Competency Mapping

Defining a competency

Once the key behaviours in a job have been identified they become the basis of the criteria to be predicted. This allows the assessment tools subsequently used in the assessment centre to be structured, that is, directly related to the competencies shown to determine effective job performance. Almost always the job holders themselves are central to the process but frequently it may involve peers, subordinates, superiors or even customers. The involvement of senior managers especially can often pay dividends from the point of view of gaining commitment and fostering a sense of ownership, this ties in with the points discussed in module one in relation to ensuring that senior personnel buy in to the project.

Key themes involved in securing the commitment of senior managers during the competency derivation process include:

* Involvement of managers in the competency framework design.

* Familiarization with competencies and the behavioural assessment process.

* Application of the framework to solve pressing business/organizational issues.

* Review of the competency framework on a regular basis as corporate strategy develops.

The benefits of an organizationally-specific competency model include:

* The specification of a visible set of agreed standards.

* It can act as a model for improving all aspects of recruitment and development.

* It specifies what selectors should be assessing in candidates.

* It provides the basis for the design of the assessment centre.

* It removes the subjectivity from assessment and performance evaluation.

* It facilitates the evaluation of validity, reliability, fairness and cost benefits.

* It gives a sense of ownership of the competency list.

* It describes competencies in language that is relevant to the organisation.

There are however some drawbacks to having an organizationally specific competency list:

* The list can take time to develop.

* Competencies still need to be weighted for importance.

* It lacks the research base of many generic models.

While it is important to be clear on the distinction between specific behavioural competencies and areas of competence one must remember that competencies are only descriptions of behaviour and that if a competency is too general then it may be impossible to accurately assess the specific behavioural competencies involved. It is generally better to work at a more detailed level when designing the job analysis which will allow the organisation of related competencies into groups under a common heading a later date than to design the job analysis to work at that level from the start and find later that the competencies are too general to be of any use.

It is also important to be clear about the nature of the competencies which are to be assessed. If a job involves competencies that are mundane and which everybody is likely to possess then there is no point in including them. Similarly, if the target job involves a training period for successful candidates then it would not be wise to use competencies that take time to develop; instead the competencies that emerge should be described in terms of potential. For instance, if a number of existing managers are applying for a job then one might reasonably expect them to have a developed a competency like organisational skill to some degree and be able to demonstrate this, if however a number of graduates are being assessed for the same position then it would be unfair to expect them to have the same level of organisational skill, in this case the focus would be on their potential to develop organisational skill with appropriate training.

Competencies should also be observable, remember that things like self-awareness are not directly observable and because they can only be inferred from behaviour confusion is likely to arise when it comes to assessors deciding how they should assess individual's self-awareness. In a desire to be comprehensive there is also a great temptation to produce long lists of competencies but this can be self-defeating. Some competency lists can run to thirty or more, in cases such as this it is almost always possible and certainly advisable to remove some of the less important ones and cluster the remainder together under more general headings. A usual number of competencies are 12 to 15 and most assessment centers tend to use around this number. In addition to making the system as simple as possible by keeping the number of competencies to a minimum it is also important to use descriptive terminology that is as unambiguous as possible, it might even be advisable to avoid using the word 'competencies' at all in order to avoid confusing assessors.

Data Collection

Data collection is the most difficult part as one has to collect the data from the existing employees who might not have sufficient time. To make the best use of time the interviewee was provided with some of the questions b4 hand.

Following were the guidelines followed to be successful at collecting the data: -

Use of open ended questions - Open-ended question allows the interviewee to respond in full and complete manner. A closed question, one that can be answered with a yes or no, only allows the interviewee to confirm or refute the interviewer's assumptions and is best used to clarify a given answer.

Ask for stories and examples - The objective of the interview is