TestGrid Competency Profiling Services

Measurement can be the problem

You were very excited when your organisation introduced a competency profile to describe jobs and
key performances. But using the framework wasn’t all plain sailing.

• There are a worrying number of managers whose judgement seems to be unduly influenced
either positively or negatively by performance in a single competency.

• In some divisions, people just won’t use any score on the rating scale except the score in the
middle.

• In some divisions, especially those with tight team networks no unfavourable ratings are ever
given.

Finally, the data was not as reliable or as comparable between departments as you would have liked.

The introduction of the competency framework was meant to simplify the processes of recruitment
and development, but something more was required.

Competency Mapping is the Solution

Competency mapping is the process in which valid and reliable measurement tools are mapped to
your competency framework to provide evidence of the abilities, motivational facets, personality traits
and cultural fit essential to on the job success.

Many tools can be used as measurement tools including mental abilities tools, scenario based specific
competency indicators, special aptitudes measures such as mechanical reasoning and personality
profiles.

Valid and reliable tools are tools which not only have a performance component which is the same for
all participants, but they also report performance against a relevant comparison group. In a classic
competency mapping process, your high performers would provide the comparison group.

Competency Mapping - an example

The Apollo Profile is a valid and reliable measure of work preferences, motivations, values and
behaviours of on the job performance. Its six levels of reporting establish normative benchmarks for
competent performance in executive management, management, call centre and general workforce
roles. Or you can create your own normative benchmark using your own workforce and establishing
your own standards of competent performance.

By using the Apollo Profile, both the self ratings and the 360 degree ratings are reported relative to a
clear standard of competent performance which has already been measured.

Professor Richard Hicks, and Mr. James Bowden developed the Apollo Profile in 1995/96. The
developers saw the need for a user-friendly tool for use in two contexts:

• to assist professionals and managers in their human resources decisions

• to aid individuals in their personal career decisions.

TestGrid Suite 14, 25 Claremont Street, South Yarra VIC 3141 Phone. +61 3 9829 7600 Email. sales@testgrid.com Web. www.testgrid.com
 The Apollo Profile is the result of studying around 7,000 candidates – Appendix 3 Apollo Technical
Data. It was released as the New Millennium version in September 2002.

Experienced HR practitioners will recognise the application of many theories: Jung, Maslow, Hershey
and Blanchard, Kilman, Herzberg, McClelland, Belbin, McGregor, Argyris, and the Five-Factor Model
of Personality (Costa and McCrae 1992). It was designed from the outset to be used internationally.

The TestGrid competency mapping service ensures that the values, traits, motivations and behaviours
measured using the Apollo Profile are reported in terms of your own competency framework.
TestGrid has already had experience of mapping the Apollo Profile to common competency profiles
such as the Lominger system and to proprietary systems.

Attachment A sets out the factors reported using the Apollo Profile. You will immediately identify
how some of the competencies in your own framework relate to some of these factors. Competency
mapping is the process of matching Apollo factors with each competency from your framework.

The Competency Mapping Process

The process is the same irrespective of the tool or tools being mapped.

Step One: Purpose and content

You decide the purpose of competency mapping-recruitment or development. If for recruitment.

You provide us with your competency framework and the levels of performance expected.

Step Two: Evidence

You:

Designate a group of core managers

Designate a group of core high performers in all relevant levels of performance

Managers and high performers complete the relevant tools

Managers attend a stakeholders interpretation day so that they can understand how the
profiles relate to the competency framework.

Step Three: Mapping

TestGrid’s experts assess

organisation benchmarks for high performance at the appropriate levels.

the correlation of the tools’ output to your competencies

if the purpose is recruitment, the cutoff scores for screening out participants.

Step Four: Scoping report development

Once the mapping has been accomplished, a report format that meets your needs will be designed
and the development work scoped and quoted for. (You can choose to have additional narrative
written, behavioural interview questions or to link the results into your own development offerings).

You accept the quote and the specialist work is programmed.

Step Five: Report Delivery

You receive the beta version of the report, test with a pilot group, and confirm contents. Final touches
to the report are programmed.

Don’t have a competency framework?

TestGrid can provide you with a competency framework to describe performance and offer you a
number of measures to assess and report competencies. The TestGrid framework uses 18
behaviours and 30 motivators that cover all common work roles at the five levels of performance
common to most industries.

For more information contact TestGrid today 03 9829 7600 or via email sales@testgrid.com

TestGrid Suite 14, 25 Claremont Street, South Yarra VIC 3141 Phone. +61 3 9829 7600 Email. sales@testgrid.com Web. www.testgrid.com
 ATTACHMENT A

CAREER DRIVES LEADERSHIP AND INFLUENCE

• ACHIEVEMENT • DIRECTIVE:
Desire to achieve results Willingness to lead from the front
• AMBITION • DELEGATIVE:
Strength of ambition Willingness to delegate
• REMUNERATION • COACHING:
Concern with remuneration Willingness to coach others
• RECOGNITION • POWER:
Need for recognition Desire to have authority
• INDEPENDENCE • DECISIVE:
Need for independence Speed of decision making
• PERSUASIVE:
Willingness to persuade others

STRATEGIC ORIENTATION CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLE

• GOALSETTING • ASSERTIVE
Willingness to set goals Willingness to address conflict
• ANALYTICAL • COMPETITIVE
Preference for analytical thinking Willingness to be verbally competitive
• PROACTIVITY • COLLABORATIVE
Need to plan and be pro-active Desire to collaborate with others
• INNOVATION • COMPROMISING
Desire to be innovative and flexible Willingness to compromise

PEOPLE ORIENTATION WORKSTYLE

• AGREEABLE • CONSCIENTIOUS
Need to get along with others Need for structure and to be conscientious
• EXTRAVERSION • DETAIL
Workplace extraversion/introversion Desire for detail
• INTIMACY • SELF ORGANISATION
Need for workplace friendships Willingness to self-organise
• TEAMWORK
Desire to belong in a team

COPING VALUES

• STRESS • ALTRUISM
Resistance to stress Values helping others
• SENSITIVITY • TRUST
Sensitive to the needs of others Values trust and openness
• RESPONSIBLE • LOYALTY
Willingness to accept responsibility Values loyalty
• SECURITY • CONFORMING
Need for job security Desire to conform

TestGrid Suite 14, 25 Claremont Street, South Yarra VIC 3141 Phone. +61 3 9829 7600 Email. sales@testgrid.com Web. www.testgrid.com