Improve Organizational Effectiveness Through Competency-based Management

Too often we have seen organizations take way too long to design their competency frameworks and competency models, and forget that the goal is to use them as the foundation for selecting, assessing, developing and managing employees to support organizational success.  Competency models / profiles are of absolutely no value if they cannot be used effectively by managers, employees and HR Professionals in the complete life cycle of people management (recruitment, selection, learning, performance management, career development, succession, etc.).

Further, the competency profiles must define all the factors that contribute to success in the various jobs and to the organizational as a whole, both the general behavioral as well as the technical / professional competencies. All too often, HR practitioners jump on tried-and-true behavioral competencies (Communication, Leadership, Teamwork) while overlooking more technical ones (e.g., ability to produce a good report, ability to manage a project, etc.). Behavioral competencies often underpin the technical ones; however, especially when you try to take a strategic view of the organization, you quickly discover that behavioral factors alone are not enough.

Finally, there is a difference between creating a competency model and getting your organization to use it! Communication, training and development are absolutely essential. How can you expect a manager to do a competency-based evaluation (or a competency-based interview) if they don't even know what it is?  Providing training and development for managers and employees is essential to effective implementation (and it goes without saying that senior management needs to be 100% behind it).

My thanks to George Chernikov of the International Organization for Migration in Geneva, Switzerland for contributing his thoughts on the Linked in Discussion group - Competency-based HR Management: http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?trk=view_disc&gid=158668&ut=2ZKgA863DVlBk1&commentID=87863907&viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=118799819