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Competency Driven HR Initiatives



A high-performing government agency, known for its progressive leadership and people practices, required a Core Competency Framework to:

  • Shape behaviours of emerging leaders.

  • Enhance the robustness and transparency in the appraisal process.

  • Bring clearer differentiation between hierarchy levels and job grades.

  • Align L&D initiatives to the competencies.

  • Strengthen the recruitment process.

  • Encourage individuals to take more responsibility for self-development.

The Solution:

Our premise:

Competencies need to enable an organisation deliver on its objectives. They must be differentiated to drive behaviours that genuinely matter. All HR initiatives must be aligned with competencies to reinforce desired behaviours. Managers and employees must be trained to use the competencies

What we did:

Tier 1: Gathering information on High Performance Behaviours

  • We conducted meetings with key organisational leaders and stakeholders to gain insights into priorities, strategic objectives, and internal and external challenges. Subsequently, we conducted an organisational capability workshop with top management to collaboratively identify the collective abilities necessary for achieving strategic objectives. We derived the preliminary competencies from this workshop, providing a foundational framework for further elaboration. To identify high-performance behaviours descriptors, we conducted behavioural interviews with representative job holders across hierarchical levels. Engaging with employees across various levels gave us a more holistic understanding of high-performance behaviours required throughout the organisation.

Tier 2: Development and validation of competencies

  • Following the initial data collection phase, we refined the competency clusters and validated them in collaboration with the client. These clusters were reviewed and discussed with the client to ensure alignment with organisational goals and objectives. Subsequently, detailed behavioural descriptors were developed for each competency within the identified clusters. These descriptors provided concrete examples of observable behaviours associated with each competency, facilitating a clear understanding of what proficiency in each competency entails. The development of behavioural descriptors was a collaborative effort involving input from job holders, subject matter experts and key stakeholders to ensure accuracy and relevance.

  • To validate the competency descriptors, employee focus groups and scrambled questionnaire sessions were conducted. Employee focus groups provided a forum for employees to provide feedback on the relevance and clarity of the descriptors as well as to share their perspectives on the identified competencies. Scrambled questionnaire sessions involved presenting employees with anonymised competency descriptors and gathering their responses to assess comprehension and resonance. Through these validation exercises, the competency descriptors were refined based on employee input and feedback, ensuring that they accurately captured the behaviours associated with each competency. This iterative process helped to enhance the validity and reliability of the competency framework, ultimately providing a solid foundation for competency-based HR initiatives.

Tier 3: Development of applications (Recruitment, Learning and Development, Career Management, and Performance Management)

  • Once the competency clusters and descriptors were established, we developed comprehensive interview guides that aligned with these competencies. These guides ensured that the interview process focused on assessing candidates' abilities in key competency areas, facilitating effective hiring decisions. In parallel, we crafted competency-based career paths to provide employees with clear trajectories for growth and development within the organisation. These paths outlined the competencies required for advancement in various roles, enabling employees to plan and pursue their career progression proactively. Additionally, we developed a competency-based Learning and Development (L&D) framework to guide the design and delivery of training programs. This framework identified specific competency gaps and tailored learning interventions to address them, maximising the impact of L&D initiatives on employee skill development and performance improvement. Furthermore, the performance management system was meticulously aligned with the competency framework. Performance criteria and appraisal processes were structured around the identified competencies, ensuring that performance evaluations accurately reflected employees' abilities to demonstrate key competencies in their roles. This alignment facilitated objective performance assessments and provided valuable insights for individual development planning and talent management decisions.

Tier 4: Roll out

  • To ensure the effective implementation of the competency framework, we conducted workshops for managers and employees. These workshops familiarised participants with the identified competencies and educated them on leveraging competencies to enhance performance dialogues. We equipped managers with the necessary skills to provide constructive feedback, set performance expectations, and facilitate meaningful discussions around competency development. Meanwhile, employees were trained to understand how the competencies related to their roles and how they can leverage the competencies to excel in their responsibilities. In addition, potential interviewers were trained in competency-based interview techniques to improve hiring decisions. Through specialised training sessions, interviewers learned how to structure interviews around specific competencies, ask targeted questions to assess candidates' proficiency levels and evaluate responses objectively. This approach ensured hiring decisions were based on a thorough assessment of candidates' competencies, leading to better alignment between candidates' skills and organisational needs.

The Result:

  • Our competency framework successfully linked strategy with desired behaviours, offering differentiating and forward-looking competencies. Employees embraced these competencies, resulting in high buy-in. Managers found the framework user-friendly and beneficial in staff management, enhancing overall effectiveness.

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