COMPETENCY MAPPING

Competency is the ability to do something successfully and efficiently. It is knowledge; it is skill possessed by a person, which is better than a common man. It is ability acquired through practice over time.

Competency mapping identifies an individual’s strengths and weaknesses.

The aim is to enable a person to better understand himself.

It points out areas for improvements. It identify where the efforts should go in for improvement.

Every job requires different set of competencies.

Some of the skills come to a person easily, naturally. And if these competencies are honed further it helps the person as well as the organization.

Competencies can be grouped in various categories depending on job requirements. These groups can be strategy, relationship, negotiation, innovation, leadership, project execution, risk taking, decision- making, emotional intelligence, facing challenges, public speaking, working under pressure, working under difficult environment conditions etc.

For a particular job first job analysis is done. The core competencies required for the job are identified. The nature and scope of a specific job role, the skills required, the level of knowledge required, and the behavioural capacities required to apply those skills and knowledge in that role.

When the competency required for a particular position is mapped, an accurate job profile is created.

Then a scale for competencies can be developed for the job.

The actual mapping of employees can be self-done exercise or done by others who understand the various competencies. We can do the mapping: Using the 360- degree method where peers, customers and superiors rate a person on various competencies.

Competency mapping plays a vital role in selecting, recruiting and retaining the right people.

Characteristics of an individual in competencies-

  • Motive: the thought process that a person have, the person is self-motivated to achieve results
  • Trait: a general disposition to behaviour responds in a certain way, for example self-confidence, self-control, stress resistance
  • Self-concept: dignity, what the person think he value, dignity of labour
  • Knowledge base: Content knowledge.
  • Skill: ability to perform certain mental or physical tasks, Analytical thinking,

The Way-

  • Conduct a job analysis by asking incumbents to fill up Questionnaire. This also can be one-to-one interview. The objective is to find out what the incumbents feel are the key behaviours necessary to perform their respective jobs.
  • Results of Job Analysis are used to develop competency based job description.
  • With the competency based job description we can map the competencies of human resource
  • We can use the results to identifying the competencies required to be upgraded/ developed through training.

Behavioural Interview:

A behavioural interview is a structured interview that is used to collect information about past behaviour. It is said that past performance is a predictor of future behaviour. In behaviour Interview we ask open ended questions to uncover past performance in various situations handled. We learn about past performance in a key skill area that is critical to success in the position for which the interview is being done.

Many times we apply STAR technique in behavioural interview.

What was the Situation in which you were involved?

What was the Task you needed to accomplish?

What Action(s) did you take?

What Result did you achieve?

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