Imports

ProcessResume<.xsd>

Nouns

Resume

<.xsd>

HR-XML Components

Includes

Components

<. xsd>

CodeLists

<. xsd>

Fields

<. xsd>

Includes

Includes

Includes

Imports

ModularityModel

New model is not without 

complexities, but promises

improvementover the prior

model.

http://weblogs.java.net/blog/kirillcool/archive/2005/07/visualize_your.html

Codelists

A character string (letters, figures or symbols) that for brevity and / or language independence may be used to represent or replace a definitive value or text of a Property.

• HR‐XML 2.* did not have much organization under our lists – i.e., enumerated values.

• HR‐XML 3.0 gives us the opportunity to apply best practices, the OAGIS architecture, and to simplify/re‐evaluate our content.

Codelists

• External:– Well‐known, official, “standard” codelists for the particular value domain.

– Proprietary codelists.

• HR‐XML Closed:– These are lists HR‐XML develops and maintains. A closed list implies that the list will be implemented without restriction or extension. 

• HR‐XML Open:– Provides a base or suggested list of values. No schema enforcement. No conformance requirements unless workgroups set business rules.

See: http://docs.hr-xml.org/wiki/doku.php?id=code_lists

Naming

The Queen’s English

• CCTS references the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) as the authoritative source for spellings/meanings.

• 20+ volumes in print

• Available by subscription online at oed.com

• Has proven very helpful in solving “choose‐a‐word” debates.

Naming• In 3.0, we are aiming for business‐meaningful, but concise “tag” names, paired with a formal “data element names.”

• Data Element Name, developed in accordance with ISO 11179 and CCTS principles in our analysis and naming.

• This approach moves us closer to our model‐driven ideal. Also provides a way to keep tag names brief.

CCTS/ISO 11179 Naming

HR‐XML 3.0 will involve analysis using CCTS and ISO 11179‐5 concepts.

Under ISO 11179‐5 sets out a model for data elements.A data element name (DEN) is composed of (in order):1. An Object class term 2. Property class term3. Representation termA DEN uses a period ( “.” ) to separate between terms.

CCTS/ISO 11179 Naming

• "Object Class" refers to concepts, abstractions, things in the real world that can be identified within clear boundaries and meanings and whose behavior follow the same rules (examples: person, organization, employer ...)

• "Property" is a characteristic feature shared by all the instances of an object class (examples: age, income, address ...)

• The "representation" describes the data type and its value range (examples: a date can be represented with date or datetime value domains).

ISO 11179/CCTS Naming

Qualifiers

May be attached to object class terms, property terms, and representation terms to narrow or uniquely define a data element. DEN uses a underscore “_”  appended to the end of a term to represent a qualifying term.

Examples:Person. Hire Date. Date

Person. Proposed_ Hire Date. Date  (qualifies the property)

Organization. Name

Employer_ Organization. Name (qualifies the object class)

ISO 11179/CCTS Naming

• Multi‐word object, property, and representation terms also are allowed.

Consider:• Organization. Name. Name

(Organization object class, name property, name representation type)

• Education_ Organization. Name. Name(A profile or narrowed version of the broader Organization object class.)

• Education Organization. Name. Name(This is a different object class.)

Naming: Property Representation

Name Fields by “representation type”. Driven from UnqualifiedDataTypes for example:– IdentifierType – e.g., OrganizationID– CodeType – e.g., JobClassificationCode– IndicatorType (Boolean) – e.g., BillableIndicator– MeasureType (something requiring a unit code)  ‐‐ e.g., HeightMeasure

Aggregates:• When it is necessary to distinguish a component (aggregate) from a field use “Details” – E.g., EducationScoreDetails (not an EducationScore, which may be a field, a collection of data relating to an EducationScore)