Competency Framework – Is its pros & cons worth your time?

👉 Companies frequently find themselves in a situation where they believe they require a competency framework but are unsure why or how it will benefit them. If you’re going to spend the effort to create a framework, you’ll need a procedure for constructing a solid competency framework with three key goals: employee development, retention and recruitment.

It will also be used as part of an efficient succession planning process to ensure that the right people are in the right roles within the organisation as the company moves forward into the future with more confidence.

⭐️ What are Competencies?

Competencies are a combination of knowledge, abilities, and traits that provide a clear definition of what is required for an employee to effectively carry out their work position in order to accomplish and improve key performance targets.

⭐️ What is a Competency Framework?

A competency framework is a collection of work behaviours that are generally linked with core values & that serve to build the abilities of all workers at all levels while also acknowledging individual contribution, talent, and knowledge.

The framework is utilised to give a set of values, norms, and beliefs that can be used to set expectations and allow for growth and learning.

This guarantees that the organisation is always focused on ‘Aiming for Excellence’ as a general concept and that everyone in a management position has a clear set of objectives to work towards.

It provides a far more transparent and meaningful ‘Personal Development Plan’, as well as a systematic recruitment & promotion routine for all parties concerned.

⭐️ Benefits Of Competency Framework

🟢  Employees have a clear understanding of the behaviours that are expected of them at work and how they are expected to accomplish their tasks.

🟢  The evaluation and recruitment processes are more transparent & fair.

🟢  Regardless of their background, recruiters can assess transferrable skills and identify essential behaviours.

🟢  Effective individual contributions to work and organisational performance are linked.

🟢  Processes are standardised and measurable.

⭐️ Criticisms on Competency Framework

🟢 Can’t keep up with quickly changing environments since they’re stuck in the past.

🟢 Fail to deliver on promised performance gains.

🟢 Are cumbersome and inconvenient to use.

🟢 Make clones since everyone is supposed to act the same.

Such criticism is justified especially in organisation where it is designed & implemented poorly.

Therefore, it is important to ensure that design of framework is relevant to the context of the organisation and complemented with implementation that holistically integrate the framework across HR processes (rather than merely communicating about it)

🔥 Interested to find out more?

Over the next week, we’ll be sharing articles on (1) How you can develop your own competency framework and (2) How can you use it to benefit your organisation!

In the meantime, if you’re planning to develop your own competency model/framework, take a peek at this article first!

Kindly ensure that you follow our Linkedin page for the latest updates!

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About The Author: See Wei Ngiam

Ngiam’s versatile background in HR management and extensive experience working with MNCs such as Kimberly-Clark and Amway have allowed Ngiam to design Growtribe in a practical way to enable people leader & manager to accelerate people growth through a simple and yet impactful approach.

Want to find other interesting discussions? Then connect with Ngiam now via his LinkedIn Profile and follow Growtribe’s LinkedIn Page.