Competency vs. Skill: Can You Help Clarify the Difference with Examples?

Understanding the Difference Between Competency and Skill

Can anybody please define the difference between competency and skill? How do they differ? Please provide examples.

Waiting for replies.

Regards,
Rajeev

Skill is the tool to get the work done. Cooking is a skill. Java is a skill. Project Management is a skill.

Technical skills combined with soft skills, behavioral skills, and cultural fit give the competence.

Doing the work is a skill. Doing good work is a competence.

Getting a new client is a skill. Making that client buy your products/services is a competence.

Thank you for your query. You asked about the difference between competencies and skills. Competencies refer to a combination of technical skills, soft skills, behavioral skills, and cultural fit, which together form a person's overall capability in a particular area. On the other hand, skills are specific abilities or expertise in a particular task or field.

Key Competencies for an Officer

For an officer, some key competencies required may include leadership, decision-making, communication, problem-solving, and strategic thinking.

Essential Skills for a Machine Operator

For a machine operator, essential skills might include technical proficiency, attention to detail, manual dexterity, equipment operation, and troubleshooting capabilities.

I hope this clarifies the distinction between competencies and skills for you.

Best regards,
Sanjeev

I'd like to add something to this. In simple terms, we can say:

Competence
Competence = Knowledge + Skill + Attitude. (Competence can be related to job performance or improving one's performance)

Skill
Skill = Expertise in doing a job. (It's a part of competency)

Regards,
Teranz

Competence (or competency) is the ability of an individual to perform a job properly. A competency is a set of defined behaviors that provide a structured guide enabling the identification, evaluation, and development of the behaviors in individual employees.

Skill

An ability and capacity acquired through deliberate, systematic, and sustained effort to smoothly and adaptively carry out complex activities or job functions involving ideas (cognitive skills), things (technical skills), and/or people (interpersonal skills).

Both are different terms, and skill is an attribute within competency. Competency comprises three elements: skill, knowledge, and attitude.

Difference Between Skill and Competency

A skill is something a person acquires by virtue of their knowledge, understanding, interest, and by repeatedly performing the same type of job. A person becomes more skillful by gaining experience through repetitive tasks. This skill is specific to the individual, and unless the person effectively applies the acquired skill, they cannot perform well.

Competency is the result of effectively applying skills. Having the skill makes a person skilled, but possessing a skill may not always be reflected in the job. Skills are often hidden, while competencies are visible. Once a person performs a job to a satisfactory level, we consider them competent. Not every skilled person may be competent, but anyone who performs a job perfectly could be considered competent.

Regards,
K.P. Misra

I don't agree with Mr. Sanjeev! I think skill is special knowledge to perform any work, and the ability to perform any task successfully is competency. Competency is a broader term that includes skills as well. If I have five skills like communication, grammar, listening, etc., you can say I am competent enough to perform my job as a Soft Skills Trainer. It's my personal view, and I respect the views of others.

Regards,
Vilom Mane
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]
E-mail: [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Dear Rajeev,

Others have given you good answers and suggestions. Before providing you with some tips, I have a few questions for you. What industry are you in, and what is your background? Are you familiar with searching the web, and have you heard of Wikipedia? Your response to Sanjeev's question suggests it might have been an interview question.

I take this opportunity to emphasize that it is important to cite the sources from where we copy and paste to avoid plagiarism. One of the responses is an example of copying and pasting from Wikipedia (link updated to site home) without giving credit to the source. It is essential to search the web first, as Aussiejohn often reminds us on CiteHR.

I hope this helps.

Regards

General Competencies Required in Any Organization

Please find the following 11 general competencies required for any designation in any organization:

1. Clarity of Purpose
2. Practical Creativity
3. Objective Analytical Power
4. Market Orientation
5. Entrepreneurial Drive
6. Leading Others
7. Developing Others
8. Influencing Others
9. Self-Confident Integrity
10. Team Commitment
11. Learning from Experience

Competencies are classified as Educational Qualifications, Experience for that particular designation, and Essential skills required. These are all what the management expects for a specific designation and are predefined.

Skills are what the employee/staff actually possess, as analyzed through a personnel identification questionnaire, interviewing, or reviewing the employee's performance.

If there is a gap between these two - Competency & Skills, it has to be identified, and proper training should be imparted.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share my understanding of competency & skills.

Regards,
N.KARTHIKEYAN
HR - MANAGER,
NAGA LIMITED - RETAIL, DINDIGUL, TAMILNADU
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Competency in Relation to a Job

Competency for a job involves possessing the necessary skill set and knowledge base for the job, and more importantly, the ability to apply them at the right time and place in the right manner to obtain the right outcomes.

I always contrast competency with performance, especially at the time of promotions. Performance is all about being at the right time in the right place doing the right thing to claim the rights for the results. Often, circumstances may not cooperate with a competent person to perform well, while an incompetent person may be lucky in performance.

Regards,
Purnachandra Rao
HR Manager
SKN Organics, Chennai

I really agree with Arati and Teranz. That's true. Competency is a combination of skill, knowledge, and attitude, which collectively become characteristics. Skill is a part of them. Competencies are personal characteristics that contribute to effective managerial performance and are underlying characteristics of an individual that are causally related to criterion-referenced effective and/or superior performance in a job or situation.

Cheers,
Yunita
Indonesia

Understanding Competency vs. Skill

Let's understand this in a very simple way: You might have skills but not be competent, or you might be competent but lack skills.

Regards,
Kenhr Management Consultancy