Competency management is a practice that is becoming increasingly present in the routines of human resources departments. However, many professionals specialized in this area still have doubts about how to implement this strategy in their companies.
And if you are part of this group that still doesn't know the potential of this HR resource, you don't need to worry, okay?
Thinking about helping you, we prepared this content to talk a little more about the subject, highlighting the importance of valuing human capital, in addition to sharing some valuable tips that will transform competency-based management into a reality in your organization.
Are you interested in the topic and want to stay well informed? So keep reading and let's go!
What is competency management?
To understand the concept in more depth, we first need to understand what competencies are.
From an organizational point of view, we can say in a few words that these qualities are actually a combination of three other factors, which are also known by the acronym CHA:
- knowledge: set of knowledge acquired through formal education (such as graduation and professional courses) and non-formal education (experiences acquired on a routine basis);
- Skills: ability to put into practice the knowledge acquired throughout life;
- attitudes: emotions, values and particular attitudes of each individual.
Competency management consists precisely of identifying, analyzing and managing the skills and knowledge of each employee. From the evaluation of this data, HR has the possibility of drawing up a detailed profile of professionals, mapping their strengths and aspects that can be improved.
The objective is not only to get to know the staff better, but also to promote T&D strategies that expand their theoretical and practical knowledge, in addition to enabling the development of actions that can improve internal processes.
In practice, good skills management optimizes team performance and brings several benefits, such as:
- Increased productivity, with deliveries made in less time and with superior quality;
- Exceeding the goals established by the company;
- Reduction in failure and rework rates;
- Positive organizational climate, with good interpersonal relationships and more integrated teams;
- Good levels of job satisfaction and reduction in turnover;
- Teams that feel more motivated and valued.
And now that we've explored the concept of competency management and even presented some of the advantages that this practice can bring to your company, let's understand how it works.
How does this concept work in organizations?
Each company has its own organizational culture and, therefore, must seek talents that have the skills most aligned with their profile.
Based on this principle, the HR department can use skills management tools to both recruit new professionals and create training that helps current employees improve their skills.
This entire process can focus on improving the individual performance of certain employees, identifying what is needed to prepare them to take on new roles, selecting new candidates more assertively or improving the performance of the team as a whole.
Everything will depend on the most latent needs of the company and also on the objectives it intends to achieve. Therefore, the human resources specialist must have a keen eye to understand each demand and evaluate the most appropriate strategies for each case.
What are the main challenges of competency management?
To successfully implement a skills management project, HR needs to overcome some challenges that can make all the difference in the outcome of the initiative.
Here we have selected some of the most common obstacles that this department needs to face:
- Managers who still do not see strategy as something essential for the organization’s growth;
- Lack of engagement in initiatives to identify competencies with leaders and teams;
- Training and development policies that are outdated or not suited to the company’s profile;
- Lack of a review of the topics that make up the mission, vision and values and that enables changes in the organizational culture.
What are the first steps to implementing this strategy in your company?
To close this content with a flourish, we will now present a step-by-step guide that will help your company put a competency-based management plan into practice, successfully and in a simple and objective way. Check it out below!
First step: carry out an updated diagnosis of the company
Start by identifying which skills are necessary for the organization's growth and evaluate the more specific demands of each department to define priorities.
Next, align the information obtained with a detailed mapping that indicates the skills that employees already have and those that need to be better developed and require special attention from human resources.
Second step: prepare a complete plan for the necessary actions
With all the diagnostic data in hand, it is time to devise strategies to solve the identified problems. Here, it is interesting to segment the work and think about some relevant questions, such as:
- Is it necessary to open a selection process to find new talent with the skills that the company needs most at this moment?
- Is it interesting to invest in training that helps improve the skills and knowledge of current teams?
Once these questions have been answered, it is possible to develop a more robust plan that contains the most appropriate actions for each case, the tools necessary to put the plans into practice, a cost projection and a well-structured schedule for carrying out each activity.
Third step: invest in implementing the strategy
Whatever the strategy defined in planning — recruitment and selection or training and qualification — the tactics used make all the difference.
The secret is knowing how to align theoretical content and practical activities so that participants in the processes know the skills sought and have the opportunity to demonstrate them through dynamics.
When hiring new professionals, for example, it is important to make a global presentation of the company (from infrastructure to organizational culture) and apply activities that can identify visions and attitudes and explore skills that are relevant to the company.
As for internal training, resorting to activities that highlight skills and encourage team integration is extremely important to stimulate a sense of belonging and motivation. Improvement and gamification courses are excellent strategies in this regard.
Fourth step: carry out measurement and good monitoring of results
An evaluation survey is always a good way to understand the participants' opinions and identify points for improvement that help to align new directions for both recruitment and training.
However, given that market demands are quite dynamic and require companies and their teams to evolve quickly and consistently, it is important that competency management is monitored frequently, as well as the collection of Feedback.
When investing in improvements in the field of human resources, it is essential that companies are aware that investing in their human capital is essential!
After all, every company is primarily made up of people, and their work and commitment are essential tools for business growth to occur consistently and with high quality levels.
If you liked knowing what competency management is and how important it is for improving employee performance and the organization's day-to-day operations, be sure to check out other content here on the Take5 blog that will help to further strengthen your teams. Access and enjoy reading!
