Introduction:

“Competency Mapping” refers to a process through which the competencies of the necessary process are identified. It is done to determine the critical activities of the mandatory processes of the organization. If Competency Mapping is done, then the organization can identify its area of thrust and can take necessary actions for future implementation of the activities. In the Competency Mapping, the process is break down into sub components named as activities and the competency of all these activities are identified.

Organizations perform the task of Competency Mapping to determine the areas which are crucial for its proper working and success. The competencies which are included in the identification are Managerial, Behavioral, Technical, Skill based, Attitude based and Conceptual Knowledge based. All these aspects together lead to determine the actual status of the activity completion and process functioning which is important for the organization.

Competency Mapping is made up of two terms – Competency + Mapping, Where, Competency refers to clarify any underlying characteristic that is required to perform the process or the activity and Mapping refers to the scheduling of the activities in a sequential order. Together, Competency Mapping refers to the proper scheduling of the activities which are required for the completion of the crucial processes.

Competency has following three parameters:

Skills

Knowledge

Attitude

                     Mapping the Competencies – The Process:

In any organization, one of the major concern areas for the Human Resource Department is to determine the competencies of the processes and to evaluate the strength level of the person working on it. Competency Mapping has emerged as a major concern for the organization in the recent times and has attracted the attention of the top management. To conduct the competency mapping certain steps needs to be followed, which can be summarized as follows:

1. At the initial level, H.R. Personnel should select the job(s) from which the competencies are to be identifies.

2. Before starting the competency procedure, a specific profile is to be set for the jobs which are to be evaluated in the future.

3. A small meeting with the person who is handling the process or the job is done.

4. People (on the job) are asked about the responsibility, duties, pressure, performance limits and power structure.

5. All the data collected is to be recorded in a systematic sequence.

6. All the activities which are crucial for the proper execution of the activity of the process are marked separately.

7. Information from the superiors, peers, co-workers and subordinates are also collected.

8. All the people who are not directly attached to the process but indirectly are attached to it are asked about the major competency issues.

9. The information can be collected from direct interview or through questionnaires or e-mails (whatever is suitable).

10. All the information is collected, systematically evaluated and processed by the H.R. personnel and the crucial factors (which are necessary for the success of the process) are determined.

11. These competencies are noted for the future reference of the job and the job holder respectively.

12. After assessing the competency requirement for the job, the present level of the individual working on the process is judged.

13. In case of discrepancy in between the actual requirement of the capability and the desired level, the individual working with the specific set of process (s) is provided with the training.

14. For determining the present level of the individual (working on the process), Competency Identification worksheet can be prepared.

15. The worksheet includes all the issues related to the job and the data collected form the individuals directly or indirectly in the organization.

16. All the employees would be properly informed about the competencies which are crucial for performing their task or job.

17. The data collected will be reserved with the HR Department for the future reference (for next competency mapping or job up-gradation process).

 Competency Identification Worksheet:

Competency Identification worksheet is prepared by the H.R. Department personnel for assessing the level of the employee working on a specific process. Through the worksheet, the H.R. Personnel can determine the present standard of working of the employee and the required level of skills. These worksheets are constructed to attain knowledge about the present level of working and gap in contrast to the desired standards. It can be prepared by the organization on the basis of their requirements. An example of the worksheet which can be constructed for the identification of the competencies is:

·        Rating is done on 1- 7 parameter.

·        All the fields are mandatory to be filled.

1 = Not Known/Absent

2 = Slightly Known

3 = Known

4 = Well Knowledge

5 = Average Known

6 = Above Average Knowledge

7 = Excellent knowledge

Hypothetical Example (A small practical worksheet)

Duty/ Role of the Employee (Suppose Sales Manager):

 

a. To assess the monthly sales.

b. To determine the new areas.

c. To manage the team members.

d. To evaluate the Data sheet on weekly basis.

e. To establish a proper communication channel between the employees.

f. To maintain high rate of customer satisfaction.

Match Competency level with the employee:

      

            

         Communication

            

         Leadership Skills

            

         Proactivity

         Clarity in concepts          

           

         Innovativeness and

         Creativity

         Team Building skills

·        In this worksheet a number of issues can be added according to the job requirement. After filling of all the sheets, total score is calculated and the result is generated.

Implementation of Competency Model:

The Competency Model can be implemented in various areas of Human Resource. Some of them can be listed as follows:

Recruitment and Selection

Competency

Model

Training and Development

Reward and Recognition system

Performance Management and Administration

Career and Succession Planning

In each field of Human Resources, Competency Mapping plays a vital role. If the Competency Mapping is done in a planned manner then the various functions of H.R. department can be functioned systematically. Through the help of the competency mapping, the crucial activities of each activity is generated and the task force working on the same (job/process) can be provided with the training to perform the work with correct and with accuracy.

Reasons for Competency Mapping:

Competency Mapping is excessively used in the organization to determine the crucial elements and activities. The basic reasons due to which the mapping of the competencies is done are as follows:

1. Once the competencies are determined, proper training can be provided to the individuals to work more efficiently on the processes.

2. Key performance areas can be improved by understanding the fields where there is a gap between the actual and the desired results.

3. If the competencies are determined for the given job, then the person whose career panning phase is taking place can consider those competencies and can be ready for the same.

4. Through competency mapping, the individual is preparing himself for the next set of responsibilities.

5. With the help of the competency mapping the individual can alter the style of work where the gap exists.

6.  By overcoming the differences in the desired level and the actual status of performance the individual can feel the increase in the self confidence and the motivation level.

7. Competency based approach can lead the individual to derive much efficient results (with more accuracy) as compared to work in a non-competency derived situation.

8. Helps the individual to determine the areas where the development is required and thus leads the individual to develop a self development plan.

9. Competency mapping leads the individual to understand the actual position and the gap from the desired status of work.

10. Competency mapping plays a crucial role in career planning of the individual in the organization.

David McClelland said that “definitions for various competencies, which contain real-life examples of more competent behavior, provide specific guideposts as to how to develop the competency. The feedback information also provides a basis for career counseling or explaining why a

person should or should not be promoted.” (McClelland, 1994, p. 10)

COMPETENCY MAPPING

 ABSTRACT

This paper focus on competency marketing. Competency mapping is an process an individual uses to identify and describe competencies that are the most critical to success in a work situation or work role. This paper deals with component of competency, competency model, mapping process and benefits of using competency.

 

INTRODUCTION

Competency Mapping is processes of identifying key competencies for an organization and/or a job and incorporating those competencies throughout the various processes (i.e. job evaluation, training, recruitment) of the organization. It generally examines two areas: emotional intelligence or emotional quotient (EQ), and strengths of the individual in areas like team structure, leadership, and decision-making. Large organizations frequently employ some form of competency mapping to understand how to most effectively employ the competencies of strengths of workers. . Competency mapping can also be done for contract or freelance workers, or for those seeking employment to emphasize the specific skills which would make them valuable to a potential employer. These kinds of skills can be determined, when one is ready to do the work.

DEFINITION:

According to Boyatzis(1982)   “A capacity that exists in a person that leads to behaviour that meets the job demands within parameters of organizational environment, and that, in turn brings about desired results” 

 

COMPONENTS OF COMPETENCY

There are four major components of competency: 

1.SKILL: capabilities acquired through practice. It can be a financial skill such as budgeting, or a verbal skill such as making a presentation.

2.KNOWLEDGE: understanding acquired through learning. This refers to a body of information relevant to job performance. It is what people have to know to be able to perform a job, such as knowledge of policies and procedures for a recruitment process.

3.PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES: inherent characteristics which are brought to the job, representing the essential foundation upon which knowledge and skill can be developed.

4.BEHAVIOR: The observable demonstration of some competency, skill, knowledge and personal attributes. It is an essentially definitive expression of a competency in that it is a set of action that, presumably, can be observed, taught, learned, and measured.

  COMPETENCY MODEL:

Competency model is a set of competencies that include the key behaviors required for excellent performance in a particular role.

DESIGN DECISION

In term of grand design, competency model should be guided by firm’s strategy which is shaped by four factors:

vision & mission, stakeholder requirements, market realities and core capabilities of the firm.

In a more technical design, competency model development should be determined in the process of design decision. In this stage, one should discuss the design of the model with clients, based on their specific needs and expected outcomes of the competency model.

The following are some factors that need to be considered in deciding the design of the competency model.

1.CONTEXT:

Competencies are actually context bound. They answer the question ‘What does a superior performer look like in a specific setting?’ In other words, effective competencies are linked to a particular organizational target or goal. Therefore, depending on the context, the design of models may be geared toward:

the total organization (e.g.,  core competencies or values)

an entire function (e.g.,  finance, human resources) a specific role (e.g.,  HR generalist) a specific job (e.g.,  compensation analyst)

2.LEVEL OF ORIENTATION:

This factor deals with the level of orientation of the model: will the model reflect future or current job requirements. The degree of future orientation depends on how the organization plans to apply the model and the pace and nature of changes occurring within the organization. If an organization decides that their model will be based on future requirements, they might use future performance

needs (i.e., benchmark data; best practices) to create competencies.

3.LEVEL OF COMPLEXITY:

Two other critical factors should be considered in developing competencies the length of models and the degree of complexity and detail described in behavioral indicators. Frequently, competency initiatives fail because models are too long and too detailed or because organizations spend too much time and too many resources researching and editing behaviors. Consequently, organizations fail to provide a simple framework to users in a timely manner. Models that work best follow the 80-20 rule. They provide the 20% of behaviors that drive 80% of excellent performance.

4.THE MODEL SHOULD BE LINKED TO STRATEGY:

Effective competency models support and contribute to the company's and the function's strategy and goals.  For instance, if a goal of the company is to transcend functional barriers, the model needs to describe the behaviors that demonstrate that competency.  Likewise, if a goal is ensuring that all employees communicate and work together effectively, the model should describe the behaviors that demonstrate that competency.

5.THE MODEL SHOULD BE COMPANY SPECIFIC:

Unlike many job descriptions, competency models are not easily transferable among companies.  Competencies needed for a company are determined by the company's unique characteristics, such as culture, strategy, size, and industry.  This is true even of the competencies needed for a position common to many companies, such as the job of a financial analyst.  The competencies required of a financial analyst at an automobile manufacturer are vastly different from those required of a financial analyst at a health care company, for instance.

6.THE DEVELOPED MODEL SHOULD BE FLEXIBLE:

A good competency model functions as a performance management tool. It provides enough detail to distinguish between employees who are operating at different levels of

proficiency. It also helps a company articulate why an employee is at the current level and the competencies needed to advance. In this sense, a competency model is prescriptive, yet it must not be too binding. It needs to be flexible enough to accommodate differing approaches to success, simple enough to be easily understood, and readily adaptable to changing business environments.

7.THE MODEL SHOULD BE FUTURE-ORIENTED:

Competency models with a forward-looking perspective stimulate organizational change. Rather than defining competencies in the context of "tasks," or how a job has traditionally been carried out, useful competencies articulate how the job is evolving and will best be performed in the future. Not only does this approach increase a model's shelf life, it ensures that employees have enough time to understand what the required competencies are and to develop them.

MAPPING PROCESS:

There are about five stages while performing competency mapping. The following are the five stages discussed in detail.

FIRST STAGE:

The first stage of mapping requires understanding the vision and mission of the organization.

SECOND STAGE:

Second stage requires understanding from the superior performers the behavioural as well as the functional aspects required to perform job effectively.

 

THIRD STAGE:

Third stage involves thorough study of the BEI Reports/ Structured Interview Reports.

Identification of the competency based on competency frame work.

Measurement of competency. Required levels of competency for each job family. Development of dictionary which involves detail

description of the competency based on the indicators.  Care should be taken that the indicators should be

measurable and gives objective judgment.

FOURTH STAGE:

a.            This stage requires preparation for assessment.

b.            Methods of assessment can be either through assessment centers or 360 Degree Feedback

c.             If assessment centre is the choice for assessment then tools has to be ready beforehand                                                                                      

 i.      Tools should objectively measure the entire competency required.                    ii.      Determine the type of the tools for measuring competency 

ii.      Prepare the schedule for assessment

iv.      Training to the assessor should indicate their thorough understanding of the competencies and the tools and also as to how the behavior has to be documented.

FIFTH STAGE:

This stage involves conducting assessment centre.  Usually it is a two day program which would involve giving a brief feedback to the participant about the competencies that has been assessed and where they stand to. 

SIXTH STAGE:

Sixth stage involves detailed report of the competencies assessed and also the development plan for the developmental areas.

BENEFITS OF USING COMPETENCY MODEL

There are some useful benefits of using competency model for the company, managers, and employees as well.

FOR THE COMPANY

Reinforce corporate strategy, culture, and vision. Establish expectations for performance excellence,

resulting in a systematic approach to professional development, improved job satisfaction, and better employee retention.

Increase the effectiveness of training and professional development programs by linking them to the success criteria (i.e., behavioral standards of excellence).

Provide a common framework and language for discussing how to implement and communicate key strategies.

Provide a common understanding of the scope and requirements of a specific role.

Provide common, organization-wide standards for career levels that enable employees to move across business boundaries.

FOR MANAGERS:

Identify performance criteria to improve the accuracy and ease of the hiring and selection process.

Provide more objective performance standards. Clarify standards of excellence for easier

communication of performance expectations to direct reports.

Provide a clear foundation for dialogue to occur between the manager and employee about performance, development, and career-related issues.

FOR EMPLOYEES:

Identify the success criteria (i.e., behavioral standards of performance excellence) required to be successful in their role.

Support a more specific and objective assessment of their strengths and specify targeted areas for professional development.

Provide development tools and methods for enhancing their skills.

Provide the basis for a more objective dialogue with their manager or team about performance, development, and career related issues.

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Competency mapping is a process through which one assesses and determines one’s strengths as an individual worker and in some cases, as part of an organization. It generally examines two areas: emotional intelligence or emotional quotient (EQ), and strengths of the individual in areas like team structure, leadership, and decision-making. Large organizations frequently employ some form of competency mapping to understand how to most effectively employ the competencies of strengths of workers. They may also use competency mapping to analyze the combination of strengths in different workers to produce the most effective teams and the highest quality work.

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Competency mapping can also be done for contract or freelance workers, or for those seeking employment to emphasize the specific skills which would make them valuable to a potential employer. These kinds of skills can be determined, when one is ready to do the work, by using numerous books on the subject. One of the most popular ones is Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton, initially published in 2001.

Buckingham and Clifton’s book, and others like it, practice competency mapping through testing, having the person sift through past work experiences, and by analyzing learning types. However, the disadvantage to using a book alone is that most people may have a few blind spots when they analyze their own competency. Their perception of how others react to them may not be accurate.

Competency mapping also requires some thought, time, and analysis, and some people simply may not want to do the work involved to sufficiently map competencies. Thus a book like the above is often used with a human resources team, or with a job coach or talented headhunter. Competency mapping alone may not produce accurate results unless one is able to detach from the results in analyzing past successes and failures. Many studies find that people often overestimate their abilities, making self-competency mapping results dubious.

The value of competency mapping and identifying

emotional strengths is that many employers now purposefully screen employees to hire people with specific competencies. They may need to hire someone who can be an effective time leader or who has demonstrated great active listening skills. Alternately, they may need someone who enjoys taking initiative or someone who is very good at taking direction. When individuals must seek new jobs, knowing one’s competencies can give one a competitive edge in the job market.

Usually, a person will find themselves with strengths in about five to six areas. Sometimes an area where strengths are not present is worth developing. In other cases, competency mapping can indicate finding work that is suited to one’s strengths, or finding a department at one’s current work where one's strengths or needs as a worker can be exercised.

A problem with competency mapping, especially when conducted by an organization is that there may be no room for an individual to work in a field that would best make use of his or her competencies. If the company does not respond to competency mapping by reorganizing its employees, then it can be of little short-term benefit and may actually result in greater unhappiness on the part of individual employees. A person identified as needing to learn new things in order to remain happy might find himself or herself in a position where no new training is ever required. If the employer cannot provide a position for an employee that fits him or her better, competency mapping may be of little use.

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However, competency mapping can ultimately serve the individual who decides to seek employment in an environment where he or she perhaps can learn new things and be more intellectually challenged. Being able to list competencies on resumes and address this area with potential employers may help secure more satisfying work. This may not resolve issues for the company that initially employed competency mapping, without making suggested changes. It may find competency mapping has produced dissatisfied workers or led to a high worker turnover rate.

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Discuss this Article

251. what is the procedure or the method to do the competency mapping?

2. What are the limitations of competency mapping, if any?

3. What's the need for competency mapping in the present economic situation?

- anon86888 24

can you please tell the methodology to conduct competency mapping?

- anon84345 23

good info - anon78667

22what's the need for competency mapping in the present economic situation?

- anon78504 21

Can I have few competency mapping samples? - anon75878

20how can I do a project work on the concept of competency mapping? Please let me know.

- anon74437 18

can you please help me in forming a synopsis? - anon65518

17How do I prepare an HR score card? What are the procedures, steps and formats used?

- anon61586

16What are the procedures and methods of Competency Mapping?

- anon61583 15

i would like to do a project on competency mapping. can you suggest to me a questionnaire?

- anon61224 14

what are the objectives of competency mapping and what are the steps or procedure followed for it?

- anon56304 13

how is a succession planning be prepared? - anon51306

10Explain the process of Job analysis and job design.

- anon19674 9

limitations of competency mapping if any.... - anon18959

8what is the procedure & steps of competency mapping?

- anon17050 7

what is the procedure or the method to do the competency mapping? What are all the objectives of the competency mapping study?

- madhavaa 4

Hey the article was pretty good but what i dont understand is how can the emotional intelligence of a person can be increased, because getting a high intelligence level may be feasible for a long run but in short run is it pragmatically possible because its all about human mind to resist adapting things easily.

- taashu

3what is the procedure or the method to do the competency mapping?

Competency MappingEmployees are always considered to be an organization's indispensable assets. Competency mapping is a technique that is used by the human resource team in order to determine the qualities of an employee that can be put to use, for the betterment of the employee's career as well as the company's projection. To know more, read on…

Ads by GoogleKey Performance IndicatorHow to measure business performance Search in 2500+ KPIs by industry www.kpilibrary.comWLC CollegeManagement Courses in Mktg/Fin/HR/ Prjct Fin/Contract Mgmt/Talent Mgmt www.wlci.in/humanresourcecourseThe term competency is quite generic and related to human behavior and psychology. Competency is often defined as a quality of being adequately qualified, intellectually able and emotionally stable. The concept of competency is basically used to define a capability of being able. Competency mapping is a psychological test that helps the human resource

management department to test the competence or competency of an employee or a potential employee. It must be noted that competency is measured in the employee's quality(es) and not quantity (measurement of performance). For instance, while mapping a person's competency the question 'when and where' comes into the picture and not 'how much'. Thus, an employee's ability to perform in a particular field is measured instead of measuring, 'how much will he perform'. Most of the companies use simple multiple choice question test to examine a person's competency.

Arya Chanakya, a well known royal adviser and prime minister from Vedic India, penned a famous book known as the Arthashastra, which is probably the first book on competency mapping. The book contains competency mapping models, the thesis and theories of human aptitude, intelligence quotient, emotional quotient and in general everything that is related to human behavior regarding work, logic and emotions. This book is an excellent leadership and management book and is more than 3000 years old.

What is Competency MappingCompetency mapping is a process with the help of which the employer, or the human resource team decides, that where would a particular person work best, as per his aptitude and temperament. There are several different factors that are considered during a competency mapping process. There are also some simple processes that have been made by experts in the field of clinical psychology. Some important characteristics of a person's competency have been elaborated below.

Constitution: Every person's personality is based upon a definite constitution. Some aspects about work such as a person's ability to work as a team member or a team leader or even his temperament to work individually are affected by this constitution.

Traits: Traits can be physical and also behavioral. The traits are usually related to the constitution. Knowing the traits of a person is absolutely important as the management's behavior with every person differs.

Self Concept: Every person has an interpretation about himself and some self ideals. The management bears in mind these simple ideals, even during day-to-day work, due to the fact that, when these ideals are respected the employee tends to remain happy and productive.

Skill and Knowledge: Every employee has different skills and knowledge. Competency mapping helps the company to know more

about the person's skills and knowledge. It must be noted that even a simple virtue of being patient is treated as a skill by the recruiters.

Several companies have started using competency mapping tools in order to know more about their prospective employees or even current employees. On an average, a competency mapping test on an employee would depict skills and knowledge of the person, his ability to work with other people, his constitution, his dedication and finally his willingness to work.

A competency mapping presentation depicts every aspect of a person's personality. The total process of competency management ultimately helps the company in better personnel management and good workplace communication. Competency management is thus often considered to be an indispensable management tool.

CONCLUSION

Competency mapping is one of the most accurate means in identifying the job and behavioral competencies of an individual in an organization .Competency mapping should not be seen as just another means to apportion and dispense rewards. All the stakeholders must see in the exercise an opportunity for long-term growth. The key is to look at competency mapping as going beyond mere processes. And to see in it an exercise that has a significant and lasting value to individuals as well as to the organization.