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Competencies from a Non-HR Point of View

Guest post by: Bill Cowperthwaite

Article Overview: Properly defined and applied, competencies-the knowledge, skills and abilities needed for success in a job-can take your organizational strategic vision and plan and transform it into reality. A phased-in implementation, with the input, involvement and passion of the workforce and the executive and management teams, secures the benefits and competitive advantage of a Competency-based HR management system.

Competencies from a Non-HR Point of View

I’m a retired military officer, not an HR professional. Hence, I share your perspective as a newcomer to competencies. When I first heard of them, my first question was- what if you did not possess the competencies for your job? Were you incompetent? But that was before I learned that when properly used, competencies are a very powerful and significant way to ensure that an organization is performing at maximum productivity. In fact, I believe that competency-based organizations have a major advantage over their competition.

Competencies: knowledge, skills and abilities for job success

Competencies are the basis for the proper management of your workforce, but it takes commitment from the people, and guts and determination at the top, to maintain the aim and purpose for using them. A simple definition of competencies can help start you on the right track.

Generally speaking, ‘competencies’ are the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) needed for success in a job. It is the job that is paramount and the proper selection of those KSAs for that job that makes the difference in whether they are successfully applied or not. The knowledge and skill elements are somewhat easier to determine than the abilities, but it is in this last area where the benefits of competency-based systems are proven most valuable. Nevertheless, it takes an expert to accurately determine what abilities are appropriate for the jobs under consideration.

Competencies on Your Side

The proper definition and application of competencies can take the strategic vision and plan of your organization and transform it into reality. How can competencies do all that? First of all, it is people that have to execute your plan and that requires that the right people are in the right place doing the right things with the right tools. competencies are the way to ensure that is done correctly.

Think of it this way. If you know, and I mean know, all of the KSAs required for each job in your organization, then you can develop a means of hiring people who have the proper KSAs for the jobs. You can assess and evaluate people for promotion. You can develop performance measures and assessments for development. You can develop training programs to meet specific KSA gaps and needs. You can match people to jobs, you can develop succession systems and you can have a high degree of assurance that your decisions on people are the right decisions.

Implementation: challenges and rewards

Is this easy to do? No, like many things that are simple to understand and operate, it takes time, an understanding that there is a science behind competencies and a will to make it happen. A good deal of work to ensure there is input, involvement, passion and participation from the work force and the executive and management teams is required. Defining the competencies for your particular environment and culture is critical and requires expert help. But having done the groundwork the benefits are more than worth the effort. Reduced tension among the work force, people working in the areas that best suit their capabilities, reduced turnover, increased productivity, and achievement of goals and objectives are just some of the benefits of having a competency-based HR management system.

Phased Design and Implementation: beware the “fixed solution”

A note of caution however- there is a tendency to try to implement competencies across the organization all at once rather than through a phased and well thought out design and implementation process. People who purport to understand competencies that try to drop in a fixed solution that is not tailored to your organization should be avoided. Beware the “How-To” book as a solution too; the successful adoption of competencies requires much more. Competencies are not hard to understand, but ensuring that they are yours and that everyone is on board in using and implementing competency-based systems takes time and work. Quick fixes and short cuts may sell books and cookie-cutter software, but implementing a good competency-based HR system takes specialized thought and application. However, if you want a competitive advantage over traditional management systems, the time and effort spent implementing a good competency-based system is indispensable.

A Word to the Critics

I constantly hear that competencies don’t work and that they are just another passing theme on the stage of HR management. If you are looking for a silver bullet that will solve your HR issues in a day or two, then you would be correct. Competencies won’t work.

However, for the management team that is concerned about having the best workforce available, is committed to integrating their human resource initiatives with their corporate vision and business goals, and is looking to implement and sustain strategic and effective tools and processes from hire to retire, then competencies are the answer. Extensive research and proven examples in both the private and public sector demonstrate as much.

Take Another Look

If you have looked at competencies in the past, and rejected them, I urge you to take a new look with experts that can properly assess your needs and the utility of competencies for your organization. If you have not yet considered competencies as a way to manage and develop your workforce, perhaps now is the time to do so.

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Article Tags: competencies, competencybased management, human resource management



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