Competency Mapping

Madhu B K

Competency Mapping

Competency Mapping is a process of identify key competencies for an organization and/or a job and incorporating those competencies throughout the various processes (i.e. job evaluation, training, recruitment) of the organization.

The steps involved in competency mapping with an end result of job evaluation include the following:

1) Conduct a job analysis by asking incumbents to complete a position information questionnaire (PIQ).

2) Using the results of the job analysis, you are ready to develop a competency based job description.

3) With a competency based job description, you are on your way to begin mapping the competencies throughout your human resources processes.

4) Taking the competency mapping one step further, you can use the results of your evaluation to identify in what competencies individuals need additional development or training.

Types of Competency Mapping approaches:

•i. Top – Downii. Bottom-up, andiii. Hybrid/ Mixed

Steps of doing competency mapping

i. Literature Review,ii. Developing Constitution/ Policy and Rules and Regulation Framework,iii. Decision to do it in house or out source,iv. Decision to do it top-down, bottom-up or by hybrid way,v. Category of skills,vi. Tools used,vii. Behavior Effectiveness Analysis,viii. Performance outcome expected.

• Competency Mapping is also known as Competency Profiling, it analyses attributes of a person for doing job successfully. Those attributes are:a. Knowledge,b. Skills,c. Attitude,d. Trait ande. Motive for

Who Identifies competencies?

• Competencies can be identified by one of more of the following category of people: Experts, HR Specialists, Job analysts, Psychologists, Industrial Engineers etc. in consultation with: Line Managers, Current & Past Role holders, Supervising Seniors, Reporting and Reviewing Officers, Internal Customers, Subordinates of the role holders and Other role set members of the role

What Methodology is used?• The various methods used in combination for

competency mapping : • Interviews, • Group work, • Task Forces, • Task Analysis workshops,• Questionnaire, • Use of Job descriptions,• Performance Appraisal Formats etc.

USAGE OF COMPETENCY MAPPING

• job-evaluation;recruitmentperformance management and performance diagnosticsSuccession planningEmployee potential appraisal for promotion;Training needs identification; training and developmentand Self-development initiatives.

Merits of Competency Mapping

• The value of competency mapping and identifying emotional strengths is that many employers now purposefully screen employees to hire people with specific competencies.

• When individuals must seek new jobs, knowing one’s competencies can give one a competitive edge in the job market.

• Competency mapping is the process of identifying key competencies for a particular position in an organization. Once this process is complete, the map becomes an input for several other HR processes such as job-evaluation; recruitment; training and development; performance management; and succession planning.

• The mapping process starts from as macro an endeavour as understanding the vision and mission of the organization and how that translates into specific, time-bound business goals. It then goes on to delineating the organization structure clearly, and identifying the various levels and positions, as well as the reporting relationships obtaining within that.

The competencies identified in the Framework are arranged under the following three categories:

1. Functional Competencies—technical competencies most closely aligned with the value contributed by accounting professionals

2. Personal Competencies—individual attributes and values

3. Broad Business Perspective Competencies—perspectives and skills relating to understanding of internal and external business contexts

• The usefulness of competency mapping itself must be considered unproven, rather than disproven