Competency modeling

For most of my blogs thus far, I have been seek out the most technical information that I could find. I have read about ten articles on each topic before I blogged it. I have gotten the full understanding of one them yet. So I am trying a new approach. This is a research paper on the competency modeling approach.

Career and Competency Pathing: The Competency Modeling Approach
By Maggie LaRocca

Maggie LaRocca
Learning Program Manager
Hewlett-Packard Company
maggie.larocca@hp.com

LaRocca opens by explaining that competencies are behaviors that encompass the knowledge, skills, and attributes required for successful performance. In addition to intelligence and aptitude, the underlying characteristics of a person, such as traits, habits, motives, social roles, and self-image, as well as the environment around them, enable a person to deliver superior performance in a given job, role, or situation. I am able to clearly understand all of the factors that she has attributed to the approach. The focus of her paper is to describe how organizations identify their core competencies and how they are applying this competency data to improve performance, which she clearly stated.

Chris Wright is the founder, President and CEO of Reliant (www.reliantlive.com). Dr. Wright leads the development of Reliant's Strategic Talent Management products and content.

Leadership is an outcome

For example, Leadership is not a competency. Effective leadership is an outcome. To be an effective leader, one must possess many core competencies including, but not limited to motivating intrinsically, strategic planning, initiation, decisiveness, people reading, public presentation, information integration, and industry knowledge.

Good competency models will contain definitions and behavioral elements that are highly specific and well defined. If a competency model is based on scientific research, the vendor can provide you with the corresponding articles.

You may also find it useful to create a competency model based on your specific organization. Below is a step-by-step process for creating a competency model and utilizing that model within your organization.

1. Identify the high-impact jobs or positions within your organization.
2. Determine the outcomes expected as a result of successful performance within this position. These outcomes should be directly linked to the organizational objectives.
3. Identify the technical and behavior competencies necessary in achieving the desired outcomes.
4. Assess the candidate using behavioral assessments that have been validated against your competency model.
5. Create and utilize behaviorally-based interview questions that compliment the behavioral assessments and are mapped directly to the competencies.
6. Develop learning opportunities to foster growth in the core competencies necessary for success.
7. Institute performance management and developmental processes around the competency model.
8. Integrate the competency model within your succession planning strategies to identify and develop candidates for succession into your critical jobs.

Competency modeling is an important step in the development of an effective talent management strategy. It can greatly increase the hiring manager’s success rates in finding and developing the talent needed to keep their organizations competitive.