In running the CIPD foundation certificate programmes, Oakwood International is continually reminded that competencies are at the foundation of best practice in selection, promotion, performance management, development and reward systems, as well as many other HR processes. So it’s really helpful to find a well-written new professional journal article that gives an overview and examples of many of the uses and benefits of competencies.
Take a look at:
Campion, M.A., Fink, A.A., Ruggeberg B.J., Carr L., Phillips G.M., Odman R.B. 2011. Doing Competencies Well: Best Practices In Competency Modeling. Personnel Psychology, 64(1), pp. 225–262. Available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2010.01207.x/full
It’s USA-centred, with lots of references to research and work done in the US government and military, in Microsoft and Boeing. But the sheer quantity and quality of the analysis makes it necessary reading for anyone using or intending to use competencies at work – anyone working in HR really!
Monday, 28 March 2011
Monday, 21 March 2011
Let me give you an example…
Training in competency-based interviewing is a mainstay of Oakwood’s old CIPD Certificate in Personnel Practice and new CIPD Certificate in Human Resource Practice programmes. The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) model, and its key underlying question – ‘What did you do?’ – are practical routes towards valid recruitment practices.
But on LinkedIn at the moment, a friend and Associate of Oakwood, Mike Todd, has made a really insightful comment:
To be effective competency based interviewing very much depends on the candidate being prepared for the questions and being able to recall appropriate examples of behaviour. There is a danger you can end up recruiting candidates who are the most articulate with good recall. Fine if they are the competencies you need ...not so good if they are not. There are many very capable people who take their skills for granted. They are unconsciously competent.
Ask a learner driver for an example of when they last drove well and it is likely they will have an example immediately to mind. Ask a highly experienced driver the same question and they might struggle for an answer as they take the skill of driving for granted. Evidence from competency based questions has to be weighed up against information from other sources…
http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=46136440&gid=3753338&commentID=33725240&goback=%2Enmp_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1&trk=NUS_DISC_Q-subject#commentID_33725240
Question: how does the organisation aiming to be a best practice recruiter get over the problem of some of its high potential applicants not having the articulacy or the practice (or the confidence) to excel in a competency-based interview?
Answer: train them! Make sure all applicants know the plan or agenda for their interview or assessment day. Tell them what will happen and when. Explain the competency model your organisation uses and invite them to prepare to describe a number (ten?) of specific situations or events at work where they made decisions or took actions that demonstrate their level of competency. At least, put the information on your organisation’s website and in each letter or email inviting the candidates to interview. At best, offer free interviewee training sessions to prospective candidates and the wider community as part of your corporate social responsibilities.
And remember, just as the key question for interviewers is ‘What did you do?’, the most important phrase for interviews to use is ‘Let me give you an example…’
But on LinkedIn at the moment, a friend and Associate of Oakwood, Mike Todd, has made a really insightful comment:
To be effective competency based interviewing very much depends on the candidate being prepared for the questions and being able to recall appropriate examples of behaviour. There is a danger you can end up recruiting candidates who are the most articulate with good recall. Fine if they are the competencies you need ...not so good if they are not. There are many very capable people who take their skills for granted. They are unconsciously competent.
Ask a learner driver for an example of when they last drove well and it is likely they will have an example immediately to mind. Ask a highly experienced driver the same question and they might struggle for an answer as they take the skill of driving for granted. Evidence from competency based questions has to be weighed up against information from other sources…
http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=46136440&gid=3753338&commentID=33725240&goback=%2Enmp_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1&trk=NUS_DISC_Q-subject#commentID_33725240
Question: how does the organisation aiming to be a best practice recruiter get over the problem of some of its high potential applicants not having the articulacy or the practice (or the confidence) to excel in a competency-based interview?
Answer: train them! Make sure all applicants know the plan or agenda for their interview or assessment day. Tell them what will happen and when. Explain the competency model your organisation uses and invite them to prepare to describe a number (ten?) of specific situations or events at work where they made decisions or took actions that demonstrate their level of competency. At least, put the information on your organisation’s website and in each letter or email inviting the candidates to interview. At best, offer free interviewee training sessions to prospective candidates and the wider community as part of your corporate social responsibilities.
And remember, just as the key question for interviewers is ‘What did you do?’, the most important phrase for interviews to use is ‘Let me give you an example…’
Monday, 7 March 2011
Crises, disasters and continuity of business
Recent events in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia were thrown into perspective when Harry Puckering, one of Oakwood’s directors had to cut short a CPP Module because of some modest civil unrest. Harry is now safely at home with his family.
But one thought that pops up is ‘Does your organisation have a plan for how to continue operations and business in a crisis or disaster?’ And, if so, does the plan take account of the differing needs of the various Human Resources (i.e. people) in your organisation?
If you work in a very large organisation running critical operations, such as in the petrochemical, aviation and finance sectors for example, the answer to both questions is almost certainly ‘Yes!’ But for smaller, private organisations the answer may well be ‘I don’t know.’ or even ‘No.’ The needs of locals and nationals are possibly different to those of resident ex-patriots. Different groups of nationals and ex-pats may have entirely separate needs too (based, for example, on where their homes are or what their family circumstances are). And short-term contractors and consultants (such as trainers!) may need handling differently too.
Clearly, whilst in crisis, we must do the best we can – putting staff safety and open communications at the top of the agenda. But once the situation starts to calm down, we must capture the learning from events, the way we handled them, and change or alter our plans for the future.
How about we make a commitment to pull together the key HR players and run a meeting based on the GROW model, to review the effectiveness of the decisions and actions taken in the crisis:
• GOALS and OBJECTIVES. What were the values, principles and assumptions that informed people’s decisions and actions in the crisis? How well did these connect to the organisational goals and the needs of the crisis? What do we want to happen next time?
• REALITY. What did people actually do? What was the precise timeline of events? How well did their actions follow the plan and the values, principles and assumptions that informed it? What did they do that was unplanned or unexpected? Were the right people involved? How well were communications during the crisis? Did people have the resources they needed? What helped people? What obstacles and barriers got in their way?
• OPTIONS. What could be done in future? How do the values, principles and assumptions need to change? How does the plan need to change? Who needs to be involved? What is best practice? What other organisations can the organisation benchmark itself against? What would we do differently – and why?
• WILL, WHO and WHEN. Who takes responsibility for the action plan? When does the new plan ‘go live’? How will we measure success next time?
So, when the dust clears, try to make sure that the next crisis will be handled better than the last crisis.
But one thought that pops up is ‘Does your organisation have a plan for how to continue operations and business in a crisis or disaster?’ And, if so, does the plan take account of the differing needs of the various Human Resources (i.e. people) in your organisation?
If you work in a very large organisation running critical operations, such as in the petrochemical, aviation and finance sectors for example, the answer to both questions is almost certainly ‘Yes!’ But for smaller, private organisations the answer may well be ‘I don’t know.’ or even ‘No.’ The needs of locals and nationals are possibly different to those of resident ex-patriots. Different groups of nationals and ex-pats may have entirely separate needs too (based, for example, on where their homes are or what their family circumstances are). And short-term contractors and consultants (such as trainers!) may need handling differently too.
Clearly, whilst in crisis, we must do the best we can – putting staff safety and open communications at the top of the agenda. But once the situation starts to calm down, we must capture the learning from events, the way we handled them, and change or alter our plans for the future.
How about we make a commitment to pull together the key HR players and run a meeting based on the GROW model, to review the effectiveness of the decisions and actions taken in the crisis:
• GOALS and OBJECTIVES. What were the values, principles and assumptions that informed people’s decisions and actions in the crisis? How well did these connect to the organisational goals and the needs of the crisis? What do we want to happen next time?
• REALITY. What did people actually do? What was the precise timeline of events? How well did their actions follow the plan and the values, principles and assumptions that informed it? What did they do that was unplanned or unexpected? Were the right people involved? How well were communications during the crisis? Did people have the resources they needed? What helped people? What obstacles and barriers got in their way?
• OPTIONS. What could be done in future? How do the values, principles and assumptions need to change? How does the plan need to change? Who needs to be involved? What is best practice? What other organisations can the organisation benchmark itself against? What would we do differently – and why?
• WILL, WHO and WHEN. Who takes responsibility for the action plan? When does the new plan ‘go live’? How will we measure success next time?
So, when the dust clears, try to make sure that the next crisis will be handled better than the last crisis.
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