An In-depth Guide to Competency Framework

A competency framework plays an important role in enhancing the clarity around performance and establishing a clear link between the individual and organizational performance. It defines roles, behaviors and responsibilities clearly to reach to important decisions. A competency is defined as a set of skills, knowledge, abilities, attributes, experience and personality traits that play a vital role in performing a job effectively. A competency framework provides clarity around the role responsibilities and behaviours expected at different levels of organization. 

Benefits of Competency Framework

 

Competency Framework plays an important role in forming an excellent foundation for HR processes, selection, retention and career transition. Some of the major benefits of competency framework are mentioned as below:

• Recruitment-  With the help of competency framework, HR’s can recruit suitable candidates fitting to the role and job responsibilities of the organization. Not only recruitment, but assessing performance and capabilities of an individual would also become easy.
  
• Performance Assessment- As we mentioned earlier, with the help of a  framework, evaluating performance becomes easy and effective. HR’s and project managers would be able to assess the productivity of an individual and how much business an individual is bringing to the company.
  
• Project Allotment- The number one reason why projects are not able to deliver successfully is because they are allocated to the wrong candidates. With the help of competency framework project managers can assign a task or a project according to the skill level, interest and experience of the staff member. This would help them assign right candidate to the right project to provide better results to the clients.
  
• Address Gaps- When you can clearly see the skills and interest levels of the staff members, you can clearly get to know the gaps and where you are lacking. This will help you know what kind of training's to provide in order to address the gaps.
  
• Plan for future- You can define competencies that are necessary for success. This will help you plan for future and address the problems or risks that might come in your way of success. Defining competencies will help you plan sufficiently for succession.

How to Prepare a Competency Framework?

Mentioned below are useful steps that you need to follow to develop a framework. 

• Define purpose- Even before you start evaluating jobs and defining roles, you need to understand the purpose of the framework. The purpose of the framework will help you plan how it will impact the other processes.
  
• Create a team- Involving all the persons you will use the framework is the second step. Think about your long-term needs to keep the framework system updated and relevant.
• Analyze work- Analyze behaviors that you need to cover in the framework. Consider business plans, strategies and objectives, organizational principles, and customer requirements. This will give you the most comprehensive and accurate results.
• Keep it simple- Try to keep the framework simple because you do not want to be forgotten or filed away.

This complete guide will help you create and implement a competency framework.