Competency Mapping

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Any underlying characteristic required for performing a
given task, activity or role successfully can be

considered as competency.
“A competency is a set of skills, related knowledge and attributes that
allow an individual to successfully perform a task or an activity within a
specific function or job.”
-United Nations Industrial Development Organization (2002)

“Competencies are definition of skills and behaviors that organizations

expect their staff to practice in work.” RANKIN (2002)

“Underlying characteristics of a person that results in effective a

superior performance.” MANSFIELD (1997)
 Observable
Behavior

Knowledge

Attitudes

Skills

Motives, Values , Traits, Self Concept

Competency mapping serves a number of purposes. It is
done for the following functions:

Gap Analysis
Role Clarity
Succession Planning
Growth Plans
Restructuring
Inventory of competencies for future planning
Training
Step by Step Competency Mapping Process

1 Build Competency Framework

2 List and Define Competencies

3 List and Defile Comp. Levels

4 Define Competency for each Comp. Level

5 Map Competency and Level for each position

Step by Step Competency Mapping Process

1 Build Competency Framework

2 List and Define Competencies

3 List and Defile Comp. Levels

4 Define Competency for each Comp. Level

5 Map Competency and Level for each position

Build Competency Framework

Generic/ Functional/
Leadership Technical

Knowledge

Skills

Attributes
 Literature
Review

Observations Focus Groups

Structural
Surveys
Interviews

Behavioral Event
Interviews
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS/ DICTIONERY
1. Business Knowledge: Ability to understand
business including customers and markets.
2. Personal Credibility: Ability to demonstrate high
integrity in personal & professional transactions.
3. HR Process Expertise: Ability to apply current
technologies/tools for designing & deploying the
latest HR systems and processes.
4. Change Management: Ability to diagnose, design
and deliver change processes for organizational
culture transformation and individual development
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS / DICTIONERY

5 Diversity Management: Ability to leverage

differences in thinking styles, gender, race, culture,
orientation etc for greater organizational
performance.
6 Relationship Management: Ability to develop
effective relationships with internal and external
forums and bodies on an ongoing basis.
7 Financial Perspective: Ability to understand &
demonstrate financial acumen in all HR and
business transactions.
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS / DICTIONERY
8. Strategic Thinking & Alignment: Ability to make
directional choices and balance between present
& the future - takes a long term perspective into
account
9. Service Orientation: Ability to imbibe, demonstrate
and role model readiness to respond with
empathy
10. Execution Excellence: Ability to consistently
deliver on time on commitments to internal and
external customers.
11. Employee Relationship: Ability to harmonize
conflicting interests for organizational
effectiveness.
Step by Step Competency Mapping Process

1 Build Competency Framework

2 List and Define Competencies

3 List and Define Comp. Levels

4 Define Competency for each Comp. Level

5 Map Competency and Level for each position

COMPETENCY LEVELS
Expert (E) : Role model and a thought leader for
identified competencies and has ability to develop
innovative practices & applications

Advanced (A) : Demonstrates in-depth mastery of identified

competencies and wide level of implementation experience

Competent (C) : Develops and implements advanced level of

identified competencies with some implementation experience

Basic (B) : Exhibits appreciation of identified competencies; limited or no

implementation experience
Step by Step Competency Mapping Process

1 Build Competency Framework

2 List and Define Competencies

3 List and Defile Comp. Levels

4 Define Competency for each Comp. Level

5 Map Competency and Level for each position

Competency Name:

Competency Definition:

Basic Competent Advanced Expert

 1. BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE
Ability to understand business including customers , markets and business models
Basic Competent Advanced Expert

•Understands markets •Articulates the markets •Understands the •Helps create

catered by business and rationale behind competitive pressures competitive advantage
•Shows an overview •Understands the operating in the market for the firm
knowledge of products business logic behind •Differentiates the value •Facilitates
& services the choice of products proposition behind the understanding of firm’s
•Names a handful of & service portfolio products & services strategic intent behind
key customers serviced •Recognizes the portfolio vis-à-vis what product portfolio.
by the firm complete customer competition offers •Participates in
•Demonstrates a base being serviced by •Understands business customer-related
limited or no the firm needs of customers as business reviews
understanding of the •Understands the relevant to firm’s •Influences moving up
business model business model business the value chain along
adopted by the firm •Supports business the business model
model effectively
2. PERSONAL CREDIBILITY
Ability to demonstrate high integrity in personal and professional transactions

Basic Competent Advanced Expert

•Meets team targets •Ability to withstand •Creates a culture of

• Meets deadlines •Accepts pressure from openness
•Demonstrates responsibility for supervisor / peer •Role model for
emotional control team’s mistakes group organizational values
•Accepts mistakes •Avoids bringing •Balances employee •Willing to advocate
personal bias advocacy with and push unpopular
•Avoids exaggeration organizational needs
•Represents both initiatives
•Prepares well before •Demonstrates
communication sides of a conflict
mastery over
functional knowledge
•Demonstrates …..
Flexibility
3. HR PROCESS EXPERTISE
Ability to apply current technologies/tools for designing & deploying the latest HR systems and processes.

Basic Competent Advanced Expert

• Demonstrates •Demonstrates • Demonstrates •Demonstrates
understanding of basic understanding of understanding of understanding of HR
HR theories and implementation of HR interdependence of all processes and their
concepts knowledge to a sub- HR sub-processes with impact on business
–Motivation models system such : each other processes
–Compensation •Compensation
fundamentals •Recruitment •Provides valuable inputs •Continuously innovates
–Recruitment and •Performance for the design of new HR people practices to
selection Management IT applications and introduce new E-HR
• Utilizes generic processes applications
software for HR •Able to utilize specific
processes- such as HR process application •Constantly benchmarks •Introduces HR
spreadsheets, power packages such as with best HR processes processes and
point compensation, in the industry frameworks for
•Continuously updates performance measurement against
himself/herself on HR management etc world class standards
process Knowledge •Creates team learning
forums for HR expertise
updation
4. CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Ability to diagnose, design and deliver change processes for organization culture transformation and
individual development
Basic Competent Advanced Expert
•Understands the core • Leads change •Enlists support for new •Creates blue print for
business processes and initiatives at the initiatives from top organization change
need for change departmental level management management
•Demonstrates •Questions status quo •Effectively manages
familiarity with change for team processes resistance to change •Constantly tracks
management principles •Encourages teams to •Encourages out-of –box inflection points in the
and concepts proactively identify creative thinking through environment like sudden
•Demonstrates issues instituting forums for dip or upsurge in people
willingness to change at •Equips teams with brainstorming etc demand, legal
a personal level problem solving tools •Nurtures new ideas and requirements etc
•Re-orients self quickly and techniques steers them from vested
to new situations •Exhibits tolerance for interests to prevent •Creates self-aligning
errors in new endeavors infantile mortality and quick correcting HR
systems and processes
5. DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT
Ability to leverage differences in thinking styles, gender, race, culture, orientation,etc., for greater
organizational performance

Basic Competent Advanced Expert

•Fulfills legal •Encourages diversity •Redefines outlook •Champions diversity

requirements initiatives towards diversity and inclusiveness
•Appreciates diversity •Understands •Creates processes • Creates best
•Recognizes need for business benefits and forums for practices
cross-cultural skills from diversity facilitating diversity •Demonstrates
•Appreciates & •Practices •Rewards diversity business results from
assimilates inclusiveness practitioners diversity
differences in points •Take diversity goals •Makes diversity part •Integrates diversity in
of view for achievement of business planning the organizational
fabric
 6. STRATEGIC THINKING
Ability to make directional choices and balance between present and future - takes a long term
perspective into account
Basic Competent Advanced Expert

•Understands •Appreciates the wider •Able to discriminate •Articulates key building

organizational Vision business context of the between strategic block initiatives for the
and Values present and future investment and future with action plans
•Demonstrates sufficient •Invests in building discretionary expenses •Willing to take
domain knowledge for future competencies •Participates actively in calculated risks for
catering to immediate needed in the team development initiatives future gains
business needs •Ignores short terms as a trainer/ advisor •Tracks environmental
•Invests time in building gains that can have •Measures and tracks trends to take urgent
expertise for future consequences in the people competencies at immediate survival
business needs long terms, like an organizational level measures and long term
recruiting numbers at sustenance.
the cost of quality
7. FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE
Ability to understand and demonstrate financial acumen in all HR and business transactions

Basic Competent Advanced Expert

•Participates in •Focuses on value •Participates in

•Has a feel for budget exercises for creation organizational
numbers HR. •Translates HR scorecard exercise
•Spends within budget •Has good policies as value •Creates top line
•Understands understanding of drivers. impact through HR
financial terms used financial parameters •Compares industry policies
in business •Does cost-benefit benchmarks for •Sets industry
analysis for employee costs benchmarks in
discussions employee costs
8. SERVICE ORIENTATION
Ability to imbibe, demonstrate and role models readiness to respond with empathy

Basic Competent Advanced Expert

•Participates willingly • Offers to be part of •Leverages •Reengineers

in problem-solving the solution when technology to processes to add
•Uses standard problem surfaces expedite processes value.
Operating procedures •Continuously •Inculcates a service- •Institutionalizes the
•Takes feedback for improves procedures mindset in people “moments of truth”
improvement and processes •Continually • Sets and improves
•Fixes problems when •Invites feedback and researches for benchmark for service
approached. makes corrections process improvement excellence
•Takes ownership for •Rewards and •Creates many
delivering value reinforces service customer champions
mindset
 9. RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
Ability to develop effective relationships with internal and external forums and bodies

Basic Competent Advanced Expert

•Expresses views openly •Interacts with other •Utilizes business • Creates a culture of
•Demonstrates functions/ teams relationships for new collaboration through
sensitivity to others by •Harmonizes opportunities advantage specific reward
listening without relationships within own • Leads initiatives for mechanisms
interrupting, team by surfacing and breaking organizational •Leads integration
acknowledging etc resolving conflicts silos activities in
•Discusses to resolve •Leverages •Creates teaming mergers/acquisitions
issues partnerships in awareness and role clarity • Creates “early
•Networks with peers increasing HR across the organization warning” systems and
and team effectiveness •Establishes contacts and mechanisms like
•Does not defend/attack • Participates in cross relationships at regular surveys and
in meetings functional projects industry/functional forums company wide indexes
to spot relationship
breakdowns
•Able to influence
policy decisions by
leading industry forums
10. EXECUTION EXCELLENCE
Ability to consistently deliver on time on commitments to internal and external customers

Basic Competent Advanced Expert

Demonstrates ability •Comprehensively •Balances multiple • Creates an

to effectively track prepares project plan projects organization culture of
routine jobs •Sets up / implements •Optimizes between execution excellence
•Able to prioritize review mechanism resources and gains by emphasizing
multiple jobs •Deals firmly with •Benchmarks with the importance in all
•Clarity on objectives underperformance best on execution internal forums
•Shows attention to •Rewards / motivates parameters like •Focuses on few key
detail team members recruitment cycle initiatives.
•Constantly works on •Leads Quality times, cost of •Innovates new HR
cost reduction projects on improving recruitment, response service delivery
HR execution times for employee processes and
•Participates in queries mechanisms that
Quality projects crash cycle times
improving execution •Selects and
champions areas •Reviews and guides
within HR processes Quality initiatives in
that need Quality improving execution
projects at all levels
11. EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP
Ability to harmonize conflicting interests for organizational effectiveness

Basic Competent Advanced Expert

•Has theoretical •Practical knowledge •Builds synergies •Pro-actively creates

knowledge of the of collective among various groups a positive industrial
legal framework bargaining and climate for
including Industrial negotiated •Creates processes productivity
Disputes Act, Shops settlements and forums for • Introduces practices
and Establishment •Appreciation of case escalation of such as Kaizen to
Act, Law of Contracts laws and precedents employee issues and utilize knowledge
etc their redressal repository with
•Demonstrates •Ability to see both workers
concern for other sides of the issues •Builds a sense of
people’s feelings •Builds worker
participation pride of belonging to
•Awareness of group the organizations
dynamics
•Demonstrates high • Ability to carry team •Ensures actions on
through tough employee satisfaction •Sets and achieves
emotional control in high standards of
the face of criticism situations surveys
safety, productivity
and retention.
Step by Step Competency Mapping Process

1 Build Competency Framework

2 List and Define Competencies

3 List and Defile Comp. Levels

4 Define Competency for each Comp. Level

5 Map Competency and Level for each position

Position wise competency map

C1 C2 C3 C4 C5

Executive

Manager

Senior
Manager

Head
Competencies 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

HR Exe
-- B B -- C -- -- -- B C --
0 - 2 Yrs

Senior H R
Exe/Manager B C C B C B -- -- C C C
2 - 5 Yrs

Sr. HR Mgr
C A A C A C C C E A A
6 - 10 Yrs

Head of Dept
A E E A/E A A A A E E E
> 10 Yrs
Step by Step Competency Mapping Process

1 Build Competency Framework

2 List and Define Competencies

3 List and Defile Comp. Levels

4 Define Competency for each Comp. Level

5 Map Competency and Level for each position

THANK YOU
Example
 Employee
Relationship
HR COMPETENCY

Execution Excellence
HR FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCY
OVERARCHING COMPETENCY

Service Orientation
LEADERSHIP COMPETENCY

Strategic Thinking &

Alignment
Financial Perspective
Relationship
Management
Diversity
Management
Change Management
SM

HR Process
Expertise
MODEL
Personal Credibility
Business Knowledge
LIST OF EMBEDDED COMPETENCIES
List of generic behavioral competencies that we have embedded into
HR competencies
Functional Communi Initiative Drive Creativitiy Self- Team Influence Problem Interperso
Competencies cation Confidence Work Solving nal Skills

√
Business Knowledge

√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Change Management
Diversity √ √ √ √ √
Management

Employee √ √ √ √ √ √
Relationship

√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Execution Excellence

√ √ √ √
Financial Perspective

√ √ √ √ √ √ √
HR Process Expertise

√ √ √ √
Personal Credibility

Relationship √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Management

√ √ √
Strategic Thinking
Beginning of the twentieth century - work brought complex skills to the
job. Business process required specific competencies for the task at hand.

Era of scientific management – Taylor’s and Ford’s use of assembly line

shifted focus from competency to time and motion study.

World War II (mid century) enforced management centric views where

officers gave orders to subordinates who obeyed without questions.
Behavior Event Interviewing (BEI) was developed by McBer to map the

competencies.
Increased recognition of the limitations of performance appraisal in predicting

future performance shifted focus to potential appraisal and assessment

centers in seventies.

Assessment centers were an integral part of the HRD plan given to L&T in

1975.
COMPETENCY TYPOLOGY
GENERIC FUNCTIONAL

BEHAVIORAL Generic Behavioral – Functional Behavioral –

Generic behavioral Behavioral competencies
competencies (more (More critical to Hr
essential at senior levels) professionals)

TECHNICAL Generic Technical – Functional Technical –

Generic competencies that Specific functional
are technical in nature knowledge and skills
(for delivering results)
HR COMPETENCIES
• Earlier • Now
• Business Knowledge • Functional Behavioral
• Personal Credibility • Service Orientation
• HR Process Expertise • Personal Credibility
• Change Management • Execution Excellence
• Diversity Management
• Generic Behavioral
• Relationship Management
• Strategic Thinking and Alignment
• Financial Perspective • Change Orientation
• Strategic Thinking and Alignment • Networking Management
• Service Orientation • Generic Technical
• Execution Excellence • Business Knowledge
• Employee Relationship • Financial Perspective
HR COMPETENCIES - ADDITION
• Functional Technical
• HR Planning and Staffing
• Performance Management
• Training and Development
• Talent Management
• Compensation and Benefit
• Managing Culture, Design and Change
• ER and Labor Laws
• Building HR Strategy
• International HRM
 PHASES OF DEVELOPMENT
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
PHASE 2004-06
Classified HR Competencies

FUNCTIONAL TECHNICAL FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOURAL

2006 HR Planning & Staffing Service Orientation
Performance Management Personal Credibility
Training & Development Execution Excellence
Talent Management
Compensation & Benefit
Managing Culture, Design & Change
ER & Labour Laws
Building HR Strategy
International HRM
GENERIC BEHAVIOURAL
GENERIC TECHNICAL
Strategic Thinking & Alignment
Business Knowledge Change Orientation
Financial Perspective Networking Management
Competency-based recruitment is a process of
recruitment based on the ability of candidates to
produce
anecdotes about their professional experience which
can be used as evidence that the candidate has a given
competency.
Integrating competencies within the performance management
process supports the provision of feedback to employees not only on
“what” they have accomplished (i.e., performance goals), but also
“how” the work was performed, using competencies for providing
feedback.

▪ Integrating competency with PMS helps:-

▪ Employees in understanding performance expectations and enhancing
competencies.
▪ To provide a mechanism for providing positive feedback about an
employee’s training achievements and on-the-job performance
▪ To provide job standards for performance appraisal
▪ To provide clear direction for learning new job skills
An important characteristic of Competency Based Training is that it
is focused not only on the actual jobs that are required in the
workplace, but also the ability to transfer and apply skills,

knowledge and attitudes to new Situations and environments.

The advantages of competency based training(CBT)
are:

Participants will achieve competencies required in the

performance of their jobs.
Participants build confidence as they succeed in mastering
specific competencies.
Participants receive a transcript or list of the competencies
they have achieved.
 Competencies are the need of the hour and designing
appropriate competency development models is a
necessity.

Advantages of competency based development:-

i. Improvement in productivity, performance and profitability
ii. Identify employee’s capabilities for an organization’s future
needs

iii. Analyzing capability gaps

 Advantages of competency based compensation:-
Provides a basis of deciding on the compensation.
Encourages employees to develop their competencies further.
Lead to a focus on totality of job rather than just what is achieved.
This system fits every job.
.
The Lancaster (Burgoyne) Model of Managerial Competencies
A Competency Mapping can address many of the issues
related to performance appraisal:

◦ This ensures agreement on performance criteria, what is

accomplished and what is not accomplished, collecting relevant and
sufficient data
◦ It also ensures opportunity to supervisors to observe behaviour,
specificity and concreteness in discussions about performance
deficiencies
Provides a shared understanding of what will be monitored
and measured—A Competency Mapping integrated with
performance appraisal ensures a balance between what
gets done and how it gets done.

The skills, knowledge and characteristics that are important

to success are clearly described. It provides a roadmap of
where to begin the discussion and what areas to focus on.
1. Decide the positions for which the competencies need to be
mapped.
2. Identify the location of the positions in the organizational
structure.
3. Identify the objectives of the function or the department or
the unit or section where the position is located.
4. Identify the objectives of the role. Why does the

position exist? What are the main purposes of the role etc.
details.

5. Collect the Key Performance Areas (or KRAs, Tasks, etc.) of

the position holder for the last two to three years from the
performance appraisal records.
6. Interview the position holder to list the Tasks and activities expected

to be performed by the Individual. Group them into a set of tasks.

The tasks list may be as many as 15 to 20 for some positions and as
Competency Mapping few as five to six for other positions.

7. Interview the position holder to list the actual knowledge,

attitude, skills, and other competencies required for

performing the task effectively.
8. Repeat the process with all the position set
members.

9. Consolidate the list of competencies from all the position holders’

by each task.

10. Edit and finalize. Present it to the supervisors of the position holder

and the position holder for approval and finalization.

Competency Map : A list of an individual’s competencies that represent the
factors most critical to success in given jobs, departments, organizations, or
industries that are part of the individual’s current career plan.

Competency Mapping : A process an individual uses to identify and describe

competencies that are the most critical to success in a work situation or work
role

Competency profiling : It is the process of identifying the knowledge, skills,

abilities, attitudes, and judgment required for effective performance in a
particular occupation or profession. Competency profiling is business/company
specific.