National Seminar On Managerial & Communicative Skills Sant Longowal Institute Of Eng. & Tech.

( Jan 10-11, 2012)

Competency Mapping in Modern HRM

Mrs. Khan Tarannum M. R & Mrs. Pinki Vashisht & Mr. Anirudh Pandit Organization-Aryabhatta Institute of Management, Barnala, Country-India E-mail Address- aaminahk70@gmail.com, vashisht.28@gmail.com,

Abstract Competency Mapping is about identifying preferred behaviors and personal skills which distinguish excellent and outstanding performance from the average. A Competency is the ingredients (skills, knowledge, attributes and behaviors) that contribute to excellence. The use of Competencies can include: assessment during recruitment, assessment during further development; as a profile during assessment to guide future development needs; succession planning and promotion; organizational development analysis. Companies create and use the Competency models to specify the employee behaviors, knowledge, and motivations that they believe are necessary to produce organizationally critical results. it is through the competencies of its employees executives, managers, and individual contributors -- that an organization executes its strategy and achieves results that are crucial to its success. Competency mapping aids in setting standards of behavior and thereby performance for the average work forces to follow. Competency mapping provide employers with concrete and objective information usable in all employment decisions. . As a matter of fact competency is a behavioral and demonstrative ability that is informed to some degree by a conceptual perception. Key words: Competency mapping, Competency assessment, Methods and Steps in Competency mapping, Models. Introduction David McClell and the famous Harvard Psychologist has pioneered the competency movement across the world. His classic books on Talent and Society, Achievement Motive, The Achieving Society, Motivating Economic Achievement and Power the Inner Experience brought out several new dimensions of the competencies. The turning point for competency movement is the article published in American Psychologist in 1973 by McClelland titled wherein he presented data that traditional achievement and intelligence scores may not be able to predict job success and what is required is to profile the exact competencies required to perform a given job effectively and measure them using a variety of tests. He presented evidence that competencies can be accessed through assessment centers and on the job success can be predicted to some extent . With increased recognition of the limitations performance appraisal in predicting future performance potential appraisal got focused and Competency Assessment centers became popular in seventies. The setting up an Assessment center is slated to become an integral part of the HRD plan in near future. Literature review Competency mapping is a process of identifying key competencies for a particular position in an organization, and then using it for job-evaluation, recruitment, training and development, performance management, succession planning, etc. "The competency framework serves as the bedrock for all HR applications. As a result of competency mapping, all the HR processes like talent induction, management development, appraisals and training yield much better results, Competency is defined as any underlying characteristic required to perform a given task, activity, or role Successfully. Competency may take the following forms: 1. Knowledge 2 Attitude, 3 Skill, Other characteristics of an individual includes: 1. Motives 2 Values 3 Traits 4 Self Concept etc. Competencies may be grouped in following four:

National Seminar On Managerial & Communicative Skills Sant Longowal Institute Of Eng. & Tech.( Jan 10-11, 2012)

1. Technical or Functional Competencies:Knowledge, Attitudes, skills etc. associated with the technology or functional expertise required to perform the role 2. Managerial : Knowledge, attitudes, skills etc. required to plan, organise, mobilize and utilise various resources. 3. Human: Knowledge, attitudes and skills required to motivate, utilise and develop human resources. 4. Conceptual: Abilities to visualise the invisible, think at abstract levels and use the thinking to plan future business. Competency models 1. Organizational Approaches Models 2. HR System Approaches Models 3. Team Approaches Models 4. Individualistic Models 1 Organizational Approaches Model Elliot Jaques provides a normative model of effective hierarchical organizations with an emphasis on competencies. The elements include the present and potential competencies of individuals along the dimensions of cognitive capacity, valuing the work, and non-disruptive personality. Peter Senges approach to a whole organization competency model is captured in his notion of the "learning organization." Its essential characteristics include nurturing the growth of new capabilities, transformational learning for survival, learning through performance and practice, and the inseparability of process and content. 2 HR System Approaches Model Dubois focuses on the whole human resources system, but emphasizes competency improvements through training and development strategies and programming: the contingencies are driven by organizational strategy but outcomes are focused on individual employees competency enhancement Charles Snows contingency model links organizational performance to HRM and competency. Strategies depend on extent to which cause-effect relations affecting organizational performance are known and degree of formalized standards of desirable performance

3 Team Approaches Model Campions model, which applies to professional work, suggests that teams composed of individuals with complementary competencies are more effective and have higher levels of job satisfaction than teams whose members have the same competency sets. This is especially true for work that is complex and varied in scope. 4 Individualistic Models Traditional Person-Job Match Model- This model assumes that employees have jobs with specific and identifiable tasks. Work is generally standardized and repetitive in an organizational hierarchy. Job performance is readily verifiable. This model works best with organizations defined by stable environments Strategy Based Model- This model assumes that employees have roles defined by the organizations strategic goals. Work is flexibly defined and often carried out in a flattened, decentralized or matrix structure. Role performance is only partially verifiable. This model functions most effectively in organizations in competitive, complex or highly stressed environments. The Strategy Development Model-This model assumes that employees with broad, strategic Attributes will create their own roles which interact to produce the organizations strategy. Work is constantly evolving within a network of organizational relationships. This model is described in terms of organizations in chaotic, unpredictable, or very rapidly Changing environments. Intellectual Capital Model-These models emphasize the linkages and dynamic interaction among human capital, structural capital, and customer (client) capital. These models stress the knowledge that resides in employees and strategies to use it and value it differently. Process flow for Competency Mapping (CM) Competency model are position models which are at the heart of every competency-based HR application. The bases of generating competency models are processes. Thus questions that needs to be raised:

National Seminar On Managerial & Communicative Skills Sant Longowal Institute Of Eng. & Tech.( Jan 10-11, 2012)
1.

What does the employee have to be able to do?

2.

What does the employee have to know in order to do it.

Road Map for Functional Competency Mapping:

Competency assessment is the assessment of the extent to which a given individual or a set of individuals possess these competencies required by a given role or set of roles or levels of roles. Assessment centres use multiple methods and multiple assessors to assess the competencies of a given individual or a group of individuals. In order to enhance objectivity they use trained assessors and multiple methods including psychometric tests, simulation exercise, presentations, in-basket exercises, interviews, role-plays, group discussions etc. The methods to be used depend on the nature of competencies. Assessment form The form used by assessors to assess the individuals is posted herein. All the assessors individually assess them and at the end of interview they standardize the grades awarded into one final form. Methods used in competency mapping: 1 Interviews 2 Group work, 3 Task Forces, 4Task Analysis workshops, 5 Questionnaire 6Use of Job

7Descriptions, Formats etc.

8Performance Appraisal

Steps of competency Mapping: 1)Decide the roles for which the competencies need to be mapped. 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, etc.). Identify the role set members of the role holder. The role set members of the role consists of all those who have expectations from the role holder, all those to whom the role holder has obligations to fulfil. For example the role set members of the General Manager in a company may consist of his boss the Vice President (Commercial and Marketing) who is his boss, Four Regional Managers of Sales and Marketing who report to him, seven Divisional Managers who are looking after various products and are reporting to him, GM Quality, the GM Personnel, the GM finance, the MD who often asks for information directly from the GM, the advertising agency MD who deals with him etc.

National Seminar On Managerial & Communicative Skills Sant Longowal Institute Of Eng. & Tech.( Jan 10-11, 2012)

3) Identify the objectives of the function or the 7) Interview the role holder to list the actual department or the unit or section where the role is knowledge, attitude, skills, and other competencies located. required for performing the task effectively. 4) Identify the objectives of the role. What are the 8) Repeat the process with the entire role set main purposes of the role etc. members. If the role set members are too many take 5) Collect the Key Performance Areas of the role those who are very critical. The boss subordinates holder for the last two to three years from the and internal customers should be represented. performance appraisal records. Alternately collect 9) Consolidate the list of competencies from all the the job descriptions if any of the role to make a list role holders by each task. of all tasks and activities to be performed by that 10) Edit and finalize. Present it to the supervisors of role holder. the role holder and the role holder for approval and 6) Get the role holder to list all the activities he is finalization. expected to perform in his role. Group them into a set of tasks. Description of career stages Level 3 Senior Technical leader or guide to a group of Manage Managers professionals Level 2 Professional Technical professional or guide to a Manage Others group of entry level professionals Level 1 Entry Level Professional Manage Self New Entrants/Entry Level professional Career Stage -- I: Manage Self: A manager is new to culture and work environment and learns from others, he/she is responsible for their own work and limited actions and activities like communicating, enabling, building relationships, etc comes into focus. Career Stage II: Manage others: First time managers is accountable for others actions. This stage requires a major transition the responsibility is for getting work done through others, in addition, to own. New managers recognize this intellectually and reject it psychologically. Typically they overpower their direct reports with their expertise. Giving up tasks and responsibilities that earned them a managers title in the first place is tremendously difficult aspect of this stage. Managerial activities like planning, organizing, delegating, monitoring, communicating, enabling, building relationships, etc comes into focus. Career Stage III: Manage Managers: It is an important middle-management position for managing and developing support managers. This stage calls in for different skill sets which include selecting and training first line managers, holding them accountable for managerial work, deploying/redeploying resources, etc. Managers, who fail to become proficient at this stage display poor performance management, fail to build a strong team, have difficulty in delegating, etc. Process Flow for Identification of Talent Pool:

National Seminar On Managerial & Communicative Skills Sant Longowal Institute Of Eng. & Tech.( Jan 10-11, 2012)

5 Point scale to assess potential of individuals at each level of the Career stage: Potential assessment rating scale Criteria Scale

Exercises outstanding performance on this competency far exceeds acceptable 5 standards Exercises very good performances on this competency better than acceptable 4 standards Exercises quite acceptable performance on this competency and meets 3 requirements Performance on this competency is not quite up to acceptable standards. Performance on this competency fails to meet acceptable standards. Note: If any individual is inadequately equipped i.e. he/she shows some gap between his current competency level and required competency level, for his current / next 1-2 level of career stage his assessment stops at that particular level and he would be considered only for the immediate below level career stage where he has exceeded / adequately equipped for all the competencies mentioned for that career stage. 2 1

However, If any individual is inadequately equipped for his current level career stage he/she will not be considered for further potential assessment and talent pool segmentation and training will we arranged for such individuals. Potential slotting Based on the above potential assessment for current and next level of career stage, potential slotting will be done. For potential slotting competency lead is

National Seminar On Managerial & Communicative Skills Sant Longowal Institute Of Eng. & Tech.( Jan 10-11, 2012)

calculated i.e. first the maximum lead that an individual can take is calculated, then the present lead is calculated i.e. Present level Required level. Now Present lead is divided by maximum lead and Potential rating criteria Rating C B A Criteria

percentage is calculated. For slotting, Please use following table and assign A / B / C rating as per the below mentioned criteria and explanation in talent assessment and Segmentation form:

If individuals competency lead lies between 0-40%, it means the individual is equipped for the present level only. If individuals competency lead lies between 40-80 %, it means the individual has potential to compete for the next level. If individuals competency lead lies between 80-100 %, it means the individual has high potential to compete for next two levels.

performance. Based on following combinations of Performance assessment: To assess performance of managerial employees, last 3 performance ratings (01-02, 02-03, 03-04), last 3 performance ratings would be considered. 3 performance of an individual would be assessed point scale (3, 2, 1) would be used to assess using 3 point scale . Performance rating criteria Rating Criteria 3 A / 2 A and 1 B 3 B / 1 A and 2 B Performance assessed as per the scale 3 2

Any other combination of Performance 1 rating with C but not with D and E For e.g. If any managerial employee having 3 performance ratings below Good in any of the last outstanding / exceptional achiever or 2 outstanding/ 3 years would not be considered for Talent exceptional achiever and 1 Very Good / High Management. Achiever rating in last 3 years would get 3 on the Talent segmentation: performance scale. Like wise, if an individual is The next important step is Talent Segmentation having combination of 1 Outstanding and 2 Very where each manager would be placed in one of the Good or 3 Very Good continuously in last 3 years, boxes of performance potential matrix. he would be assigned 2 on the performance scale. Performance and Potential are the two most Similarly, if a performance rating of any individual important element of talent segmentation. Correct in last 3 years is in the combination of 2 Very Good assessment of performance and potential provides and 1 Good or 1 Very Good and 2 Good or 3 Good the building block to talent management process. or 1 Outstanding and 2 Good or 1 Outstanding and Performance and potential can be best understood 1 Very Good and 1 Good, he would be assigned 1 as per following on the performance scale. Individuals having Potential and performance parameters Performance Potential

National Seminar On Managerial & Communicative Skills Sant Longowal Institute Of Eng. & Tech.( Jan 10-11, 2012)

Linked to Present Job Is measurable

Is capable of coming into being in future. Potential rated low is not a write off case.

Consistent good / high performance is a High potential may represent the organizations inventory of future leaders pre-requisite to advancement. High performance is not a sure indicator of Judgment of senior management in assessing potential is the most critical tool ability to move to next 1-2 career stages. for potential identification. Age, career stage, compensation, Potential assessment examines if an upbringing, motivation, style of boss, individual has what it takes to advance culture at workplace etc impact to position of greater management /leadership/ technical skills. performance. Is relative to others Need of competency Mapping 1Increased costs of manpower. 2 Need for ensuring that competent people are available for performing various critical roles. 3Downsizing and the consequent need to get a lot of things done with fewer people and thus reduce manpower costs and pass on the advantage to the customer. 4Recognition that technology, finances, customers and markets, systems and processes can all be set right or managed effectively if we have the right kind of human resources. 5The need for focus in performing roles- need for time management, nurturing of competence increased emphasis on performance management systems. 6And recognition of the strategic advantage given by employee competencies in building the core competencies of the organization. Conclusion Competency mapping can ultimately serve the individual who decides to seek employment in an environment where he or she perhaps can learn new things and be more intellectually challenged. Being able to list competencies on resumes and address this area with potential employers may help secure more satisfying work. This may not resolve issues for the company that initially employed competency mapping, without making suggested changes. It may find competency mapping has produced dissatisfied workers or led to a high worker turnover rate. Competency mapping alone may not produce Comes from within accurate results unless one is able to detach from the results in analyzing past successes and failures. The value of competency mapping and identifying emotional strengths is that many employers now purposefully screen employees to hire people with specific competencies. They may need to hire someone who can be an effective time leader or who has demonstrated great active listening skills. Alternately, they may need someone who enjoys taking initiative or someone who is very good at taking direction. When individuals must seek new jobs, knowing ones competencies can give one a competitive edge in the job market. References 1. http://www.expresscomputeronline.com/200 50131/technologylife01.shtm 2. http://ashusaini.blogspot.com/2010/11/meth odology-for-functional-competency .html 3. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-iscompetency-mapping.htm 4. http://management4you.blogspot.com/2008/ 10/competency-mapping.html 5. http://www.iqpc.com/uploadedFiles/Trainin g/Asia_Training/The_Gateway/competency. pdf 6. http://www.ehresources.com/Samples/sampl e1.html 7. http://www.citehr.com/313-competencymapping.html