 Figure 1. HR activities that can be linked to a job competency database. Assess Political Events Studies social, political and economic events that occur throughout the World. Particularly notes major trends which are taking placing such as rising unemployment, the election of a new president with a different economic agenda, etc. Determines how these events might impact the corporation and its financial status. Makes recommendations on actions to take which will reduce risk to the company's financial status from various world events. The preceding competencies are all learned by experience on the job coupled with certain development experiences. These competencies can easily be turned into training courses. You know precisely what behaviors to build. The competencies can also be turned into performance measurement tools, 360 degree evaluations, and many other things. But it is this type of competency data, not KSAS, traits, or other things that makes it all possible. The proper definition of competencies is critical for subsequent activity to be on target. The New Vision: Competencies as the Hub of a Database The leading company vision of job competencies sees competencies as the hub of a wheel. The competencies are a job database to link together various HR activities. Instead of conducting independent studies in compensation, training, employment, etc. to determine the "job dimensions," one single database is developed for multiple purposes. This is depicted in Figure 1. This database is used over and over again for developing training courses and curricula, establishing performance measures, establishing career development systems, developing selection tools, and so on. You do not have to build out all of the activities around the wheel, but should you choose to do so, the database is in place for doing this. By drawing upon a single database, a company can save tremendous amounts of money over conducting separate studies in each HR area. And present to the organization a single database versus having different job dimensions for each HR discipline. HR will appear to the rest of the organization as a unified group with a clear vision of where it is going. Management throughout the organization will also become much more familiar with competencies since they will be using them for appraisals, career development, selection, etc. A common language and framework will develop throughout the organization. Competencies are a job database to link together various HR activities.
|