Many of us trust our instinct or our “gut” when it comes to making hiring decisions. Often we make hiring decisions based upon a resume or employment application and a brief interview. We tend to hire people who we like or people who give us a good feeling about their capabilities. Sometimes we make great choices and sometimes we make bad choices.
Competency modeling can help align people with the skills necessary to perform specific job duties or functions in your organization. A competency model, typically defined as a group of characteristics that drive high levels of performance in particular job or occupation, can help organizations make hiring choices based on an individual’s knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA’s) instead of based on a feeling of compatibility.
Building competency models for jobs or occupations is the first step in improving hiring practices. If your organization struggles with the costs and time associated with the hiring process, or worse yet terminations, building a competency model may help.
Great post Dennis. Competency models can help managers when making hiring decisions, as well as a range other talent management related tasks such as succession planning and leadership development. Once the competency model is built, have the applicants complete assessments and analyze any critical skill gaps. You can see a sample excerpt from a competency model at www.Avilar.com, under Products >> Competency Model, then on the left >> Competency Model samples.
ReplyDeleteChoose a rating scale for your assessments (5 is typical; from 'not proficient' to 'mastery') and have each candidate rate themselves. Have them provide examples of times when they used the skill or some other way of asking for proof.
Once the assessments are completed, review the results and identify any skill gaps. Besides being used for hiring, once hired, you can address any remaining skill deficiencies.
Avilar also offers an automated competency management system WebMentor Skills which helps to automate assessment delivery, skill gap analysis, and development planning.
I hope this was a valuable addition to the post and Happy Hiring!
Thanks for the post Andy! Your post helps take this to the next step - great addition!
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