Why are competency frameworks important?

Why are competency frameworks important?

In this video, I'm going to be exploring the 'why' of competency frameworks.

Ultimately, they're the backbone of the skills, training, attributes and relationships that you want people to give within your organisation.

Hi, welcome to the Let's Talk Talent channel where we discuss the world of HR and talent management. We're here to help you unlock the potential in your people.

So when I think about the word: competency framework, I think about structure, and I think about complexity, I don't think about something that's really going to show me what I need to do and how I need to do it. And
in LTT, you know, we like to do things differently. And we like to think about the 'why' whenever we're creating competency frameworks. And the why starts with: what do you want people to know?

So the skills and the attributes, but how do you want them to behave, in terms of the training and the relationships that are going to be really important. Because let's face it, when you think about someone's career it's not just about the knowledge that they need to exude, it's about
how they go about it, and what are the career possibilities in
which they can do that. So most of the time, when we work with
clients, we try and build competency frameworks that link to career mapping, or career pathways, ultimately. Because really and truthfully, you want people to understand how they can be successful in your organisation.

And that's what competency frameworks do. They give you the backbone. And we use the STAR model. We use skills, training, attributes, and relationships. And we break them down as simple as that. Because by looking at that, anybody at whatever level within your organisation can really understand where they are, and where you want them to be. It creates a culture of transparency, and ultimately, continuous feedback. It enables you to be honest and truthful, of where someone is currently in
their performance and help them drive forward.

Now, let's face it, sometimes our performance can dip and a competency
framework – having something that is more black and white than just our experience – is really important. Because it gives you the truth, it gives you the guide rail, of understanding where you are and where you might want to be. So it's about fairness for me. And competency frameworks give you
that language. It gives you that fairness of really explaining to people where they are. And I've really fallen in love with competency frameworks again.

I never thought I'd actually be saying that. And you might come back and challenge me on it. But actually, when you combine them with career pathways, it's where the magic happens. Because you're really showing people how they can be successful. And for me, and the business that I run, it's all about unlocking that potential.

So don't dismiss competency frameworks. Don't think about them in that 80s and 90s way. They can be really great tools for getting, keeping and growing brilliant people. But underused, can be just something that stays in a drawer and is only used as part of your performance development plans.

Let's think about how you use them, when you use them, and how you're going to embed them across all of your employee lifecycle.

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