Benefits of a Generic Competency Dictionary

Generic competency dictionaries are essential when developing multiple competency models within the same organization, to ensure that common skills and characteristics are always described with the same competency names. The organization reviews and revises a set of generic competencies, which then serve as building blocks for the construction of the individual competency models. Whenever a competency is used, it has the same general definition, but the behavioral descriptors can vary from one job to the next.

A generic competency dictionary has several uses in model building.

1) It provides a common conceptual framework or starting point for the model building team. The framework is useful in categorizing initial ideas about job requirements, and the model building team can modify or add to the framework.

2) The framework can be used in a resource panel by asking participants to rate the importance of a set of generic competencies selected for relevance to the job.

3) The framework can be used to guide the analysis of critical/behavioral event interviews.

Model builders can use a generic competency framework to note and record each instance of each generic competency. The analyst uses a spreadsheet to record the interviewer’s initials, the page number from the transcript, a paraphrase of the significant behavior, and the names and numbers of relevant generic competencies and behavioral indicators.

The data from each analyst’s spreadsheet is combined to create a database that can be sorted in multiple ways. A list of all instances of a generic competency and its individual behavioral indicators, and the number of instances of each element of the generic dictionary can be quickly tabulated. The final model is not limited to concepts from the generic competency dictionary. A competency can be conceptualized by drawing from more than one of the generic competencies; and some times new competencies unrelated to any of the existing generic ones are identified.

Review Workitect's Competency Dictionary.

Doing More than One Job Competency Model in an Organization

The Multiple Jobs Approach to Model Building

In the Multiple Jobs Approach competency models are developed simultaneously for a set of jobs (e.g., all professional jobs in marketing; all R&D jobs, or all the job in a small organization).

Use of Building Block Competencies

To ensure consistency among these competency models, the first main step is to identify a set of building block competencies from which each competency model will be constructed. One source of building block competencies is a generic competency dictionary: a distillation of commonly occurring competencies and their behavioral indicators into an organized, conceptually clear set of competencies. These generic competency dictionaries can be obtained from consulting firms that specialize in competency modeling and adapted to fit the organization’s language and culture.

Generic competency dictionaries typically focus on non-technical competencies. If the competency models need to include technical skills and knowledge, as is often the case, a set of relevant technicalskill/knowledge competencies can be identified with the help of subject matter experts within the organization.

Identification and Use of Competency Levels

When building competency models with the Multiple Jobs Approach, it is often useful to identify and distinguish different levels of a competency. For example, a first-level management competency model might need to include a basic level of planning skill, but a project management competency model would require a higher level of planning skill. A competency model for nurses might include a basic level of understanding of cardiac knowledge, but the competency model for a cardiologist would specify a higher level of this skill.

When defining competency levels, one approach is to establish a set of levels with general definitions that are used for every competency. Usually, there are three or four levels, as in the following table.

Level	General Definition
Basic	Has the level of skill expected after completion of an introductory training program or course; can perform tasks requiring a limited range of skills; work must be closely supervised.
Intermediate	Has the level of skill expected after significant and varied work experience in the area or completion of several courses; can perform task requiring a broad range of skills; work requires limited supervision.
Advanced	Has the level of skill expected after extensive experience or completion of many courses; can solve highly challenging problems and serve as an expert resource.

Some organizations use a set of general levels like these but develop different definitions of these levels for each competency. The use of competency levels makes it possible to distinguish the requirements of different jobs. Levels are also useful in performance assessment and appraisal. For example, a manager preparing a performance appraisal can use the competency levels to assess an employee on each of the competencies identified for the employee’s job. The use of competency levels also facilitates matching employee assessments with job requirements for internal selection or for career planning.

Use of Core Competencies

  

In applying the Multiple Jobs Approach, some companies establish a core set of competencies for all of the jobs or for all of the jobs within a job family, such as R & D. For example, an organization might decide that the competency model for every job should include Results Orientation, Flexibility, and Customer Orientation. The IT Department might identify additional competencies required in all of its jobs. The competency model for a particular job within the IT Department would include the core competencies for the organization, the competencies for all IT Department jobs, plus several job-specific competencies. This approach can lead to large competency models with 16 or more competencies.

When the Multiple Jobs Approach is Appropriate

This approach is appropriate whenever competency models are needed for several jobs within an organization. The approach is especially useful when it is important to specify technical skill/knowledge requirements.

This approach is also appropriate when HR staff plan to apply the competency models for career planning and succession planning, which involve matching employee assessments to the requirements of multiple jobs.

Because the administrative management of multiple competency models can be complex, many good technological solutions have been developed for this purpose. Some involve purchasing or leasing software, while others involve purchasing a license to use web-based applications that reside on third party servers. Technology facilitates competency assessment, development planning, and internal selection.

Advantages of the Multiple Jobs Approach

One advantage of this approach is that the competency models developed from it cover many jobs in an organization, thus achieving a broad impact. Because there are different competency models for different jobs, this approach also facilitates HR tasks such as internal selection, career planning, and selection planning, which require matching employee profiles to job requirements. This approach also simplifies comparison of the requirements of different jobs.

Because this approach involves using a common set of building block competencies, these building block competencies can become a common conceptual framework for talking about the requirements of different jobs. Using this common framework, HR staff can develop a training curriculum and other developmental experiences which are applicable across jobs.

Disadvantages of the Multiple Jobs Approach

This approach is inherently complex, because it involves working with many different competency models. Managing the use of multiple competency models can be complex for HR staff, unless they use one of the competency management software applications designed for this purpose.

The complexity of the Multiple Jobs Approach also makes it harder to explain and communicate to staff.

The One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Competency Modeling

In the One-Size-Fits-All Approach a competency model is developed for a broadly defined set of jobs that may have very different responsibilities and knowledge requirements. Most often, the competency model is developed for one level of jobs, such as managers, associates, or senior leaders.

The competency model often includes competencies selected for alignment with the company’s values and strategic direction. Thus competencies may have names like “Respecting All People” or “Bias for Action.”

The competencies are often described in general terms that are not job specific, since thecompetency model covers a broad range of jobs which may have significantly different responsibilities.

When the One-Size-Fits-All Approach is Appropriate

• When line management or HR wants to promote alignment with vision, values and strategy
• When key stakeholders prefer simple solutions and have a low tolerance for complexity
• When HR wants to implement something quickly that will have broad impact
• When the budget for developing competency models is limited

Advantages of the One-Size-Fits-All Approach
The One-Size-Fits-All Approach sends a clear and simple message about what the personal characteristics and skills that the organization considers to be important. A competency model built with this approach is broadly applicable to a large number of employees, as are applications based on the model. For example, a competency assessment tool based on the model can be used with all of the employees in the job. Finally, the use of this approach promotes a common language and conceptual framework to use in describing key skills.

Disadvantages of the One-Size-Fits-All Approach

Because the model is used with a wide range of jobs, employees may not feel that it applies well to their particular job. If many of the competencies were selected to describe what the leaders would like people to demonstrate, rather than what superior performers actually do, people may perceive the model to be more espoused than true. The One-Size-Fits-All Approach is not as useful as other approaches in guiding selection, since selection of candidates for a specific job may require consideration of job-specific skills, knowledge and experience that are not included in the One-Size-Fits-All competency model.

Data Collection in the One-Size-Fits-All Approach

When using this approach, it is less important to identify responsibilities and tasks. Since the model will cover a broad range of jobs, the only responsibilities that are important are ones that apply to all of the jobs. Since the competency model will usually reflect the organization’s mission, values and strategic direction, it is important to talk to senior HR leaders and senior line leaders if possible, to ensure that the mission, values and strategic direction are understood and carefully considered. For the competency model to have credibility, it is highly desirable to conduct interviews with several superior performers. These interviews should focus on obtaining specific behavioral accounts of what these persons did during key job situations such as accomplishments or performance of important and challenging tasks.

Read more in Workitect's Research Report "Key Questions to Ask before Building Competency Models".

The Single Job Competency Model

When deciding how to approach a competency model building project, it is useful to consider three distinctive approaches:

•   Single Job Competency Model
•   One-Size-Fits-All Approach
•   Multiple Job Approach

A project usually focuses on one of these approaches, although it is possible to use a combination of these approaches within one organization.

Single Job Competency Model
This approach focuses on a single, narrowly defined job that is important to the organization’s success and has at least 10 job holders. The jobs covered by the competency model should have similar responsibilities and performance measures. Any requirements for technical skill or knowledge should be similar across the set of jobs. Examples of jobs for which a single job competency model is appropriate include sales representative, customer service representative, project manager, and plant manager.
The single job approach uses extensive and rigorous data collection, to ensure that the competency model contains highly specific behavioral descriptions of what one needs to do and how, in order to achieve superior results. This approach often includes a detailed breakdown of the main responsibilities and tasks and shows how they are linked to the competencies. Compared to the other two approaches, the single job approach is more time consuming and expensive to implement.

Data Gathering for the Single Job Approach
Usually, in the single job approach, data are gathered in multiple ways. For example, job analysis interviews may be used with job holders to identify main responsibilities, break each main responsibility down into tasks and sub-tasks. A resource panel, comprised of several job holders and several managers of jobholders, may be used to gather the same type of information, as well as information about performance criteria and measures and about changes in the business and organizational context that have implications for new and emerging competency requirements. In order to develop highly detailed behavioral descriptions of the competencies, the Single Job Approach almost always includes structured behavioral interviews with superior performers in the job, in which these persons are asked to provide detailed accounts of how they approached several key tasks or work situations.

Advantages of the Single Job Approach
A competency model built using the Single Job Approach has high face validity and high credibility with job holders and their managers. The model provides a recipe for superior performance. The specific behavioral descriptions of the competencies are useful when developing training programs. The rigor of the methodology ensures that if the organization wishes to use the model for selection, there will be a strong legal justification for doing so.

Disadvantages of the Single Job Approach
Because this approach targets a single, narrowly defined job, the competency model and HR applications built on it affect a relatively small number of employees. As noted earlier, the Single Job Approach is relatively expensive and time consuming to implement, especially if competency models are desired for multiple jobs.

When the Single Job Approach is Appropriate
This approach is most appropriate when:

•   There is an opportunity to gain competitive advantage by improving the productivity of people in a key job
•   The potential productivity gains from applying the model justify the time and expense of building it
•   There is a need to use the competency model as a basis for developing a training program or curriculum
•   The organization currently has several superior performers in the job
•   The job is expected to continue to exist in the organization for at least three years.

The One-Size-Fits-All Approach and Multiple Jobs Approach will be discussed in future blogs.

In Good Times & Tough Times, You Need Competent People

People.  Not money, not buildings, not tools.  Competent people are your most valuable resource.  And in tough times, you need them more than ever. You need the right ones, the dedicated ones with drive and good instincts.  You want them as your managers, your supervisors, your division heads – organizers and visionaries who keep your business in top form, efficient now and prepared for the future.  And you want competence, dedication, and drive in your people:  Men and women who routinely get the job done right and on time.

But how can you find and retain those people?  And how can you promote those qualities among your existing employees?

These are the key questions that you need answered:

•  How can I create and keep a unified, motivated workforce?
•  How can I retain and develop my best people?
• How do I find and assess candidates for important positions?

Competencies, job competency models and competency-based human resource applications can provide the answers.

Competencies are the skills and knowledge top performers apply in their work are called competencies. These competencies include personal characteristics, motives, self-concepts, knowledge, and behavioral skills.  The more complex the job, the more important these competencies are.

 Creating an Integrated Human Resource System

Competencies are the key to executing your organization’s strategy and reaching your long-range goals.  But the essential first step is establishing clear short-range and long-range directions.  Organizations that skimp on clarification risk developing competency programs that emphasize the wrong skills and confuse employees.

Once you’ve clarified your strategic directions you’re ready to build a competency-based system that will strengthen and support your organization into the future.  The result of this effort will be an integrated human resource system that:

• Assesses the competencies of current employees
• Rewards employees who meet job goals and develop target competencies
• Provides training and development programs to build key competencies
• Promotes employees strong in needed competencies to fill vacant positions

The Benefits of an Integrated System

The bottom-line benefits of a competency-based system are obvious: Employee motivation leads to increased productivity and higher profits.  But the real values of an integrated human resource system are more complex–and more powerful.  Focusing on competencies will renew your organization.  You’ll uncover startling energies and synergies that can give you the responsive, competitive edge you need.

To learn more about the benefits, and how to create an integrated system, download our 6-page booklet, Competencies & Competitiveness.

Identifying a Set of Generic Competencies

Why should you use a dictionary of generic competencies 

when you can develop your own dictionary?

Because so much competency modeling has been done over the past 40 years, it is not necessary to develop a new competency model from scratch. Consultants and researchers who have done extensive competency modeling work have prepared dictionaries of generic, or frequently occurring non-technical competencies. Each competency in the dictionary usually contains a definition and a set of conceptually related behavioral indictors.  For example, the staff of Workitect has developed several developmental resource guides that include generic competencies. Selecting or adapting a set of generic competencies streamlines the process of competency modeling.

To identify a set of generic competencies for a particular project, the project leader selects relevant competencies from a generic competency dictionary and reviews these with the project sponsor and other appropriate staff. The goal is to identify a set of competencies that will encompass all personal characteristics and skills relevant to the jobs under consideration and all other jobs for which will competency models may be built. Sometimes it is desirable to adapt the names of the competencies and the language used in the definitions and behavioral indicators to reflect language and concepts used in the organization.

If it is important to identify technical competencies, you can consult one or more subject matter experts within the organization to help identify and draft a set of technical competencies for use in the competency-modeling project. The technical competencies should also be reviewed and revised with the project sponsor and other appropriate staff.

Identifying a set of generic competencies is especially important when the Multiple Jobs Approach is being used. The generic competencies are common building blocks used to construct each competency model. These generic competencies ensure use of a consistent conceptual framework across jobs.

The generic competencies are also useful when using the Single Job Approach and the One Size Fits All Approach. For example, if a resource panel is used as one of the data gathering methods, the panel members may be asked to rate the importance of each of the generic competencies to the job under consideration.