Competency Mapping Certification

COMPETENCY MAPPING IN ORGANIZATIONS  

Competency mapping identifies an individual’s skills and abilities and strengths and weaknesses. The aim of this process is to enable the individual to better understand himself/herself and to point out where career development efforts need to be directed. For competency mapping in organizations to work successfully, it is very important that each competency is defined properly, making use of the competency definition that makes it very clear what these competencies mean. Also, what behaviors the employee needs to demonstrate (called Behavioral Indicators or BI) would allow the organization to ascertain that the concerned employee possesses these skills in varying degrees (called Proficiency Levels or PI). This standardizes the process and makes it reliable so that anyone looking at the competency framework developed through the competency mapping exercise can interpret it easily. This standardization is extremely important as the process of competency mapping is at the heart of the human resource development of an organization. 

The steps involved in competency mapping process are – 

• Firstly, conduct a job analysis by asking office – bearers to complete a position information questionnaire (PIQ). PIQ can be provided for them to complete, or one-on-one interviews can be conducted using the PIQ as a guide. The primary goal in this step is to gather from incumbents what they feel are the key behaviors necessary to perform their particular jobs. By analyzing the key skills required to perform a job, a simple job evaluation can be prepared. It can help in allocating existing or new resources to the particular job based on the evaluation process
  • Using the results obtained from job analysis – one is ready to develop a competency-based job description. This is developed by carefully analyzing the input from the represented group of office-bearers and converting it to standard competencies
  • With a competency – based job description, one can begin mapping the competencies throughout the HR processes. The competencies of the job description then become factors for assessment on the performance evaluation. Using competencies help in performing more objective evaluations based on displayed or not displayed behaviors
  • Taking competency mapping to the last step –  one can use the results of evaluation to identify in what competencies individuals need additional effort or training. This will help focus training needs on the goals of the position and company and help the employees grow toward the ultimate success of the organization.

With global economy spreading fast and the world becoming a global village, organizations have become increasingly aware of the need for having competent and skillful employees and developing distinguished competencies for every organization. Competency mapping in organizations has been proved to be very useful due to the increase in the effectiveness of training and professional development programs because of their link to success criteria. It has also provided a common understanding of the scope and particular requirements of a specific role. It has provided a common, organization wide standard for career levels that enable employees to move across business boundaries and grow towards new heights of success.  

The Potential Benefits of Competency Frameworks 

A competency framework provides a set of working behaviours, aligned with core values that helps to develop the skills of individuals at all levels and focus on individual contribution, skill and knowledge. The framework facilitates a set of values, standards and beliefs to work towards, setting expectations of performance and allowing for learning and development.  

Competency framework fosters a better link between the company’s corporate objectives and personal objectives and allows everyone to work towards shared values. Learning and development is improved since it is directly targeted at the skills gaps in each individual’s competency set which further enhances personal skills and providing better professional opportunities.  

The practical use of competencies

An effective competency framework has applications across the whole range of human resource management and development activities. Competency frameworks are now often seen as an essential vehicle for achieving high organizational performance through focusing on each individual’s capability and potential. Further, this framework can also be a key element in any change management process by aligning people to new organizational demands. Employers use competency framework mostly for achieving the following goals:  

• Underpinning of employee reviews  
• Enhanced employee effectiveness 
• Assessing training needs 
• Career progression 

Strengths of a well-structured competency framework

The main benefits of a competency based structure include the following:  

• Employees have a well structured and defined set of job roles and behaviour and are clear about what is expected of them at work
• The appraisal and recruitment systems are more open and clear
• Recruiters are able to assess and identify required behaviour regardless of career background
• Recruitment processes are measurable and standardized across organizational and geographical boundaries

Competencies serve as the indicator for the organization to the individuals of the areas and levels of performance that the organization expects. They provide the individual with an outline of behaviours as well as skills that are of maximum value. Competency frameworks not only provide clarity, direction and support to the organization’s workforce, but are also an important management tool. They can be applied to enhance performance, retain valuable resources and formulate restructuring in an organization that will provide positive outcomes.  

The most important benefits are:  

• Developing the workforce in a systematic structure while also focusing on the changes in the styles of working
• Mapping the workforce design and succession planning. These include identifying the requirements for a job and aligning the workforce with the growth of the organization
• Retaining employees and delineating their career progression
• Planning out methods of training and development and encouraging employees to take more responsibilities for their own development
• Facilitating a dialogue to bridge the gap between the management and employees, aligning them towards mutual objectives
• Formulating a structured performance management criterion -clarity of expectation, accountability and responsibility
• By measuring competencies properly, it gets easier to pinpoint areas for improvement. It highlights an individual’s strengths and weaknesses so that developmental efforts in those areas can be targeted
• Competency frameworks not only work on an individual level. It can also highlight the issues in the training programs across the organization and provide insight on how to address them
• Apart from the recruitment and selection process, tracking competencies also evaluates performance of the employees for performance appraisal
• A well-structured competency framework also provides a clear picture of the workforce’s ability. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the employees can also revitalize the internal mobility within the organization

Many organizations develop a competency framework to manage performance and organizational progression effectively. However, many individuals find it difficult to use these frameworks to achieve their, as well as the organization’s goals. This is because most individuals do not see the benefits of the framework and are not trained accordingly.