Competency Mapping

Introduction

Competency mapping is important and is an essential exercise. Every well managed firm should have well defined roles and list of competencies required to perform each role effectively. Such a list should be used for recruitment, performance management, promotions, placements and training needs identification.

In performing or carrying out work, it is essential that the required job skills first be articulated. This information not only helps to identify individuals who have the matching skills for doing the work but also the skills that will enhance the successful performance of the work.

Yet often to perform well, it is not enough just to have these skills. It is also critical to complement the skills with the necessary knowledge and attitudes. For example the necessary knowledge will enable an individual to apply the right skills for any work situation that will arise while having the right attitude will motivate then to give their best effort. These skills, knowledge and attitudes required for the work are usually collectively referred as competencies.

What is Competency?

Competency is an underlying characteristic required to perform a given task, activity, or role can be considered as competency. Competency has the following forms:

• Knowledge
• Skills
• Attitude

These three factors are important for identifying competency in a person. Different individual requires different competency for e.g. a person working in a manufacturing unit may require different competency than a person working in an IT sector; competency difference from industry to industry. According to Harvard Business Review Daniel Katz grouped competency into three areas which later expanded in to the following four:

-         Technical

-         Managerial

-         Human

-         Conceptual

In competency mapping all details of the behaviors (observable, specific, measurable etc) to be shown by the person occupying that role are specified.

Who Identifies Competencies?

Competencies can be identified by one of the following category of people:

-         Experts

-         HR Specialists

-         Job analysts

-         Psychologists

-         Industrial Engineers

What Methodology is used?

The following methods are used in combination for competency mapping:

• Interview
• Group work
• Task Forces
• Task Analysis workshops
• Questionnaire
• Use of Job descriptions
• Performance Appraisal Formats etc.

How to Identify Competency?

The process of identification is not very complex. Some of the methods are given below:

1. Simply ask each person who is currently performing the role to list the tasks to be performed one by one, and identify the knowledge, attitudes and skills required to perform each of these jobs. Consolidate the list and present it to a role set group or a special task force constituted for that role.
2. Appoint a task force for each role.

Who can do competency mapping?

Competency mapping is a task that can be done by many people. Now days all Management schools and those specializing in HR train the students in competency mapping. Any Masters in Management or Social Sciences or an Employee with Equivalent Experience and training can develop these competencies.

Some Tips on How to do Competency Mapping?

Pick up a job or role that is relatively well understood by all individuals in the company. For example: Sales Executive, Assistant HR Manager, Receptionist, PR Manager etc. are known to all and easy to profile. Work out competencies for this role if necessary with the help of a job analysis specialist or an internal member who has knowledge of competency mapping.

ADC & AC are used to identify Competencies?

• Assessment Centers are centers set up by an organization for periodic or continuous assessment of competencies required to perform current, future likely or higher level jobs/roles/tasks. They are increasingly used to identify high fliers and develop leaders/ competencies for the future.
• They are also being used for recruitment purposes to assess the suitability of the candidate for entry level as well as for senior levels positions.
• Assessment Centers use multiple methods like in-basket presentations, role plays, simulation exercise, leadership group discussions, case studies etc.
• They are also called as development centers or ADCs in the recent.

Role of Competency in Recruitment & Retention

Competency mapping can play a significant role in recruitment and retaining people as it gives a more accurate analysis of the job requirements, the candidate´s capability, of the difference between the two, and the development and training needs to bridge the gaps.

As far as individual´s career aspirations are concerned, once the organization gives an employee the perspective of what is required from them to reach a particular position, it drives them to develop the competencies for the same. "Competencies enable individual to identify and articulate what they offer-regardless of the job they happen to have at the time so that their organization can see, value and utilize what capability is actually available.

Competency Mapping at Zensar & L&T Infotech

 Zensar has a behavioral competency model that is based on various job roles in the organization. The following is the process of implementation of competency mapping.

• Having defined the various job roles, a focused study was initiated where job role holders were interviewed on the critical incident method and the data of success-critical factors collated.
• The job roles and deliverables were finalized on the basis of the competencies derived from the data. This data was further analyzed, and on the basis of this competencies that had an impact on the job roles and deliverables were finalized.
• After identifying the competencies, a job analysis exercise was carried out where the importance level of every competency was ascertained before freezing the competency model.  

L&T Infotech a PCMM Level 5 company has a successful competency based HR system. Recruitment, training, job rotation, succession planning and promotions all are defined by competency mapping. Nearly all our HR interventions are linked to competency. Competencies are enhanced through training and job rotation. He adds that all people who have gone through job rotation undergo a transformation and get a broader perspective of the company. For instance a person lacking in negotiation skills might be put in the sales or purchase department for a year to hone their skills in the area.