Competency-based Talent Management

Working with the right fit

Competency-based management model helps keep organizations focused

What does it take to have the right team for your organization?

Or the more pertinent question is, how do we know that the person we hired has the right attitude and aptitude to work in the job?

The answers lie in competency-based management.

Competency-based management is the HR professional’s best partner; while the interview process in itself can highlight the skills and talents of the potential recruit, it is competency-based management that provides the tools to set the right expectations for each position, and ensures that job descriptions result in more effective and successful recruiting efforts. In this way, hiring decisions are improved, and the headache of having to repeat this process every few months for the same position is greatly reduced.

Performance And Learning Management

The value of competency-based management of course does not end there – it is also very useful for performance and learning management. Performance management helps provide the level of knowledge, the skills, and the types of behaviors expected from the employee who fills each position. With learning management, the employee competencies are improved to meet performance, career development, or succession goals. This way, the gap between present skill sets and future skill requirements are identified and addressed, as well as areas for employee development that are directly linked to desired organization objectives.

For the employee seeking to get ahead in his or her career, competency-based management helps the employee map out his or her future goals and desired positions; and he or she can view the specific competencies required to achieve them. Competency-based management focuses the employee to engage in learning activities that are directly tied to those competencies. In addition, the observing manager can find this useful when seeking candidates for future succession planning.

The observing manager would be able to compare the competency requirements of that position, and seek candidates who meet or nearly meet those requirements; in addition, by observing employees who use competency-based management seriously, managers can also provide inputs in compensation management, as bonuses and merit increases can be tied directly to individual competency ratings.

Power To Keep A Good Team

But the best result of competency-based management still lies in the power to get and keep a good team – because competency-based management Increases employee satisfaction leading to reduced turnover rates. There is increased employee productivity and operating effectiveness leading to a strong and cohesive organization.

The success of competency-based management in making all these possible lies in the fact that this is one of the key processes, when effectively carried out, helps employees know that their contributions are recognized and acknowledged. Performance management is an ongoing process of communication between a supervisor and an employee that occurs throughout the year, in support of accomplishing the strategic objectives of the organization. The communication process includes clarifying expectations, setting objectives, identifying goals, providing feedback, and evaluating results.

So for the HR professional that works with teams that need members to work well with each other, competency-based management becomes a way to reduce not only conflicts, but the unnecessary related costs such as the need for replacements, mediation, etc. – because from day one, competency-based management ensures the right person is hired, kept and nurtured – from strength to strength.