Understanding Job Descriptions vs. Competency Indicators: How Do They Impact Your Organization?

Hi all,

Can anyone please provide a clear classification of "Job description" and "Competency indicator," the difference between these two, and their significance in any organization? Also, what are the basic steps to complete this in an organization?

I have joined this company a few months back and have completed the job description for all the titles in our organization after studying the business through discussions and meetings with the team members and leaders. However, our CEO has requested me to effectively do the competency mapping, where I need all your suggestions to complete it.

Thanks in advance, Rathi.

Hi Rathi,

I have read your post and learned that you completed the job descriptions for all the titles in your firm. I am also facing issues in this area. In my firm, we don't have any document called job descriptions. I have the responsibility to establish job descriptions for all the positions in my organization. However, I lack knowledge in my industry specialty, such as banking, because I graduated as an HR generalist. Even when I tried to create questionnaires for these positions, I was unsuccessful. I did not obtain the correct job descriptions because I don't know how to analyze and select the relevant information collected from the questionnaires for my job descriptions.

You have successfully performed such tasks and have valuable experience in this area. Please help and guide me on how to do it.

Thanks in advance, Rathi. I hope to receive more assistance from friends.

Yearning.

@Rathi: Could you kindly send documents or materials related to this to my email [Login to view]

Hi Yearning,

I dont think only through paper works you could understand your business, it really needs lot of discussions and meetings and interactions.

I worked with the following steps; i think you can also try in this way.

1. Need to understand generally about the industry and business.

2. Titles Understanding: Check with the HR manual or through help of your senior persons, understand the Organization chart and various job titles in your organization.

3. Process Study: Read the process end to end. After understanding the process that your company is following, meet each and every department from the basic. You can talk from bottom line people to team leader in that particular department. Ask them what they are exactly doing and also understand what traits, qualification and knowledge level required in doing that particular job. Make a note of all the information that you are getting from each and everyone of them.

(Note: When you meet the team leader finally in that dept, you can even help the team leader in making him to understand the knowledge of team members in that particular process. Some times team members will do certain things without knowing even the purpose and reason and for what they are doing. By throwing some questions you can also help them to broaden their thinking.)

4. Now its time for you to work out. Analyze all the information that you got through those personnel and prepare the chart.

5. Your job description paper can be in this format. You can start with the headings like;

i) Job Titles

ii) Definition of the title

iii) Job Description under which you have to write the ‘Key responsibilities' and

‘Duties' to do that particular job.

iv) Job Specification: Under this heading you have to include Academic qualification required, Experience and Skill sets required to do that job.

So many websites are also helping in knowing the skill sets and general qualities required for a Team leader and team member such as ‘Client interaction qualities', ‘Team management', ‘knowledge management' ‘Decision Making skills' and other general traits. After in depth study in this way, we can very much come up with good ‘Job Description' for all the titles. This will help the recruiters to identify the right talent.

I think, to some extent, the above information will help you.

But im not very much clear with what ‘Competency Mapping' is and how we can effectively do this and what is the purpose for any organization where they have this job description already.

Can any one give your ideas and thoughts in this? Im very much interested in doing that in our concern after properly understanding that from any senior HR professionals in this forum. Not only to me, im sure so many young professionals in this HR fraternity will also really get benefit out of knowing this very clearly.

Thanks in advance,

Rathi.

Hi friends,

I have a sample questionnaire that I created for the manufacturing sector. If you find it useful, you can take a look.

Regards,
Dan

Hi,

I am sending herewith some files mentioning the competency requirements for each position. This may be useful. If anybody has suggestions, they can send them to me.

Vaitheeswaran

Thanks for sharing the job description. But nearly 144 views, and I'm much worried that I couldn't get any replies about the classification of the above said two. Can anyone help in giving a clear-cut idea about these two?

Rathi.

Hi friends, let's try if you get it this way -

A job description is a statement telling what needs to be done and how it should be done in order to obtain a desired output.

A competency indicator is the set of behavioral patterns required to efficiently do what the job description statement tells.