Competency Approach to Human Resource Management

Vinay Ravindran

What do we mean when we say “COMPETENCY” ?

Vinay Ravindran

A Competency is an underlying characteristic of a person which enables him /her to deliver superior performance in a given job, role or a situation.

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Competencies are seen mainly as inputs.

They consist of clusters of knowledge, attitudes and skills that affect an individual’s ability to perform.

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Hayes (1979) –

Competencies are generic knowledge motive, trait, social role or a skill of a person linked to superior performance on the job.

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Albanese (1989) –

Competencies are personal characteristics that contribute to effective managerial performance.

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UNIDO (2002)-

A Competency is a set of skills, related knowledge and attributes that allow an individual to successfully perform a task or an activity within a specific function or job.

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What is Common in the definitions?

Competencies• underlying

characteristic of a person’s inputs.

• clusters of knowledge, attitudes and skills

• generic knowledge motive, trait, social role or a skill

• personal characteristics• set of skills, related

knowledge and attributes

Job• superior performance in

a given job, role or a situation

• individual’s ability to perform.

• linked to superior performance on the job.

• contribute to effective managerial performance

• successfully perform a task or an activity within a specific function or job

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Set of SKILLS

Relates to the ability to do,

Physical domain

Attribute

Relates to qualitative

aspects

personal Characteristics or traits

KNOWLEDGE

Relates to information

Cognitive Domain

COMPETENCY

Outstanding Performance of

tasks or activities

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Behaviour Indicators

• A Competency is described in terms of key behaviours that enables recognition of that competency at the work place.

• These behaviors are demonstrated by excellent performers on-the-job much more consistently than average or poor performers. These characteristics generally follow the 80-20 rule in that they include the key behaviors that primarily drive excellent performance.

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Example of a Competency

Analytical Thinking

• The ability to break problems into component parts and consider or organize parts in a systematic way; the process of looking for underlying causes or thinking through the consequence of different courses of action.

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Key Behaviour Indicators

• Independently researches for information and solutions to issues

• Ability to know what needs to be done or find out (research) and take steps to get it done

• Ask questions when not sure of what the problem is or to gain more information.

• Able to identify the underlying or main problem.

• Shows willingness to experiment with new things.

• Develops a list of decision making guidelines to help arrive at logical solutions.

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What is a Competency Model?

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Competency Model

• A competency model is a valid, observable, and measurable list of the knowledge, skills, and attributes demonstrated through behavior that results in outstanding performance in a particular work context.

• Typically A competency model includes• Competency titles • Definitions of those titles• Key Behaviour indicators

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Competency - Broad Categories

• Generic Competencies • Competencies which are considered essential for all

employees regardless of their function or level. - Communication, initiative, listening etc.

• Managerial Competencies• Competencies which are considered essential for

employees with managerial or supervisory responsibility in any functional area including directors and senior posts.

Competency - Broad Categories

• Technical / Functional

• Specific competencies which are considered essential to perform any job in the organisation within a defined technical or functional area of work.

e.g.: Finance, environmental management,etc

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Competency modeling begins the process of building tools to link employee performance to the mission and goals of the organisation .

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Why Competencies ?

Traditional Job Analysis Vs Competency Approach

Job Analysis leads to

• long lists of tasks and the skills / knowledge required to perform each of those tasks

• Data generation from subject matter experts; job incumbents

• Effective Performance

Competency model leads to

• A Distilled set of underlying personal characteristics

• Data generation from outstanding performers in addition to subject matter experts and other job incumbents

• Outstanding Performance

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Distinguish Superior From Merely Satisfactory Performance

The approach allows executives and angers to make a distinction between a person's ability to do specific tasks at the minimum acceptable level and the ability to do the whole job in an outstanding fashion

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Behaviour Indicators Based upon what outstanding individuals actually do

• The competency definitions are based upon outstanding current performance in the organization.

• These competencies do not reflect someone's management theory or an academic idea of what it takes to do the job well, but rather are based on what works within the organization and most directly contributes to top performance.

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The Competencies are Behaviour Specific

It is one thing, for example, to ask whether an employee "takes initiative," a very general concept, open to interpretation, but it is quite another to ask, "Was it typical of this manager to carry out tasks without your having to request that they be done?," a question which has only two answers, "Yes" and "No".

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Holistic Application

Competencies

Help companies ‘raise the bar’ of performance expectations.

Help teams and individuals align their behaviours with key organisational strategy.

Each employee understand how to achieve expectations.

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Alignment of HR systems

Competency Model

Recruitm

ent a

nd

selec

tion

Performance

Managem

entTra

inin

g &

Develo

pmen

t Compensation

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Competency based recruitment

Competency based interviews reduce the risk of making a costly hiring mistake and increase the likelihood of identifying and selecting the right person for the right job

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Competency based Performance Appraisal

Competencies Enable

Establishment of clear high performance standards.

Collection and proper analysis of factual data against the set standards.

Conduct of objective feedback meetings.

Direction with regard to specific areas of improvement.

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Competency based Training

• Competency based appraisal process leading to effective identification of training needs.

• Opportunity to identify/ develop specific training programmes - Focused training investment.

• Focused Training enabling improvement in specific technical and managerial competencies

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Competency based Development

• Competencies

• Contribute to the understanding of what development really mean, giving the individual the tools to take responsibility for their own development.

• Give the line managers a tool to empower them to develop people

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Competency based Pay

Provide an incentive for employees to grow and enhance their capabilities.

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Methodology?

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Steps in Model Building

• Background information about the organisation• Decide on the Occupation / Job Position(s) that

require competency Model(s)• Discuss the application of the competency model• Select a data collection method and plan the

approach• Organize Data collected• Identify main themes or patterns• Build the model - Defining specific behaviour

Indicators• Review the model

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Data Collection Methods

• Resource / Expert Panels

Structured process to get the participants (Job holders, managers HR / training staff) to think systematically about the job, skills and personal characteristics needed for success.

• Critical Event Interviews

Structured interviews with superior performers which involves in-depth probing of a large number of events and experiences.

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Data Collection Methods• Generic competency Dictionaries

• Conceptual frameworks of commonly encountered competencies and behaviour indicators.

• Serve as a starting point to the model building team.

• Can be used in resource panel by asking the participants to select a set of generic competencies related to the job and rate the importance

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Competency model building

A detailed approach

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A Detailed Approach

• Info about the company.• Decision on the job position(s) .• Discussion on the CM application.• Basic data collection on the job

responsibilities(using customized menu)

• Focus group Review job description understand performance criteria Discuss specific behaviours List top ten competencies

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A Detailed Approach

• Critical incident technique - interviewing top performers

• incidents that lead to effective performance

• incidents that lead to in effective performance

• Discuss specific behaviours

• List behaviours

• List competencies

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A Detailed Approach

• Content Analysis

• Group behaviours• Match behaviours to competencies using

competency dictionary as a guideline• Evolve new set of competencies if any• Match behaviour indicators identified through

CIT to the top 10 competencies identified by the focus group

• Review the model and make corrections

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COMPETENCY MAPPING MODEL

ORGANISATION DIRECTION• VISION• MISSION• SHORT TERM & LONG TERM GOAL• STRATEGIES• VALUES

ORGANISATION DIRECTION• VISION• MISSION• SHORT TERM & LONG TERM GOAL• STRATEGIES• VALUES

TRANSLATING THEM INTO ACTIONS FOR ACTUALISATION

ORGANISATION STRUCTURE

ROLES, POSITIONS, JOBS

THROUGH

CORE COMPETENCY OF THE ORGANISATION

ROLE COMPETENCY

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COMPETENCY MAPPING PROCESS

1.0 DESIGNING THE QUESTIONNAIRE

While designing the questionnaire following factors are to be taken into consideration:

1.1 Part - I

1.1.1 Purpose of the job.

1.1.2 Critical Success Factors

1.1.3 Key Result Areas

1.1.4 Key Activities

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CSF - 1 CSF - 2 CSF - 3 CSF - 4 CSF - 5

KEY RESULT AREAS

KRA- 1 KRA - 2 KRA - 3

KRA - 4 KRA - 5

KEY ACTIVITIES

KA - 1 KA - 2 KA - 3

JOB

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

Each Critical Success Factor (CSF) is the end result of multiple Key Result Areas.

Each Key Result Area (KRA) is the end result of multiple Key Activities. Vinay Ravindran

1.1.5 Relationship.

1.1.6 Organization Structure.

1.1.7 Empowerment of the position.

1.1.8 Challenges in the job.

1.1.9 Changes expected in the technology, product,

process etc in the next 2-3 years.

1.1.10 Budget and Controls.

1.1.11 Investment Plan.

DESIGNING THE QUESTIONNAIRE CONTINUED

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DESIGNING THE QUESTIONNAIRE

1.2 PART - II

1.2.1 Academics, Knowledge

Skills Sets

Experience

1.2.2 Competencies

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2.0 DATA COLLECTION

2.1 Clarity of Organisation Direction

2.2 Clarity of Organisation Structure.

2.3 Interview Job Holder.

2.4 Interview Job Holder's Reporting Officer.

2.5 Discuss with the Focus Group if the job are

of the same family.

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3.0 C0MPETENCY DRAFTING

3.1 Rank Order of the list of competencies .

- Guided / Unguided.

3.2 Comparing good performer and average performer

with select list of competencies.

3.3 Use research data and assign competencies

to positions.

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4.0 FINALISE ROLE DESCRIPTION

AND

COMPETENCIES - JOB WISE

4.0 FINALISE ROLE DESCRIPTION

AND

COMPETENCIES - JOB WISE

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5.0 FINALISING CORE COMPETENCIES FOR

• Front Line Management

• Middle Management

• Senior Management / Top Management

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6.0 PURPOSE OF COMPETENCY MAPPING

"Effectiveness of an organisation is the summation of the

required competencies in the organisation".

Gap Analysis

Role Clarity

Selection, Potential Identification, Growth Plans.

Succession Planning.

Restructuring

Inventory of competencies for future planning.

"Effectiveness of an organisation is the summation of the

required competencies in the organisation".

Gap Analysis

Role Clarity

Selection, Potential Identification, Growth Plans.

Succession Planning.

Restructuring

Inventory of competencies for future planning.

Vinay Ravindran

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