What competency models are used for learning and development           

What is a competency model?

A competency model is a toolkit that an organization uses to identify, develop, and manage the employees' competencies, knowledge, and attitude required to perform a specific job successfully. This guideline is created by the human resource team in the organization and is learning and development implemented in recruitment, talent management, and performance evaluation.  

People usually get confused between the competency model and the job description. They are similar yet different in the way they are used. Job descriptions are the general outline of the skills required for the job. In contrast, the competency model focuses on the specific behavior and attitude that employees must have to perform the job successfully.

Components of the Competency Model

There are no standard lists of competencies for any job roles. Each job role requires specific competencies depending on the organization, industry, and job level. It can be broadly classified into three components:

Core competencies: These competencies refer to all the basic skill sets required by the organization, such as communication skills, innovation, and teamwork.

Functional competencies: These competencies comprise all job-specific skills, attitudes, and behaviours that employees must have in order to perform the job role successfully. For example, a financial analyst may require analytical skills, data visualization, and analytics to complete the job responsibilities.

Leadership competencies: Leadership competencies include all the skill sets and competencies that are generally associated with managerial positions. However, they can be applied to any job role requiring a leader to lead other employees. For example, decision-making abilities, leadership skills, and strategic thinking.

Benefits of having a competency model in the organization

• Establishes a clear path for employees' performance that aligns with the organization's goals and initiatives.

• Allows Human resources management to obtain an overview of all employees' competencies and skills and identify their learning needs.

• Assists in the performance appraisal process by providing a consistent and fair evaluation system.

• It helps in hiring, job description, and performance evaluation as it minimizes the pressure of finding the right candidate for a particular job, thus saving time and costs. 

• Help assess recruitment, learning and development programs and identify the organization's performance gaps.