Competency Design and Development
Competency Frameworks are like a compass in uncertain times, clearly defining what is expected of employees at all levels of the organisation in terms of behaviours. Well-designed Competency Frameworks are both anchored in the culture of an organisation as well as future oriented and easy to understand and have applications across the whole range of Human Resource management and development activities.
As employees are expected to become more flexible, widen their skill base and take on even more responsibilities, organisations need a method of measuring the changes in behaviour in the workforce. The use of competencies can meet this need.
 'Competency' is now generally defined as “the behaviours that employees must have, or must acquire, to input into a situation in order to achieve high levels of performance”, (CIPD)
For an individual in any organisation to perform well it is necessary both to be able to do a job at a technically competent level and to have the behaviours that reinforce those technical skills. Competencies represent the language of performance in an organisation, articulating the manner in which activities are carried out. They are about “how” people do things rather than “what” they do.
Across many organisations, developing competency frameworks has become the leading process for determining, describing and improving performance.
Our Approach
Buy-in from staff and management into a newly designed Competency Framework is key to the success of its implementation and crucial for the organisation to reap the benefits described above.
To ensure buy-in we involve staff and management in the exploration of how the medium term future is likely to look like for the organisation, what changes are expected and therefore what behaviours employees must display to be successful and to support the organisation to achieve its vision and goals. Involvement of staff also ensures that the language used is appropriate to the culture of the organisation.
We encourage a strong sponsor within the organisation to enable efficient implementation and will work closely with the in-house HR specialists and other groups who have a stake in the outcome of a competency project.
Our consultants, many of whom are experienced trainers and facilitators, can run introductory workshops or support HR specialists in introducing the Competency Framework.
Benefits of a Competency-based Approach
 Aids the progress of organisational change by communicating the new qualities.- Encourages and provides opportunities for employees to develop against these new qualities.
- Enables the organisation to assess a key aspect of employee performance against the needs of the organisation.
- Provides integration of key HR systems involving recruitment, training and development, reward and performance management.
- Improves the quality of training by highlighting training and development needs and incorporating this information into course design and training plans.
- Provides a consistent, known approach to the evaluation and assessment of individuals through selection methods and performance appraisal.
- Improves employees' performance and hence, motivation to take responsibility for their own learning and development.
Competencies are forward looking. They focus individuals onto behaviours that will be key to the future success of the organisation.
Our Experience of Competency Design and Development
Our consultants have a wealth of experience in the design, development and implementation of competency models. Our experience and approach enables us to integrate the use of competencies throughout our range of services and products, from the initial stages of recruitment through to 360 Degree Feedback and Leadership Development.
Example of Competency Frameworks
One of our clients requested the development of a behavioural competency framework. Our consultants interviewed members of the top management team to identify their view on the future of the organisation and behaviours that employees must display within that setting. Independent staff workshops brainstormed possible behaviours and clustered them into competencies and different levels. Throughout the whole development our consultants worked closely with a project team from the client as well as their HR and Learning and Development specialists. The framework was introduced to staff and managers through interactive workshops that not only informed them about the competency framework and changes to the performance management system but also included some skills training to ensure that the competencies will be applied appropriately in the performance management reviews.
If you would like to talk to anyone about how Competency Design and Development or any of our other services can help your business and HR objectives, please contact us.
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