Competency Best Practices Part 2: Job-Specific Competencies

In my last post on the topic of Competency Management best practices, I shared some “basics” that I had identified based on input I’d gotten from other HR and talent management leaders, as well as from materials on the subject of competencies.  In Part 2 of my post, I’ll explore how specific organizations should go with job competencies, as well as measuring everyday job performance.

Job Competencies: How Specific Should You Be?

• The answer depends on what type of training and development you have in place to support the competencies, because the two must co-exist.  If you are using competencies to determine the level of competence in an individual, you have a specific skill to measure.  If the employee doesn’t have that skill, then you need to help them develop it.  Competencies need to reflect the type of learning you want accomplished. 

Competency Best Practices Part 1: The Basics

Lately there have been a lot of Cornerstone clients, as well as potential clients, asking about best practices in Competency Management.  Either they are new to competencies, converting from a paper process or creating an entirely new process. And some questions have been sparked by my blog post, “Competencies: At the ‘Heart’ of the Talent Management Strategy.” (Thanks for reading!)  

I’ve been collecting a lot of ideas based on conversations with other HR and talent management leaders, as well as from materials I’ve read on the subject of competencies.  I’ve been doing this for quite a while, but as with all best practices, things change, and they change often!  

So here’s my latest collection.  I’m dividing it into two posts.  Part 1 will share some basic best practice tips for Competency Management.  Part 2 will explore how specific organizations should go with job competencies, as well as measuring everyday job performance.  

Competency Management: Some Basics

Reaching for the Stars

Not everyone can be a rocket scientist, astronaut or a science-fiction writer, but with the right opportunities, we can find a shared purpose at work

There’s something fascinating about mankind’s achievements in space exploration, especially if you consider the vision, the goals that were set and the collective effort that went into advancing space programs to where they are today – all in a relatively short period of time.  Whether it was the famous John F. Kennedy speech that challenged Americans to put a man on the moon within 10 years, or the imagination that gave us War of the Worlds and Flash Gordon, it all started with a vision of the future.  And in turn, this translated into the dreams and goals of a generation – uniting people in special ways to achieve a shared purpose.  

Not everyone can be a rocket scientist, astronaut or a science-fiction writer, but with the right opportunities, we can find a shared purpose at work.

The Art of 360-Degree Feedback

Why the delivery of performance feedback – and the person who is delivering it – can make or break the 360 degree feedback process

How is 360-degree performance feedback being delivered in your organization?
 

Over the years, I’ve seen varied approaches to this process.  The ideal approach is to have companies engage their employees in masterful conversations that help to build self-esteem and instill change in its people.  But you would be surprised by the amount of organizations that simply hand over the feedback results to their people and instruct them to “start developing.”  Some organizations even train employees on how to decipher the results themselves and create their individual development plan on their own, versus having someone there to guide them through the process. 
 

Based on my experience, you can seriously damage your 360 assessment process if you are not delivering the results in a way that is productive, positive and motivating. 
 

Getting Engaged

Why now is the time to show your employees that you're invested in a long-term relationship with them

Many American workers feel like they’re in a “marriage of convenience” with their current employer.  Since the recession, a lot of employers have acted like they’re a prized catch – their workers are lucky to have a job, given the economy and massive layoffs, and therefore little effort is necessary to nurture the employee/employer relationship.  But when the economy recovers and it becomes an “employee market” again, these same workers will be the first ones out the door.  
 

Like any committed relationship, what employees want most from their employer is to be appreciated.  In our new “Employee Attitude Survey,” the majority of American workers polled (56%) said that aside from compensation and benefits, being appreciated would motivate them to stay in their current position – even more so than an opportunity to advance their career (46%). 

Cornerstone OnDemand Volunteers with Portraits of Hope

A group of ten employees paints the first lifeguard tower in preparation for this Sunday's major volunteer event

On April 16, under the warm Southern California sun and the watchful eye of some frolicking dolphins, a team of ten volunteer painters from Cornerstone OnDemand partnered with Portraits of Hope (POH) to paint Will Rogers lifeguard tower, helping kick off the final stage of POH’s massive Summer of Color project.

Advantage Sales & Marketing Puts Social Learning to the Test

Why a slow build approach is the best bet for organizations considering the use of enterprise social networking tools for their talent strategies

Last summer, we posted a blog about Knowledge Infusion analyst Jason Corsello’s take on the use of enterprise social networking and collaboration tools for talent management.  One of the tips he offered for businesses getting started with these tools was to identify quick wins vs. “big bang” deployments.  Not only does a lower investment lessen the pressure to demonstrate ROI, it also gives organizations an opportunity to adapt their strategies over time for broader distribution based on lessons learned.

Have You Considered How Individual Contributors Perceive Your Goal-Setting Process?

Evaluating this part of your performance management strategy can help to determine whether your organization is an entrepreneurial environment or one that sticks to the status quo 

As an individual contributor, the goals-setting process can be an extremely positive experience. But for some people it can be a nightmare. This posting explores how some individuals perceive the goal-setting process and gives you an opportunity to think about what your organization's process could be as part of your employee performance management strategy. What's your perspective?

Which Performance Management Rating Scale Should You Use?

Moving to a smaller rating scale can increase distinction between high- and low-performing employees. Read the pros and cons of the Three, Four and Five-Point Scales. 

Over the years, I have gathered numerous papers and research from various sources about Performance Management Rating Scales. This is always a very sensitive discussion for companies as they determine which rating scale they should use for their employee performance management process and why they should change their current rating structure.   

Some of the research shows moving to a smaller rating scale approach (Five-Point, Four-Point, or Three-Point) because fewer categories hold the following benefits:

• Increased distinction between high and lower performers
• Decreased complexity
• Increased consistency between ratings

Competencies: At the “Heart” of a Talent Management Strategy

While competencies should be at the core of your strategy, they can be a confusing topic for many HR and Talent Management leaders. Learn more about what competencies are, how they benefit organizations and how to get started.

Whether it is for performance management, succession planning, career development and more, there are many definitions for competencies and the ways they can be used as part of talent management strategies. As time goes by, I feel people try to use competencies in ways that may not support a measured outcome or result –- it’s just another “thing” we need to include in our organizational strategy to build talent. With this in mind I thought I’d talk about some of things I’ve learned and how I've used competencies over the years in hopes I may help to guide many of you as you sail towards this new horizon. For those of you in the more advanced stages of competencies, I’ll talk about that in another posting.