Competency Mapping

Chapter 1: BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS A term that has gained wider circulation in the management profession in recent times is Competency Mapping. It is about identifying preferred behaviours and personal skills which distinguish excellent and outstanding performance from the average. A Competency is the ingredients (skills, knowledge, attributes and behaviours) that contribute to excellence.

WHY COMPETENCY MAPPING? Every employee is expected to give 2,400 hour of his / her active time in a year for the organization. What is the organization expectation from the employee? What are the recurring and non-recurring activities? What are the critical abilities (knowledge, attitudes, skills, etc.) and the competencies required to perform these tasks and activities? These are some of the basic but essential questions to be answered in the early stages / phases of the organization.

Traditional Job vs Competency Approach

Thus Competency Mapping has gained importance, due to following several reasons:

Increased costs of Manpower

Need for ensuring that competent people are available for performing various competent roles.

Down sizing and the consequent work to be done with less manpower, low cost and from the competent people and seeing the advantage / result to the customer.

If the organization has the right technology, right resources, right finance, customers and markets, right systems and processes in place then every thing can be set right or managed effectively.

Competency Mapping is important and is an essential exercise. Every well established or big firm or organization should have well established competencies for each employee so that the respective roles can be well performed. These competencies can be used for the following processes:

Recruitment and Selection process

Performance Management (for promotions, incentives)

Training & Development (for carrying out Training Needs Identification process)

DEFINITION OF COMPETENCY

There are different definitions given for Competency Mapping.

According to UNIDO (2002)

A Competency is a set of skills, related knowledge and attributes that allow an individual to successfully perform a task or an activity within a specific function or job.

According to Timothy, Athey and Michael

A competency is a set of observable performance dimensions including individual knowledge, skills, attitudes and behavior as well as collective teams, processes and organizational capabilities that are linked to high performance and provide the organization with sustainable competitive advantage.

What is common in the definitions?

Competency may take the following forms:

Knowledge Attitude Skill Other characteristics of an individual including:

Motives Values

 Traits Self Concept

Defining job competencies is useful in assisting individuals to develop their competencies for that job.

Competencies are contextual. The context is given by the organization, the function, the role, the level and the timing. Normally when the Competency Mapping is done the organizational, the functional and role related contexts are taken into consideration. Thus the competencies required to perform the role of the General Manager in one organization cannot be easily used for another.

For example: General Manager of Finance needs different competencies than those of the General Manager of Marketing. Competencies needed for performing the role of a General Manager differs from that of the Deputy General Manager depending on the organization, its structure, function, profile etc.

METHODOLOGY USED FOR COMPETENCY MAPPING

Resource / Expert Panels Structured process to get the participants (Job holders, managers HR / training staff) to think systematically about the job, skills and personal characteristics needed for success.

Critical Event Interviews

Structured interviews with superior performers which involve in-depth

probing of a large number of events and experiences.

Generic competency Dictionaries

Conceptual frameworks of commonly encountered competencies and behaviour indicators.

Task analysis workshops

Can be used in resource panel by asking the participants to select a set of generic competencies related to the job and rate the importance

Use of Job descriptions, Performance Appraisal formats, etc.

Questionnaire

IDENTIFICATION OF THE COMPETENCIES A detailed approach to identify the competencies is given in the subsequent units of Role Set Based Competency Mapping (RSBCM). In the above methods some of the following steps can be used: 1. Decide the roles for which competencies has to be prepared 2. Identify the location of the roles in the organizational structure. This needs the clarity of organizational structure, defining the role relationships (reporting authority, subordinates, colleagues, etc.).
3. Identify the objectives or roles or functions of the department wherever

competency mapping is to be carried out. Also identify why does this role exist and what are the main purposes of this role?

4. Collect the KRAS or Key Performance Areas of the position for the last 2 years

from the performance appraisal records.

5. Interview the employee (of a particular position for which the competency

mapping has to be done) to list the actual knowledge, attitude, skills and other competencies required for performing the task effectively. Repeat the whole process with all the employees. 6. Consolidate all the competencies. 7. Present this to the group of successful role holders and get them to access the relative importance of each. 8. Identify the Behavior indicators for each competency. 9. Define the level of the competency by identifying the indicators of each level of the competency.

FORMS OF COMPETENCIES:

Knowledge

The set of knowledge required by the candidate / employee for a specific position. This knowledge can be technical.

Skills Skill is the ability to perform physical or mental task. For example: the ability to perform an operation or to prepare a project proposal or to manage a team. Skills require knowledge, attitudes and practices. For example: skill to convince another person to buy a new product, the skill to move or motivate an audience by moving speech. Attitudes Attitudes are predispositions to other individuals, groups, objects, situations, events, issues, etc. Attitudes decide our approach or avoidance behavior. Attitudes are formed from experiences and change from time to time. Values Values are more enduring and more generalized beliefs and attitudes in our personality. They are more permanent than attitudes. Motives & Traits Motives drive, direct and select behavior towards certain actions or goals. For example: achievement motivation is needed for entrepreneurs, influence motivation for teachers and managers. Good qualities like quick reaction, good eyesight are physical characteristics that can be considered as traits or qualities. Traits also mean response patterns to situations. For example: emotional self control, sociability, activity level, reflectiveness, etc. are all traits.

Chapter 2: Mapping Process First stage: of mapping requires understanding the vision and mission of the organization. Second stage: requires understanding from the superior performers the behavioral as well as the functional aspects required to perform job effectively. Tool for the first and second stage: Structured Interview

Third stage: involves thorough study of the Structured Interview Reports a) Identification of the competency based on competency frame work b) Measurement of competency c) Required levels of competency for each job family d) Development of dictionary which involves detail description of the competency based on the indicators. Care should be taken that the indicators should be measurable and gives objective judgment. Fourth Stage: requires preparation for assessment. a) Methods of assessment can be either through assessment centers or 360 Degree Feedback b) If assessment centre is the choice for assessment then tools has to be ready beforehand i. ii. iii. iv. Tools should objectively measure the entire competency required. Determine the type of the tools for measuring competency Prepare the schedule for assessment Training to the assessor should indicate their thorough understanding of the competencies and the tools and also as to how the behaviour has to be documented.

Fifth Stage: involves conducting assessment centre. Usually it is a two day program which would involve giving a brief feedback to the participant about the competencies that has been assessed and where they stand to.

Sixth stage: involves detailed report of the competencies assessed and also the development plan for the developmental areas.

Chapter 3: Competency Assessment process Competency Assessment:

Step 1 : Effective Job Description:

First, We have to create an effective Job Description. Details covered within a job description would be: the job title; who is accountable for the employee; the location of the job; a brief description of what the job entails; a list of duties and responsibilities; working conditions. An effort will be to define clearly what the job is about and what can be expected from the job. Step 2 : Strength and Areas of improvements Approach : Before going for self evaluation of competency approach, Strength and Weaknesses (Areas of improvements) we need to identify. This would give fair, realistic view of the functioning characteristics of the departments activities and would focus on the present status of the functions vis--vis establish linkage with plant/corporate goal.

Step 3: Self evaluation of Core competencies For each of the identified minimum competencies, (here, we need to come out with Numbers related to each activities/job).

Step 4: Self evaluation of Skill levels Based on the Skill description , the Appraise should make self evaluation in terms of his/her level for each skill .The reason for the level rating should be described in column of the excel sheet . The level will be determined based on the following definitions:

a b c d

Level 1: Has basic knowledge/ awareness of the skill Level 2: Has /possesses working knowledge of the skill Level 3: Has/possesses comprehensive skill to the job well Level 4: Has mastered /can coach the skill and can guide others

2. Add up the scores in both the column Required Level and Actual level .The skill index will be calculated as the % of actual scores to the required Scores , as follows : Step 5: Assess Core Competencies:

1. The self evaluation by the Appraisee becomes the basic for assessment of the core

competencies .
2. Enter specific observation (s) in the column OFI (Opportunity

for

improvements ) .These observations should lead to identification of specific Methodologies for Competency improvements.

3. Calculate the score. Each core competency has two points if it is fully met and 1

point if it is partially met.

4. In the Table for Competency Improvement Plan write a plan of action to deal

with.
a) Identify a Training input if the Appraisee had not been exposed to the core

competencies, of if S/he needs an advanced input.

b)

If there are attitudinal issues impacting the exhibition of the Core competencies, a personal counseling by Appraiser, Reviewer, and HR should

be planned and this should be documented.

c) If the conceptual input have already been provided, or if such input are easily

available (through books, Professional magazine, Manuals, Internet) to the Appraisee, then it is a question of Self development. Step 6 : Assess Skill Level : a) For each position, the skills should be defined . Based on the Skill Dictionary (which we have to prepare for the positions), need to be assessed. The Appraiser will conduct this assessment, based on the reasons given by the Appraisee in the Self evaluation. Before commencing the Appraiser should seek the view of the Reviewer on the Appraisee.

Based on the discussion, the Apprise actual level should be determined and entered.
b)

Wherever the Actual scores are lower, enter specific comments in Remarks column to Identify Training and Self development opportunities for the Appraisee.
c)

d) Add up the scores in both the columns Required level and Actual level .The skill Index is calculated as the % of Actual Scores to Required Score. In the table for Skill Improvements plan identify specific plans for improvement. Identify An appropriate Training input, Self development plans, assignments etc to help the Appraisee improve his/her skill level.
e)

Step 7 : Calculate Competency Index:: a) The Competency Index for the Appraisee is calculated on the basis of weighted indices for Core Competency and Skills.

Chapter 4: Role Set Based Competency Mapping [RSBCM]