Competency Mapping
Any underlying characteristic required to perform a given task, activity or role successfully can be considered as competency. Competency may take the following forms: skill, knowledge, attitude, other characteristics of an individual including motives, values, self concept etc.David McClelland, the famous Harvard psychologist, stated in an article that, traditional achievement and intelligent scores may not be able to predict job success and what is required is to profile the exact competencies required to perform a given job effectively and measure them using a variety of tests.
Competencies can be broadly grouped into four areas i.e. technical, managerial, human and conceptual competency. This is a convenient classification and a given competency may fall into one or more areas and may include more than one form. Competency approach is a foundation to build a variety of human resource development initiatives. Competency approach to job depends on competency mapping. Competency mapping may be defined in more than one way:
1. It is a process to identify key competencies for an organization and/or a job and incorporating those competencies throughout the various processes of the organization.
2. It is a process of identifying the key competencies for a particular position in an organization, and then using it for job-evaluation, recruitment, training and development, performance management, succession planning etc.
3. It is a process of identifying the competencies required to perform successfully for a given job or role or a set of tasks at a given point of time. It consists of breaking a given role or job into its constituent task or activities and identifying the competencies needed to perform the same successfully.
Competency mapping is important and is essential exercise. It generally examines two areas: emotional intelligence and strength of individuals in areas like team structure, leadership and decision making. Every well management firm should have well defined roles and list of competencies required to perform each role effectively. Such list should be used for recruitment, performance management, promotions, placement and training. Competency based HR is considered as the best HR. As a result of competency mapping, all the HR like talent induction, management development, appraisals and training yield much better results.
Steps of competency mapping:
1. For competency mapping to be productive, the organization has to be clear about its business goals, in short as well as long term and the capability building imperatives for achieving these business goals.
2. The process starts from as an endeavour, as understanding the vision and mission of the organization and how that translates into specific, time bound business goals.
3. It then goes on delineating the organization structure clearly and identifying the various levels and positions as well as reporting relationships obtaining within that.
4. For each position/level, the mapping exercise should outline the roles and responsibilities of the position; short term goals to the extent that they are qualified, skill sets required for the job and soft skills required for the job plus interaction with other personals.
Methods of Competency Mapping:
A number of methods and approaches have been developed and tried out. These methods have helped managers to a large extent, identify and reinforce and develop these competencies both for the growth of the individual and organization. Following methods can be explained by citing examples from a scientific organization. The competency profile of a science and technology management provides a guide for managers to monitor their professional development with a view to identify and measure areas of knowledge, skill and ability that may be improved.
1) Technical Management:
The scientific and technical skills and the experience are the basic qualification for a manager of scientific oraganization. It comprises knowledge of one's own scientific discipline and at management levels, an ability to integrate that knowledge across the total spectrum. To become technically competent at management level, one should develop following skills:
a) Possess knowledge and demonstrated ability in one or more knowledge of science and technology.
b) Understand the issues surrounding the intellectual property management and technology transfer.
c) Continuously update his/her knowledge in the field of science and technology.
d) Read and evaluate technical terminology and concepts in his/her area of responsibility.
Benefits of technical management:
By developing various required skill, a technically competent manager can:
a) Recognize emerging trends and priority issues in the scientific community.
b) Manage complex technical issues within the mandate of the work group.
c) Monitor specific and technological trends and use this knowledge to anticipate new and promising areas for research and development.
d) Articulate science and technology purpose, values and business plans.
e) Critically and accurately analyse trends, problems, situation and issues.
f) Develop strategies to facilitate the resolution of science and technology issues and problems.
2) Self Management:
The ability to effectively and responsibly manage your own actions, well being and time to achieve organizational goals, self improvement and personal growth, is the key concept of self management competency method. To maintain an effective work/life balance in response to a stressful, challenging and dynamic work environment, this method is very useful.
To develop self management skill, following elements are essential:
1) To remain optimistic with individual and maintain a positive attitude about the organization during challenging and difficult situations.
2) Create an awareness of the impact of workload on personnel, physical and mental well being and adjust work and life style appropriately.
3) Courage to speak out effectively and in an appropriate and timely manner.
4) Avoid conflict of interest and maintains political neutrality.
5) Avoid promoting personnel lines of scientific and technology investigation if they are not soundly based on client needs or in line with departmental policy orientation.
6) Understand the impact of personal behaviour on others.
7) Maintain a realistic view of one's strengths and limitations.
8) Desire to learn and improve continuously through acquisition of new knowledge, skills and abilities.
Benefits of Self Management:
1) It helps to monitor personnel health and effectiveness.
2) It demonstrates personal integrity and ethical behaviour.
3) It helps possessing self awareness and self assurance.
4) It enables to manage stress and maintain work/life balance.
5) It helps to deal with complexity and maintains a high tolerance for ambiguity.
6) It allows self improvement and personnel growth.
3) Teamwork:
Teamwork is the ability to work cooperatively with others, in a participatory role to create team that use the combined strength of individual members to accomplish organizational goals. In order to develop teamwork skill among individual employee, the organization should develop the following qualities in them:
1) Seek and accept feedback openly.
2) State opinions in value free language and treat everyone fairly.
3) Respect and empower team members.
4) Use knowledge of research process, applied and fundamental, to encourage scientific networks aimed at common problems.
5) frank, constructive and diplomatic speaking.
6) Adopt ideas for the overall benefit of team's ultimate goal.
Benefits of teamwork:
a) In a teamwork, every member of a team can able to work effectively in collaboration with and to contribute to the success of team as a member and a leader.
b) A team can easily able to resolve conflict.
c) A team respects and values diversity and is sensitive to differences
4) Interview techniques:
Almost every organization uses interview technique as a part of competency mapping. The interview consist of interaction between interviewer and applicant. If handled properly, it can be powerful method to achieve accurate information and getting access to material otherwise unavailable.
Following steps are essential for conducting a successful interview:
1) Before actual interview begins, the critical areas in which questions are to be asked must be identified for judging ability and skill.
2) The second step is to scrutinize the information provided to identify the skills and experience in the career of the candidate.
3) During the interview, tact and sensitivity can be very useful.
4) The fundamental step is establishing rapport, putting the interviewee at ease, conveying the impression that the interview is a conversation between two friends and not a confrontation between an employee and employer.
5) The interviewer should prepare precise questions and not take time in framing them.
6) Once this phase is over, the interviewer should discuss with the interviewee, identify area of agreement and disagreement.
Competency mapping has been used for the following benefits in the organization:
a) It provides systematic approach to plan training and customizes training delivery to the individual or organization.
b) It evaluates suitability of training programme to promote job competence and also develop modular training curriculum that can be clustered as needed.
c) It provides employees with a detailed job description and develops job advertisement.
d) It helps in personnel selection and assist in performance appraisal.
e) It targets training to skills that require development and gives credit for prior knowledge and experience.
f) It promotes ongoing employee performance development and thus focuses on performance improvement.
g) It guides Carree development of employees by developing learning programmes.
h) it identifies employees readiness for promotion.
One strong point for competency approach is that it requires interaction between employer and the employee. the job analysis is the catalyst to meaningful discussion of job performance because the employer and the employee have a common understanding of expectancy.
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 make best use of his/her competencies. If the company does nor respond to competency mapping by reorganizing its employees, then it can be little short term benefit and actually result in greater unhappiness on the part of the individual employee.
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