Practical Applications of Competency Mapping

Various practical applications of competency mapping are as follows:

1. Recruitment and Selection

Competency-based recruitment is a process of recruitment based on the ability of candidates to produce anecdotes about their professional experience which can be used as evidence that the candidate has a given competency competency-based approach to recruitment and selection of staff can help an organization, to make it an effective and successful investment of time, money and expertise.

Such an approach win help to ensure that:

1. The organization is clear regarding the competencies and skillsets required by the job.
2. Selection processes encourage a good fit between individuals and their jobs, managers, and staff have the required skills and competencies.
3. Individual skills and abilities are matched to the requirements of the job.
4. Evaluation of work demands and staffing are accurate.

2. Performance Management System (PMS)

Integrating competencies within the performance management process supports the provision of feedback to employees not only on ”what” they have accomplished (i.e., performance goals) but also ”how” the work was performed, using competencies for providing feedback. Integrating competency with PMS helps:

1. Employees in understanding performance expectations and enhance competencies.
2. To provide a mechanism for providing positive feedback about an employee’s training achievements and on-the-job performance.
3. To provide job standards for performance appraisal.
4. To provide clear direction for learning new job skills.

3. Training

Competency-based training focuses on what the participant is expected to be able to do in the workplace as opposed to just having theoretical knowledge.

An important characteristic of competency-based training is that it is focused not only on the actual jobs that are required in the workplace but also on the ability to transfer and apply skills, knowledge, and attitudes to new situations and environments.

The advantages of Competency-Based Training (CBT) are as follows:

1. Participants will achieve the competencies required in the performance of their jobs.
2. Participants build confidence as they succeed in mastering specific competencies.
3. Participants receive a transcript or list of the competencies they have achieved.

4. Development

All businesses are based on some key competencies. The main reason for an organization to create a competency-based development system that focuses on having the right people with the right skills at the right time is that it helps in accomplishing business targets. Competencies are the need of the hour and designing appropriate competency development models is a necessity.

The advantages of competency-based development are as follows:

1. Improvement in productivity, performance, and profitability.
2. Identify employees’ capabilities for an organization’s future needs.
3. Analyzing capability gaps.

5. Compensation Management

Competency-based pay fits this new environment. It provides an ongoing incentive to employees to enhance their ability to perform their jobs.

Employees are rewarded with salary increases when they add new knowledge or skills or when they demonstrate a higher level of competence on existing capabilities.

The advantages of competency-based compensation are as follows:

1. Provides a basis for deciding on the compensation.
2. Encourages employees to develop their competencies further.
3. Lead to a focus on the totality of the job rather than just what is achieved.
4. This system fits every job.