The competence of competency frameworks

Many HR professionals write off competency models as outdated, not amenable to scale and static to environmental change. Nothing is farther from the truth. This is only the case when you have frameworks with dense language that require comprehension and navigation on the part of already busy business managers.

BasilTree’s Best Practices offer a roadmap to help you identify, communicate and apply competencies to deliver meaningful business impact.

Identifying Competencies

The first step in leveraging competency models is identifying those that align with strategic objectives. This involves understanding business needs and gathering stakeholder insights to pinpoint high-performance behaviours and skills.

❑ Has the organisational context been considered, including external benchmarks?

❑ Have leaders given inputs on the impact of business goals on desired behaviours?

❑ Has a rigorous job analysis been conducted to develop the framework?

❑ Have high performers across levels been consulted on what they do differently?

❑ Have future requirements of the business been factored into the data collected?

Presenting Competencies

After identifying competencies, present them in clear, culturally relevant language. Ensure they are visually appealing and easy for employees to integrate into daily practices.

❑ Has it been broken into behaviours that people need to demonstrate on the job?

❑ Does it use language that uses the organisation’s culture?

❑ Do the competencies reflect the diverse realities of functions and levels?

❑ Does it use language that is lucid and easy to remember?

❑ Is it short and succinct with a strong visual appeal?

Applying Competencies

The real value of a competency model comes from its application across various HR processes. By embedding these competencies into daily practices, organisations can cultivate the behaviours that lead to success.

❑ Does HR Planning use competencies to know exactly where people’s talents lie?

❑ Do the selection processes ensure that you hire based on success behaviours?

❑ Do you individualise and structure training using competencies?

❑ Does the performance appraisal process link to desired behaviours?

❑ Is it used to identify successors based on success profiles of leadership roles?

Well-crafted competency models are powerful tools for driving organisational success. By focusing on clear, actionable competencies, HR professionals can create frameworks that are easily adopted by leaders, enhancing performance and guiding organisational growth.