Are Your Competencies Defensible?: Key Questions to Consider

When considering whether your competencies are defensible, there are key questions you can ask:

Can you link the competencies to the work products, outcomes or tasks that employees must successfully perform in the organization or job?
Competencies by definition reflect the knowledge, skills, abilities or other attributes employees require for effective or successful performance. Employers must be prepared to justify that the competencies employees, or potential employees, are asked to possess are actually required for job effectiveness.

Are the competencies reflective of the key and important attributes required for overall success in the job?
Employers must be prepared to demonstrate that the competencies used in making employment decisions represent the key and important behaviours (i.e., non-trivial) that employees must display for success. Once the competency profiles have been developed in draft, analysts will often ask job / work content experts to rate the level of importance of the competencies (and associated behavioural indicators) and to identify any that may be missing.

Did you use job / work content experts?
Employers must be prepared to demonstrate that the competency requirements were identified based on the expert knowledge of those who understand the job or area being profiled, including the services, products or outcomes that lead to excellence. Typically, organizations seek information from a variety of sources to ensure that there is a consistent and well-rounded perspective on the competencies needed for success. Common sources of information about the types of behaviours that lead to success include:

• Incumbents who understand or exemplify the type and level of performance required;
• those who supervise the work;
• those reporting to the job being profiled;
• clients or recipients of the services being provided; and,
• individuals who understand any changes that may be occurring within the job or work area.

This post is based on content from 'Are Your Competencies Defensible?' by Human Resource Systems Group, Ltd.