Key Considerations of Competencies

Key Considerations of Competencies

Competency and Benchmarking

When the competency benchmark and job definition phase has been completed it sets a platform to be used in a multitude of different scenarios such as:

Before embarking to the next phase it may be useful to consider some strategic questions as follows:

1 What does experience really mean?

Does five years with a company mean five years of growth and development as a professional, or does it mean one year repeated four times? The critical question is: can this person unlearn existing knowledge and bad habits or have they got scotomas about how much they know and do? Are they learners in other words? Watch out for fixed viewpoints

2 Is there an urge to action?

The really great performers have learned most of what they know and attribute their outstanding successes to hands on practical implementation on the job. It’s called ‘Service Anxiety’. It’s the need to serve the customer or pick up the piece of paper or do what has to be done. Therefore, what a person can learn to do is probably far more valuable and important for the position than past or current knowledge. Watch out for unconscious incompetence; “I know enough from my past to take me forward to the next stage of my development”

3 Could you be recruiting incompetence from the competition?

Competitors regularly dispatch underperformers with a good reference letter. These often seem attractive to competitors because of job experience and industry knowledge. The real questions here are:

• Why doesn’t that person make a success in their current role?

• Are they blaming the current company?

• Can they switch loyalties?


4 Are they motivated by performance or money?

The attraction of the new recruit must be the trust and synergy with their new boss, the appeal of the new product, the potential, the culture, the team, the opportunity to grow and learn from the company—not just the money—if somebody is locked on to money as their primary criteria for joining your organisation then you should say no. The other organisations money is just as good as yours. This must be the super ordinate criteria. If necessary sell the candidate on the concept of performance-related pay, where they can earn more than fixed salary

5 Are you keeping it simple and fully aware of the learning curve?

The complexity of the product or the induction process can quite easily confuse people. The expectations regarding learning activity and personal development can be daunting. It is important not to confuse or make the presentation of your business too complex. Stick with the basics, keep checking by questioning that they have, in fact, grasped the basics

6 Are you managing expectations

‘Under-promise and over-deliver’ is a good customer service motto. It is also important in the recruitment and competency development process. To build unrealistic expectations or over sell the reality is ethically wrong but it is also the bedrock for poor performance or worse. For example, morale can sink dramatically when the new recruit realises the reality of the challenge unfolding before them. Therefore, it is very important not to exaggerate or put too fine a point on explanations

7 Could you be attracting clones of yourself onto your team?

Remember, who you are shouts at me so loud that I can’t hear a word you are saying. Do not get over enamoured by like minded people.

Behaviour breathes behaviour. Like attracts like. Strong professional people are attracted to strong professional people. Disciplined competitive people sense and are attracted to0 those of similar disposition. Be careful that you don’t attract people onto your team that are clones of yourself. Think about the job to be done rather than the personal qualities you admire

8 Do you let them make their own decision?

Be empathetic! Consider the many factors a new member of staff, for example, will have to take into consideration before they join your organisation – personal, professional and financial considerations.

This must be a win-win decision. So be aware of your own best presentation of ‘who we are’, ‘what we do’ and ‘how we are’. Explain your expectations, how you will train, back up and support that person, but ultimately emphasise YOU are responsible, YOU must make it happen for yourself. Let them make their own decisions.


The Future

Identify, clarify and sell the ‘Big Picture’ and let them know the strategy for the future. This demonstrates, above all, what is on offer going into the future. The opportunity is to:

• Grow with the company

• Outline how they can work on a winning team

• Get an opportunity to demonstrate how good they are

• Earn above average income.

The opportunity outlined in your strategy can, in fact, be the main appeal. So, consider carefully the competencies framework and the profile from the competency benchmark and comparison report.




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