A competency framework lists the knowledge, skills and behaviors a company needs from its people, with a description of each at every job level. It is built from the company's strategy, values and job analysis, then used as one shared language in hiring, appraisal, training and promotion.
Step by step
- 1
Define the types
Core competencies for all employees tied to the values, leadership competencies for managers, and technical competencies for each role or department.
- 2
Gather material from real work
Interviews with management, managers and the best performers in each role, and a review of job descriptions.
- 3
Define each competency
One clear sentence, such as: customer focus means understanding the customer's need and solving the problem the first time.
- 4
Describe levels by behavior
Three to five levels for each competency, each described by an observable behavior rather than a general trait.
- 5
Link it to HR systems
Interview questions, the appraisal form, training needs analysis and promotion criteria all come from the same framework.
- 6
Start small and review
A limited number of competencies is easier to apply, and the framework is reviewed yearly as the company's strategy changes.
Competencies with generic names such as teamwork and no behavioral description for each level turn appraisal into personal impression, however organized the framework looks.
- competency framework example
- what are competencies in HR