Competency management is a “must have” for a modern company. What are the competencies of a manager?

Recently, when developing and implementing human resource management strategies, organizations have begun to use competency management technologies.

Competency management is the process of comparing an organization's needs for personnel with available labor resources and selecting forms of influence to bring them into line with production requirements. In this case, the need of the organization is understood as the necessary quantitative and qualitative composition of personnel, determined in accordance with its development strategy. Resources mean employees of the organization with achieved levels of competence, desires, motivation, and aspirations. The result of comparing needs and resources is management decisions on rotation, promotion, hiring, and personnel development.

Competency management technology integrates technologies for managing by goals, determining production requirements and provides for bringing the organization’s personnel into compliance with these requirements.

Competencies are the characteristics of personnel necessary for successful activities: a set of knowledge, skills, abilities, efforts and behavior patterns.

A body of knowledge involves having the information required to perform a job. Knowledge determines a person's intellectual potential.

Skills are mastery of the means and methods of performing certain tasks. Skills range from physical strength and dexterity to specialized training. What skills have in common is their specificity.

Abilities are determined by an innate predisposition to perform a certain type of activity. Ability can also be considered a rough synonym for giftedness.

The effort involved is associated with the conscious application of mental and physical resources in a certain direction. Effort is the core of work ethic. Anyone can be forgiven for lack of talent or average ability, but one can never be forgiven for lack of effort. Without effort, a person resembles carriages without a locomotive, which are also full of “abilities”, but stand lifelessly on the rails.

Stereotypes of behavior are visible forms of actions taken to perform certain jobs. Behavior includes inherited and learned responses to situations and situational stimuli. Our behavior reveals our values, ethics, beliefs and reactions to the world around us. When a person demonstrates self-confidence, forms a team among colleagues, or shows a tendency to take action, his behavior corresponds to the requirements of the organization.

Competencies can be characterized through their levels of expression

Fourth: Leadership level (supplements the basic and strong levels) - the manager sets standards for the team, when not only he, but also others begin to demonstrate this competence; the manager helps others demonstrate the necessary skills.

Third: Strong level (supplements the basic level) - competence can be manifested in work processes, when solving complex problems.

Second: Basic level - competence is developed normally; The manager exhibits the qualities necessary for the job.

First: Level of understanding - the manager understands the need for these competencies, he tries to demonstrate them, but this does not always work out.

The competency has a detailed description that is understandable to employees of the organization, which greatly facilitates the possibility of diagnosing it.

Here, for example, is how the “Flexibility” competency inherent in an employee is described:

Adapts quickly to work in a variety of situations, with different people and groups.

Changes his approaches to work in accordance with changes inside and outside the organization.

Understands and appreciates the merits of multiple approaches to solving a problem.

Even after choosing the optimal plan, it strives to maintain the possibility of returning to alternative solutions.

Retains the ability to work productively even in cases where hopes for the initially chosen path did not materialize

Rice. 7.4. Managing the competence of the organization's personnel

Competency models allow staff development in two directions:

1. adaptation to the current situation in the organization;

2. mastering the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for successful work in a specialized professional field of activity.

When developing these models, you can use the following approaches:

o analysis of the activities of the most outstanding employees (“stars”);

o comparative analysis of the activities of many employees;

o expert survey;

o combining models borrowed from other areas of activity.

Personnel competency management is implemented taking into account the characteristics of the core and periphery of the intra-company labor market. The need to take into account such features is due to the fact that any change in the market situation can lead an employee to a decision to change jobs. In particular, the importance of certain workers for the process of creating products does not remain unchanged due to the fact that over time they acquire new knowledge and skills, are able to solve more and more complex problems, and, therefore, it is not surprising that the work performed is less and less suits them. As a result, the management of the enterprise has to spend additional funds for searching and attracting, training, and expenses for social protection of employees.

CONTINUOUS EDUCATION SYSTEM: GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF TRAINING QUALIFIED PERSONNEL

Professional educational programs are aimed at solving the problems of consistently increasing the professional and general educational level, training specialists with appropriate qualifications. Currently, a system of continuous professional education for workers is being formed, which includes, in addition to main(higher, secondary specialized and primary vocational education) also additional education system(advanced training; retraining; internship; postgraduate education - graduate school, doctoral studies).

The importance of continuing education is confirmed by the following main factors:

· The introduction of new equipment, technology, the production of modern goods, and the growth of communication capabilities create conditions for the elimination or change of certain types of work. In this regard, the necessary qualifications cannot be guaranteed by basic education;

· The world is turning into a market without borders with a high level of competition between countries. Countries with modern engineering labor systems and continuing education programs are leading the way in this competition. They have the opportunity to respond to any “challenge” in the shortest possible time by increasing the productivity of engineering work;

· Changes in all areas of life are the main element of modernity. Continuous and rapid changes in technology and computer science require continuous training of personnel;

· It is more efficient and economical for a company to increase the productivity of existing employees based on their continuous training than to attract new employees.

Additional professional education(DPO) is the object of state educational policy, which is enshrined, in particular, in such regulatory legal acts as the Law of the Russian Federation “On Education”, Regulations on the procedure and conditions for professional retraining of specialists, Requirements for the content of additional professional educational programs, etc.

“Additional education is the systematic improvement of qualifications of personnel, specialists and managers and, if necessary, their professional retraining (Fig. 7.5.). The main task additional education is the continuous improvement of the qualifications of workers, employees, specialists and managers in connection with the constant improvement of educational standards" (Table 7.1.).

Additional professional education programs should distinguish between:

· “conserving” education , which is aimed at mastering fixed views, methods and rules necessary for effective work in known and repeated situations, at developing the ability of students to solve those problems that are relevant;

· "innovative" education , which is focused on the future, preparing the organization to work in new conditions.

Table 7.1

Functions of additional professional education

Economic functions of additional professional education

Social functions of additional professional education

1. Development of human potential of the individual, nation; 2. Increasing professional mobility; 3. Adaptation of the workforce to the requirements of international standards; 4. Adaptation of the educational system to changing labor market conditions; 5. Elimination of structural imbalances in the labor market; 6. Increasing the competitiveness of production (labor productivity, product quality, the possibility of using scientific and technical progress achievements); 7. Savings on costs associated with replacing low-skilled personnel.

1. Increasing the competitiveness of the employee in the labor market; 2. Growth of the scientific and cultural level of the population; 3. Creation of means to protect citizens from unemployment; 4. Increasing the social status of students in further education programs; 5. Formation of an active life position among the population.

The construction and operation of the additional education system is based on certain principles : multi-stage, formation of initiative, innovative orientation of programs and their versatility, principle of production-necessary need etc.

PERSONNEL TRAINING: CONCEPT, CONCEPTS. EDUCATION AS THE GOAL OF LEARNING

Staff training – the main route to obtaining vocational education. This is a purposefully organized, systematically and systematically carried out process of mastering knowledge, abilities, skills and methods of communication under the guidance of experienced teachers, mentors, specialists, managers, etc.

Vocational training - This is the process of directly transferring new professional skills and knowledge to employees of the organization.

Primary training carried out in schools, vocational schools, technical schools, colleges, lyceums, universities. Secondary training takes place in universities, institutes and faculties of advanced training and retraining of personnel, in training centers, specially organized courses and seminars, in enterprises, organizations, etc.

Currently, three concepts for training qualified personnel have been developed:

· Specialized training concept, focused on the present or near future and relevant to the relevant workplace. Training is effective for a relatively short period of time, but, from the employee’s point of view, it helps to maintain a job and strengthen self-esteem;

· Multidisciplinary training concept, which is based on multidisciplinary training of an employee with a focus on multivalent qualifications, i.e. a complex of knowledge, abilities, and skills in performing work related to different professions;

· The concept of person-centered learning focused on the priority development of human qualities inherent in nature or acquired in practical activities.

Purpose of training is getting an education.

Education- the process and result of assimilation of systematized knowledge, skills, habits and behaviors necessary to prepare a person for work.

Continuing Education– the process and principle of personality formation, which provides for the creation of educational systems that are open to people of any age and generation and accompany a person throughout his life, contribute to his constant development, involve him in the continuous process of mastering knowledge, skills, habits and ways of behavior ( communication).

Vocational education as a process, it is an element of the lifelong education system. Vocational education as a result - a person’s preparedness for a certain type of work activity, profession, confirmed by a document (certificate, diploma, certificate) of graduation from the relevant educational institution. Vocational education is carried out both on the basis of state standards for the training of specialists, and using flexible curricula and training periods.

Training of workers and employees includes four main types:

1. Vocational training, i.e. the process of filling the “gap” between the employee’s existing knowledge and skills and the knowledge and skills that he needs to perform the intended job at the present time. There is primary, secondary and higher vocational training for workers and specialists with obtaining an education document (diploma, certificate). Duration of training is from 1 to 6 years.

2. Advanced training, those. the process of filling the "gap" between a worker's existing skills and knowledge and the knowledge he or she must have to perform the job in the future. It is performed at professional courses, at management schools, at advanced training faculties and at business institutes. Duration of training from 1 day to 6 months.

3. Retraining of personnel, those. the process of filling the “gap” between an employee’s existing knowledge and skills and those that will be required to perform a new job. It is carried out in educational institutions when workers acquire a second profession, and employees acquire a second specialty. Duration of training is from 6 to 24 months.

4. Postgraduate professional education. Carried out to obtain higher professional or scientific qualifications in graduate school or doctoral studies. Duration of training – 2-4 years.

7.5. IN-HOUSE TRAINING: CONCEPT, APPROACHES, DIRECTIONS. ROLE OF THE MANAGER IN THE ORGANIZATION OF TRAINING

In-house training– a special form of training for adults. In the practice of domestic enterprises, two main approaches to organizing in-house training can be distinguished:

§ Expert, which assumes the possibility of implementing an organization development program with solving serious problems of the organization by training management personnel based on the knowledge and experience of an invited consultant. Within this approach, the teacher-consultant acts as a bearer of expert knowledge that can be applied to a specific situation in the organization. The training program should equip trainees with knowledge of typical problems that they may encounter in the course of their professional activities. In this case, the purpose of training is primarily the transfer of very specific knowledge;

§ Procedural, which assumes the possibility of implementing an organization’s development program only in the process of joint work between a teacher and the organization’s staff. Within the framework of this approach, a project of proposed actions can be created and, most importantly, implemented only with the active participation of the organization’s management personnel. Naturally, within the framework of this approach, additional requirements are imposed on the staff, primarily related to their focus on partnership interaction with the teacher-trainer and the possibility of active participation in the educational process.

A type of training in an organization is training . Training - daily training in which one instructs/trains another on the fundamentals of his activity through intensive training, demonstration and practical work. The training does not involve the transfer of information, but training in its practical use. The concept of “training” means training, continuity. A group of students (its number does not exceed 10-12 people) is engaged exclusively in discussing the behavior in the process of work of each of its participants. The purpose of T-group work is partly to provoke shifts in the attitudes and behavior of workers by showing them what others think of them, partly to show the importance of personal behavior in the group process, and partly to improve the social interaction skills of group members.

Considering the specifics of in-house training approaches, we can highlight two directions: T traditional; integrated, combined with organizational development(Table 7.2.)

6.2.1.1.1.1.1.1 Table 7.2.

Comparative characteristics of traditional and integrated in-house training

Options	6.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 Traditional training	6.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.2 Integrated training
Object	Individual manager	Groups, intergroup connections, leader and group
Content	Fundamentals of management knowledge	Communication skills, problem solving skills
Students	Junior and middle managers	All managers up to senior management
Educational process	Based on information and rationalization	Based on information, rationalization, communication and emotion
Learning style	Based on the subjects and characteristics of the teacher	Based on the characteristics of the participants, their experience, problems, relationships and skills of consultants
Learning Objectives	Rationality and efficiency	Adapt, change, inform
Form of conduct	Local seminars, courses	Free choice of forms depending on need and situation
Responsibility for carrying out	Teachers, organizers	Participants
Program stability	Stable	Flexible, adapted to the situation
Training concept	Adaptation of managers to the needs of the enterprise	Change leaders and organization at the same time
Participation in the preparation of educational and other programs	Participants are not included in curriculum development	Managers take part in drawing up enterprise change programs
Focus	Focus on knowledge that may be useful in the future	Focus on specific change
Participants' activity	Typically inactive	Typically very active

Test questions for section 7

10. Give the basic concepts of personnel training.

11. What types of training are used in the practice of domestic enterprises?

12. What is the role of the personnel service in organizing personnel training in an organization?

13. Explain the term “competency model”. What principles are competency models based on?

Topic 8. Career management

What strategies for developing competencies exist, what are the advantages and limitations of each of them, how to improve staff skills in the most effective ways, the site told the portalYulia Sinitsyna, Director of Consulting, Talent Q.

What are competencies?

In 1973, David K. McClelland published an article arguing that traditional aptitude and knowledge testing and educational credentials did not predict success in work and life. He called for looking for “competencies” in a person’s properties, motivation and behavior, which would determine the basic qualities of an individual that predetermine effective human behavior at work. Everyone knows situations when an excellent professional and recognized expert is put in charge of colleagues, but he cannot cope with new tasks. This is exactly the case when, despite having professional knowledge and skills, a person does not have managerial behavior patterns (competencies).

In his book The Competent Manager (1982), Richard Boyatzis defined competence as: “a basic characteristic of a person that may be motivated,

personality trait, skill, aspect of self-image, social role or knowledge..." In other words, competence is the result of the interaction of such employee qualities as:

Capabilities

Personality characteristics

Knowledge and skills

Motivation

We can offer a universal model that contains competencies related to three areas:

Relationship management - reflects how a person interacts with others.

Task management - reflects a person’s approach to organizing activities and solving business problems.

Self-management reflects the characteristics of the emotional-volitional and motivational spheres.

Development of competencies and strategies for their development

Each person is individual. However, there is a certain similarity in the fact that it is not easy for each of us to realize and agree with the need for changes in habitual behavior - our “image of ourselves” is supported and strengthened by habitual ideas.

The company can provide quite valuable methodological information on the development of competence. However, it is important to understand that it is the employee who bears full responsibility for his own development.

When you are going to develop one of the competencies (or some component part of it), it is first of all important to assess how acutely the employee feels the lack of development of this competency for effective work or career development.

The fact is that motivation is the “engine of competence”, without which it is impossible to “go” anywhere. Motivation is practically not developed. The easiest way is to acquire and master new knowledge and skills. Personal characteristics and abilities are also developed, but to a lesser extent.

As a rule, the process of developing competence takes 2 years if it is actively used in work, but you can develop individual components, in particular those related to knowledge and skills (for example, an algorithm for setting goals), in a shorter period.

Developing competence from a minimum level to the required level, much less bringing it to automaticity, is a very difficult task. There are several strategies for developing competencies, each of which has its own advantages and limitations:

Competency development strategies

1. Development of weaknesses

Peculiarities:

Improving the least developed competencies in order to “pull them up” to the level necessary for the effective performance of professional tasks allows us to reduce the likelihood of critical errors in work.

Restrictions:

It is not applicable for competencies that are difficult to develop, in which the predominant role is played by such a component as “Motivation”.

2. Compensating for weaknesses through the active use of strengths

Peculiarities:

Competencies developed at a high level are used to compensate for the lack of development of other competencies.

Restrictions:

The tendency to adhere to a familiar style of behavior limits the ability to adapt to changing conditions.

The predominance of behavioral manifestations of any one competency carries risks (described in detail in Appendix No. 1 “Typical risks of excessive concentration on the development of competence” and Appendix No. 2 “Career destructors”).

3. An integrated approach to competency development

Peculiarities:

The combination of actions to “pull up” weaknesses and compensate them with the most developed competencies allows you to achieve the best results due to the balance in improving all competencies.

Thus, a comprehensive strategy is the most effective, since it allows you not only to rely on your strengths, but also to work on the least developed competencies, achieving balance and harmony in development, as well as efficiency in behavior.

FIRST Development Principles

In order for the competency development process to be effective, it is necessary to adhere to the FIRST principle of continuous development:

Focus on priorities(focus on priorities) - define development goals as precisely as possible, choose a specific area for improvement;

Implement something every day(practice regularly) - regularly perform actions that contribute to development, applying new knowledge and skills in practice, solving more complex problems that go beyond the “comfort zone”;

Reflectonwhathappens(evaluate progress) - constantly monitor the changes occurring in your behavior, analyze your actions and results achieved, the reasons for successes and failures;

Seek feedback and support(look for support and feedback) - use feedback and support in learning from experts, experienced colleagues, listen to their opinions and recommendations;

Transferlearningintonextsteps(set yourself new goals) - continuously improve, constantly set new development goals for yourself, do not stop there.

Competency development methods

Competencies can be developed using several methods. In order for the improvement of competencies to occur most effectively, it is necessary to use development methods from three main categories, each of which involves its own way of mastering models of successful behavior, is characterized by its own advantages, as well as some limitations:

1. Tell (study of theory) - identifying models of successful behavior in the process of independent study of theoretical material (business literature, video courses, searching for materials on the Internet, etc.), as well as during participation in thematic educational programs (trainings, seminars , courses, obtaining a second higher education in another specialty, MBA degrees and other educational programs).

2. Show (learning from the experience of others) - identifying models of successful behavior by observing people in work situations who have a high level of development of these competencies, discussing with them ways and techniques that allow them to achieve high results; as well as improving competencies with the involvement of a coach, mentor, and receiving feedback from experienced people.

3. Do (application in practice) - mastering models of successful behavior through regular application of acquired theoretical knowledge in real activities, both when performing tasks that are part of the employee’s direct responsibilities, and when performing special tasks and projects that are additional to the main responsibilities or not related to professional activities.

Advantages and limitations of using various development methods

1. Tell (learning theory)

1.1. Self-education

(business literature, video courses, Internet, etc.)

Advantages:

Provides an opportunity to obtain the theoretical knowledge necessary for development at a convenient time

Allows you to deeply understand and work through the theoretical material necessary for development.

Regularity of self-education activities is a test of personal motivation

Restrictions:

There is not always enough time to independently study theoretical material.

It is difficult to assess the urgency of self-development due to the lack of feedback from other people.

It is not always clear how this or that technique or approach can be applied in real life.

1.2. Attending trainings, seminars and other educational programs

Advantages:

Allows you to gain basic knowledge and skills on a topic of interest.

Provides the opportunity to consult with teacher trainers who are experts in this field.

Helps organize the knowledge and skills that you already possess.

Restrictions:

During the training, tasks are used that simulate specific work situations, but do not reflect the complexity of real problems.

During the training, new skills are not fully consolidated; they need to be practiced in real practical activities.

2.1. Observing the actions of others

Advantages:

The opportunity to obtain information about specific practical techniques that are effective in real business situations (including in your company).

The ability to master models of successful behavior by observing the behavior of people with a high level of competence development, regardless of whether they are employees of the company.

Allows you to consult with experienced colleagues, ask for their opinions and specific recommendations on the best ways to do the job.

Restrictions:

It is not always possible to find people in your environment who are the standard in the area in which you are focused on developing.

More experienced colleagues or other ideal models of behavior may achieve success using methods that are not suitable for you personally, and you will not be able to apply them.

Experienced performers are not always able to talk in detail about the methods and techniques that they use to achieve success, or explain the scheme of actions.

2. Show (learning from the experience of others)

2.2. Receiving feedback, development with the involvement of a mentor, coaching development with the involvement of a mentor, coach

Advantages:

Allows you to find out the opinions of the people with whom you most often interact in your professional activities about your behavior (colleagues, subordinates, boss).

The opportunity to discuss and, together with an experienced mentor or coach, develop action plans that correspond to the specifics of your activity.

It involves an individual approach and provides the opportunity for more precise adjustments to your competencies.

Restrictions:

Feedback received from colleagues may not always be objective.

Your inner willingness to hear critical assessments is necessary.

It can be difficult to find employees within the company who will help you develop on a systematic and regular basis,
provide mentoring.

3. Do (Practical Application)

3.1. Development in the workplace

Advantages:

Provides an opportunity to consolidate the knowledge and skills you have acquired through independent study of literature, completing trainings and educational programs, observing the behavior of other people, etc.

Allows you to regularly practice the necessary skills and styles of behavior in familiar work situations.

Provides high involvement in development, because You can notice an increase in work results when you apply new knowledge and skills.

Restrictions:

It will not be effective enough without preliminary theoretical preparation.

Effective when used in combination with other methods of individual development.

Using insufficiently developed and practiced skills in real work situations can lead to errors and temporarily reduce efficiency.

Your current job responsibilities and tasks may not always allow you to practice new knowledge and skills.

3.2 Special assignments/projects

Advantages:

Provides an opportunity to practice the necessary skills and behavior when there are no suitable conditions for this in your professional activity.

Allows you to practice the necessary skills and behavior in atypical situations.

Restrictions:

Such a project should be necessary and useful to the organization or to you personally.

Special assignments and projects do not allow you to regularly practice skills, because... appear from time to time.

1.3 Competency management

Many organizations are developing and applying competency methods; currently, a whole direction has emerged that studies competencies and their application. Great interest in competencies is due to the fact that previously developed methods were created to solve a narrow range of problems. The competency model allows you to create a set of criteria that connects a wide range of specific activities with personnel management. A set of general personnel management criteria has two important advantages:

● the ability to develop a common language to describe the performance of an entire organization. And a common language helps to establish understanding between employees of different departments and different levels of the organization.

● the ability to achieve a high level of consistency when assessing an employee and when selecting candidates for promotion. All experts will have the same understanding of an employee’s valuable qualities and will know what needs to be assessed and what can be ignored.

Various organizations and competency experts prefer their own definitions to “alien” ones that appeared earlier. There are many different definitions of competencies, but these definitions are just variations of two definitions that differ in their origins:

● The first definition comes from national training systems such as the Management Charter Initiative (MCI) and National/Scottish Vocational Qualifications. In these systems, competencies are considered to be the manager’s ability to act in accordance with the standards accepted in the company.

● The second definition arose from the work of consultants and researchers specializing in the study of effective management. Various definitions of behavioral competence are variations of essentially the same definition: competence is the main characteristic of a person, the owner of which is able to achieve high results in work.

Competency management is a set of actions aimed at acquiring the necessary competence in accordance with the needs of the organization, which are determined by comparing the needs of the enterprise with available resources.

A specific variation is usually supplemented by an indication of what qualities the main characteristic includes. For example: to this often cited definition of competence are added motives, knowledge, abilities, social role, self-esteem, character traits, and knowledge that a person uses in work. Currently, the interpretation of competence as the ability to apply knowledge, skills, experience and personal qualities for successful activities in a certain field has become widespread.

The variety of definition options indicates that although competence consists of many personal parameters (motives, character traits, abilities, etc.), all these parameters can be identified and assessed by the way a person behaves. For example: Communication skills are fully reflected in how effectively a person negotiates, how he influences people and how he works in a team. Behavioral competence describes the behavior observed when effective performers exhibit personal motives, character traits, and abilities in the process of solving problems that lead to the achievement of desired work results.

The rate at which corporate knowledge is updated determines the life cycle of services and products. In this regard, the organization must innovate in a timely manner, introduce new technologies and learn in the process of solving current business development problems.

Competency clusters are sets of usually three to five closely related competencies. Most competency models include clusters that relate to:

● interaction, for example, working with people.

● actions, for example, to achieve specific results

● intellectual activity, for example, problem analysis and decision making.

Competence is a basic quality of an individual that has a causal relationship to effective and/or best performance based on criteria at work or in other situations.

Each competency is a set of related behavioral indicators. These indicators are combined into one or several blocks depending on the semantic scope of the competence.

A simple model, that is, a model that covers types of work with simple standards of behavior, may have one list of indicators for all competencies. In this model, all behavioral indicators apply to all activities.

Competency by level - when a competency model covers a wide range of jobs with varying categorical requirements, behavioral indicators within each competency can be summarized in separate lists or divided by level. This allows a number of elements of different competencies to be brought under one heading, which is convenient and necessary when the competency model must cover a wide range of activities, jobs and functional roles.

Behavioral indicators are standards of behavior that are observed in the actions of a person with a specific competency. The subject of observation is the manifestation of high competence. Manifestations of weak, ineffective “negative” competence can also be the subject of observation and study, but this approach is rarely used.

A competency model is a term for a complete set of competencies (with or without levels) and behavior indicators. Models may contain detailed descriptions of the standards of behavior of personnel in a particular department or standards of actions leading to the achievement of specific goals, but may also include basic standards of behavior developed to fully describe the business structure or activities aimed at achieving a set of diverse corporate goals. The detail included in the description of a competency model depends on the intended practical application of a particular model.

Education and training are usually carried out due to the lack of technical skills among employees. Therefore, training is always aimed at the competencies required to perform tasks and achieve specified work results. Moreover, training always refers to the technical competence required to advance towards a specific goal. For example: training in presentation skills, training in conducting interviews when assessing work, as well as in selecting candidates, training in keyboard skills. The use of the term “skills” can cause some confusion because employees are usually trained not in skills, but in work techniques. Training does not make an employee skilled - skill develops through the practical application of methods mastered during the training process.

Competence is the result of the skillful application of different methods in combination with a specific situation, values, abilities and knowledge. For example, successful team leadership can be the result of effective training in the use of techniques such as interviewing to evaluate performance, conducting work meetings, providing feedback, and managing performance. But management, along with other factors, is also based on employees’ interest in development, respect for the interests of each employee, knowledge of team members and personal motivation to perform work.

Competencies can be taught. Many studies have shown that even basic motivational competencies such as achievement orientation and characteristic traits such as self-confidence can be modified. The general method of teaching competencies is developed based on four theories of learning and change in people: adult experiential learning, acquisition of motivation, social learning, and self-directed change.

The narrow concept of technical training does not refer to competencies in their entirety, but to individual elements of competencies. This type of training is provided through:

● identifying elements of competency that can be developed through training - for example, filling gaps in knowledge or work practices

● focusing training on standards of behavior when behavior correction is achieved through training.

The two key objectives of training and development are to ensure that staff competencies are sufficient to meet the company's current and future needs. Many factors influence both training and development programs and the success of actual training. An organization's strategic plans and policies will influence training and development programs. Environmental factors (especially corporate culture) and the employee's personality traits (learning style, motivation, ability) will influence what and to what extent a person learns.

Competency models help at all key stages of training and development - from identifying the need and developing development programs to assessing the success of training and subsequent professional growth of the employee. But competencies by themselves will not lead to success at any of these levels. The use of competency models helps to clearly define each stage, but without experienced people to plan, conduct and deliver development activities, competency-based learning and development will be no better than any other poorly supported process.

Specific competencies may need to be improved at either an organization-wide or departmental level. The competency model will help you accurately assign goals for the activities needed to address the missing competency. The model is useful because the behavior of workers who are already performing successfully at a certain level of competence is known. For example: You may need to improve your skills in managing a team, an entire organization, or a department. Relying on the competency model will provide insight into what standards of behavior are required to demonstrate successful team management skills.

Although a training event is conducted to meet specific learning objectives, the competency level of the trainees will help structure the training material. Material that is too complex or too simple will quickly alienate participants, no matter how well it is presented.

Methods for determining competency levels of training participants include:

● preliminary questionnaire for participants and line managers

● skill test

● personal knowledge of the participants.

The competency model will help establish achieved competency levels through questionnaires and audits. The main purpose of the preliminary use of the questionnaire is to establish at what level the participant is learning or what level of development he has achieved. The questionnaire includes questions about the participant's knowledge and experience. The questionnaire can be built on the basis of the competencies that the event is dedicated to.

The results of this survey can help the participant identify areas they need to focus on during the training course. The problem may arise with one or two standards of behavior, which will be different for different groups of training participants. Other information may be required: previous training in a related field, development activities carried out previously, etc. But it is very important to remember that long and complex questionnaires give less useful results than short and simple ones. The competency model helps learning and development by being realistic. The more specialized the model, the closer it is to reality. Standards for employee behavior in situations specific to an organization, department, business group, etc. should reflect what actually happens in the organization. That is, those who organize a course and plan a training and development program using a competency model receive a ready-made basis for compiling training exercises.

The following problems in an organization indicate a need for competency-based training:

● Direct need to improve execution: “Our salespeople are underperforming our competitors: we need to improve our salespeople's sales skills so they sell more.”

● Desire to shorten the learning curve from new hire to top performer: “Our new hires take too long to get up to speed.”

Competency-based training is designed to teach new employees all the algorithms that top performers use on the job, and the competencies hidden in top performers can reduce the learning curve by 30-50% and lead to improvements in average performance.

There are several reasons on which the need for training and development is recognized: formal and informal assessments of job performance; assessments with “360° feedback”; assessment exercises for personnel selection; assessment exercises for employee development; self-esteem; career management interview.

Whatever system is used, the main principle remains the same. Determining the need for training and development occurs through a comparison of the set of requirements for successful performance of work with the personal quality of the employee’s performance of this work, regardless of whether the person is working or just applying for a job. In other words: by comparing the level of work performance achieved by the employee with the standard performance of the same work.

Not all trainers are capable of providing all types of training, and not all managers are experienced enough to carry out development activities. Competencies set the basis for a system that determines who can do what in the field of training and personnel development. For example: training for senior managers may require a higher level of “impact” than training activities for junior staff. And development activities that involve mentoring relationships require a higher level of management relationships than simple support.

The distribution of competencies into categories necessary for carrying out specific activities and for carrying out specific activities can work well in the learning process, which connects competence with development and advancement. Teaching an activity in general or a complex activity is a much more difficult task than organizing training for specific competencies.

competere- correspond, approach) is the personal ability of a specialist (employee) to solve a certain class of professional tasks. Competence is also understood as formally described requirements for the personal, professional, etc. qualities of the company’s employees (or for some group of employees). In this understanding, competencies are used in personnel assessment.

Set of competencies; the presence of knowledge and experience necessary for effective activity in a given subject area is called Competence (from the English. competence).

Competency levels

Depending on the semantic scope, competencies can have levels.

Competencies without levels– a model covering types of work with simple standards of behavior. It has one list of indicators for all competencies. Here, all behavioral indicators apply non-exclusively to all functional roles.

Competencies by level– a model that describes a wide range of work with different requirements for their implementation. Behavioral indicators within each competency are represented by separate lists (levels). This allows several different competencies to be presented under one heading, making the competency model easy to use in practice when you need to cover a wide range of functional roles. The introduction of competency levels allows for a more adequate assessment of personal competencies without complicating the structure of ideal competency profiles.

Types of competencies

The following types of competencies are distinguished:

Educational and cognitive competence is a set of skills and abilities of cognitive activity. Mastery of the mechanisms of goal setting, planning, analysis, reflection, self-assessment of the success of one’s own activities. Possession of methods of action in non-standard situations, heuristic methods of solving problems. Possession of measurement skills, use of statistical and other methods of cognition.

Information competence is the ability to independently search, analyze, select, process and transmit the necessary information.

Communicative Competence is the ability to interact with people around you and the ability to work in a group. Familiarity with various social roles.

Competencies in personnel assessment

Competencies are used to evaluate company personnel. In this case, the set of competencies is a Competency Model that describes the qualities required by personnel in a given company in order to be successful. You can select corporate competencies- necessary for all company employees, managerial competencies- necessary for company managers (all or only a certain level), as well as special (specific) competencies necessary only for a certain category of employees ( For example: sales managers).

A typical mistake associated with assessing a candidate’s competence is when the recruiter closely evaluates the “can” zone and does not evaluate the “wants” zone at all. As a result, we take a tested person who has completed a trial task, and... at the same time we get a sluggish, poorly performing employee. Why? It’s just that he doesn’t want to work, his motivation doesn’t meet the company’s standards. Let’s figure out what is included in the “wants” zone.
1. "Like"
Try to hire people who genuinely enjoy most of what they can do. This is easy to check using the “three pluses and three minuses” method. For example, if a person does not like speaking in public, he will not be a good speaker. We all, even if we are very decent and responsible, want to quickly get rid of what we don’t like. And vice versa, we can be creative, we self-actualize, we work like clockwork only when we like what we do. Letting employees do what they enjoy is great motivation.
2. "Benefits"
- material (money, bonuses);
- intangible (prestige, status, recognition, relationships in the team, relationships with the manager);
- vital (everything related to physical comfort, health, safety).
A candidate's motivation is good if it matches the company's capabilities. Motivation in itself cannot be good or bad. If a person's main motive is money, then he will be an excellent employee for a company that pays more than others, where there is an opportunity to influence salary with the help of his results. And at the same time, he will be a disgusting employee who will quickly leave if the company pays below the market average. If the salaries in your company are low, but you have an excellent team, then hire someone for whom relationships in the team are important.
3. "Values"
The candidate's values should not conflict with the company's values. Otherwise, conflict is inevitable. Always take this into account when hiring.

Ethics and Practice
Proactivity instead of reactivity - this principle should guide an HR manager. Evaluate the candidate’s competence not only at the moment, but also how it will manifest itself in a year or two or three. For example, is innovation good or bad? It all depends on what happens in the future. If an employee encounters innovation all the time, that’s good. If he is faced with a routine, he will become demotivated and quit. In practice, there are no good and bad candidates and employees: there are suitable and unsuitable ones. Many stereotypes in business practice may turn out to be incorrect. Let's say a wonderful, kind, positive person will be a disgusting auditor, because... such work will inevitably cause internal conflict in him. At the same time, a narrow-minded or rather conservative person will be great in the role of an employee performing the same type of operations year after year. And if he is smart and career-oriented, he will leave this job. Pickiness, tediousness, and a negative attitude towards people can be excellent qualities, for example, for the head of a security service. Creativity is absolutely inappropriate for an HR executive, but absolutely necessary for a brand manager.

Competency model

Competency model is a set of competencies necessary to successfully perform a given job in a given organization. A competency model can include a wide variety of knowledge, abilities, skills and individual personal characteristics. The main requirement for them is that they must be described in the form of behavior indicators.
Development of a competency model includes:
1. Preparatory stage (setting project goals and objectives, project planning, creating a team to collect and analyze information).
2. Direct development of a competency model.
selection of performance criteria;
determination of criterion sampling;
selection of a specific analysis technique;
collection of information;
information analysis and competency model design;
checking the validity of the draft competency profile.
3. Putting the model into operation.
Ways to develop a competency model or profile:
1. Interview to obtain behavioral examples
The interview method for obtaining behavioral examples allows us to determine the competencies necessary for high-quality performance of work. By asking people to focus on critical situations they have encountered on the job, data can be collected on the most important competencies. Interviewees tell powerful, short stories about how they mastered the toughest, most important parts of their jobs while demonstrating the competencies needed to do the job.
2. Working with a group of experts
Experts can be managers, top employees, or outside experts. A group of experts, through discussion, determines the personal characteristics of employees necessary to perform work at the minimum acceptable and highest levels.
3. Competency libraries
The use of competency libraries ensures the collection of a large amount of data for statistical analysis in a short time. However, the data from such libraries and collections is limited, and therefore, when using them, competencies that were not included in the collection by its compilers are often missed. Libraries do not provide the opportunity to identify new competencies or provide detailed information about the nuances of competencies. Competency libraries are often used as an auxiliary source of information that allows you to supplement the created competency profile with new competencies that could not be captured at other stages of profile development.
4. Repertory grid method
The manager unites employees into groups according to any of the characteristics, which he himself defines as an important characteristic of the successful performance of work. Thus, qualities that are inherent only to high-performing employees are revealed.
5. Work task analysis
Employees or supervisors list in great detail every task, function, or action the employee performs while performing the job. This method provides very detailed job descriptions that are useful for analyzing certain competencies when developing a competency profile. For example, the specification of the technical tasks required in a job can be used to establish the cognitive skills needed for the job.
6. Direct observation
Employees performing work tasks are observed and behavioral indicators that they demonstrate while performing these tasks are recorded in writing. This is a good way to identify or test competencies proposed by panels of experts in reviews or behavioral interviews. However, this method is expensive and ineffective for the primary collection of behavioral examples.