HRDPower™ FAQ's » For Managers » Competencies » Steps in Implementing a Competency Based Human Resource Management System

FAQs » For Managers » Competencies

Determine strategic direction of organization (Use senior management, corporate business plans, etc.)

	Determine the strategic objectives of the organization.
	Do an analysis of organizational and resource capabilities. It is necessary to know what capabilities to grow, protect or shrink.

Design the principles and architectural framework of the competency model. (This step is for the development of a vision of how the system should look and work)

Think of how the whole system should look and work with particular attention to the critical applications for success such as promotion, selection and pay.

Think of how the competencies should be linked to jobs. One option is to create a set of competencies for each major organizational goal. Another option is to have separate levels of detail within a simple overall structure. It would consist of these elements:

	a library of potential competencies for the organization as a whole.
	subsets of the library with 6-12 competencies for each major job category.
	4-10 statements describing each competency.

Develop the competency model and tools for linking human resources functions to the model. There are several ways to develop a model. An approach that involves many people interactively is recommended.

Identify and define competencies. (One guideline in deciding on the number of competencies is to focus on the most critical areas of competence that will have an impact on performance)

	Use terms that are understood by the potential users.
	Use competency language that is consistent across the target population.

Create competency profiles for each job / role / position. (A profile is the set of competencies specific to job / role / position: includes core, behavioural, Role and Technical)

Use a balanced approach to collect competency information on existing jobs. Methods could include:

	direct observation.
	of experts who know the jobs and competencies required to get results.
	focus groups involving incumbents, supervisors, clients.
	surveys.
	job analysis interviews.
	benchmarking with similar organizations.
	databases of information on performance.
	include descriptions of the competencies in different levels of detail.

Develop tools to link human resources functions. Some of the tools could be:

	assessment and feedback tools, including self-assessment, management appraisal, and 360 feedback (a person and his/her supervisor, peers, staff or customers (or some combination) are the evaluators in his/her performance assessment)
	guides for creating development plans.
	development ideas mapped to the competencies.
	career-planning guides.
	action-learning programmes.
	training mapped to competencies.
	a competency-based pay structure.
	recruitment and selection system.

Develop system to house tools. To ensure tools are accessible to all employees, one approach is to place the competency model and tools where all employees have electronic access.

Communicate progress and benefits to all stakeholders.

Implement in phases. First, introduce the competencies and a few basic elements of the new tools or system. This provides an opportunity for staff adjustment while the additional tools are being developed. Introduce the additional tools. Note that testing and validation of the model for both reliability and capability for measurement must be done as part of the implementation process.