Use competency model to achieve strategic goals
A successful company is one whose workforce demonstrates the knowledge and competencies that are necessary to achieve strategic business objectives. Competencies are nothing but the skills, knowledge, personal characteristics and attitudes that are needed to perform a job in the most effective manner.
A competency model is the blueprint of competencies required for superlative performance on the job. There are several tools that can help organisations achieve operational efficiency and excellence. Creation of competency models can help streamline hiring and training practices and achieve better job-person fit within the organisation. It can help in identifying competency gaps in mission critical operations and help managers align talent to strategic business objectives. It helps in improving human resource utilisation, talent retention and succession planning within the organisation and at a very basic level, it makes it easy for employees to clearly understand organisational expectations and how they can contribute to the bottom line, thereby enabling them to achieve results.
There are many myths surrounding competency modelling and one of them is that it involves huge expenditure of time and money. This is not true. Technology and readily available expertise have made competency modelling cost effective and easy on organisational resources. Secondly, unique competency models are rarely required for all individual jobs. Competency models in general contain critical competencies for job “clusters” or “families” (for example management, marketing, HR). Based on need, these can then be customised for key individual jobs.
Not all competency models are effective. There are so many attributes and skills that may help with a job, and it is easy to lose sight of the most important ones in the clutter of ‘ideal’ attributes. In order that they are effective, competency models should also be concise. A lot of research and care must go into the selection of competencies.
Effective competency models focus only on the absolutely critical skills that make the difference to success and failure in a job, and do not get caught up with all the nice to have skills or attributes. Competency models need to be connected to the organization’s strategic direction and work best with a top down approach, where people who are aware of both business strategy and the roles play a key role in shaping competency models.
At an individual level, an awareness of job competency models will help guide your own career development. It can also help identify rewarding opportunities for individual growth that are aligned with your own attributes.
For leaders, competency models can help in selection of the right people for jobs, and help them develop the skills and attributes that can pave the way for increased effectiveness and productivity.
With more and more sophisticated technology, measuring systems and research data becoming available, competency models have evolved from the earlier more cumbersome models that were more confusing and less effective. It comes as no surprise therefore that competency models have become the keystone of recruitment, talent management and training for many large organisations across the world.
BINDU SRIDHAR 
