Competency Mapping in HR: How Do You Start and What Resources Can Help?

Dear Friends,

I am working on Competency Mapping for personnel in the HR Department. Can anybody help with suggestions/resources on how to go about this task.

Regards,

Hello Rajesh,

Here are some competencies for any support staff, especially in HR:

Project Management
Establishes a course of action for self and others to accomplish goals, utilizing appropriate resources. Follows up by monitoring results of delegations, assignments, or projects.

Life-Long Learning
Takes responsibility for own learning and development by acquiring and refining technical and professional skills needed in job-related areas. Obtains developmental opportunities proactively. Applies knowledge and/or information gained as appropriate.

Attention to Detail/Quality Assurance
Accomplishes tasks through concern for all areas involved, no matter how small. Shows concern for all aspects of the job. Accurately checks processes and tasks and follows up in a timely manner with appropriate persons.

Teamwork/Collaboration
Works effectively in teams and/or outside the formal lines of authority to accomplish organizational goals; takes actions that respect the needs and contributions of others; contributes to and accepts consensus; subordinates own objectives to the organization or team.

Verbal and Written Communication
Expresses ideas effectively in individual and group situations, adjusting style and methods to the specific needs of the audience.

Customer Service
Seeks first-hand information from customers; skill to go beyond customers' expressed needs; matches customers' requirements to existing products and services, and/or designs, develops, and customizes additional products and services; maintains own and others' attention on internal and external customers' needs; takes personal responsibility for continuously raising the standard of customer service.

Initiative
Independently takes action to influence events. Offers own ideas for improvement and to promote the goals of the organization. Seeks feedback from appropriate persons on effects of actions.

Flexible/Adaptable to Change
Is confident in trying something different and unafraid of taking and making mistakes; is resilient and capable of dealing with disappointments and setbacks.

Problem Solving
Commits to actions after identifying alternative methods based on logical assumptions and information. Takes into consideration resources, constraints, organizational values, and changing environments.

Technical/Professional Skills
Achieves a proficient level of technical and professional skills/knowledge in job-related areas; acquires and refines current developments in areas of expertise.

Hi there,

If I am not wrong, to start off the competency mapping process, you will have to decide on the objective of the role and the department in which the role that you will map exists (in this case, it would be the HR Department). Then, you should do the task/activity analysis of the "role" (in this case, an HR Personnel) that you are planning to map. Next, you will have to identify who the "role set members" are, the KPA's of the role, the role's differentiating competencies, and then the threshold competencies.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Ambita

Hi,

For mapping the competency:

a) It is essential to understand the objective of mapping the competency.

b) Do you have any framework or model through which you are proceeding forward?

c) The mostly used framework includes fundamental, behavioral, and functional competencies.

d) Fundamental and behavioral competencies can be studied through LTD/BEI.

e) Functional competencies can be analyzed through task analysis.

f) Identified competencies should be critical to success. Often, people make mistakes by considering the essentials for the role as the critical factors for success.

g) The number of competencies should not exceed 12 or 13.

h) Competencies and tools should be validated before assessment.

i) Every organization is unique, and hence a general list of competencies in HR cannot be applied to all organizations. Therefore, it is better to follow a specific procedure.

Hope I have given you clues to start the work.

Regards, Dr. Kavita Shanmughan

Dear Dr. Shanmugham,

Thank you for your email. It clarified many aspects regarding how to proceed with my task.

Regarding the point in your email, could you please elaborate on the following:
d) fundamental and behavioral competencies can be studied through LTD/BEI?

Kind regards,
Rajesh Naik

Hi,

Fundamental Leadership competencies are identified by a technique called Leadership Team Discussion or Behavioural Event Interview. You can find more information on BEI in my previously listed document on this site under the competency mapping process.

Leadership team discussion involves the individuals who create the vision and mission for the organization. During this session, top officials are asked to describe their vision and mission, and how they plan to achieve it. The roles that each level is expected to play and the competencies required from these levels to achieve the goals are discussed. This process helps in defining the fundamental competencies.

Regards,
Kavita