Competency Assessment

INTRODUCTION
Every job requires a specific set of knowledge and skills. And this varies depending on the type and complexity of the job. More than just knowing whether street smarts or book smarts is better, competency assessment is all about providing a way of building the skills and knowledge people need to perform their current job. It is also the key element of the succession planning process because it provides a way of developing people for their future roles.

I.

Definition of competency assessment

Competencies are a combination of several entities motives, traits, self-concepts, attitudes or values, skills and abilities all of which can differentiate superior performers from average performers.
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A combination of skills, job attitude, and knowledge which is reflected in job behavior that can be observed, measured and evaluated. Competency is a determining factor for successful performance The focus of competency is behavior which is an application of skills, job attitude and knowledge.

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II. Types of Competency Assessments

Employees are one of the most valuable assets a company has. Competency refers to an employee's behavior and its application in regard to knowledge, attitudes and skills. Competency assessments help form a link between employee performance and the business' goals

1- Managerial competency (soft competency) This type of competency relates to the ability to manage job and develop an interaction with other persons. For example: problem solving, leadership, communication, etc. 2- Functional competency (hard competency) This type of competency relates to the functional capacity of work. It mainly deals with the technical aspect of the job. For example : market research, financial analysis, electrical engineering, etc. 3- Analytical Assessments Analytical assessments measure an employee's ability to analyze information, identify key issues and problem-solve. They evaluate how well an individual compares data from different sources, recognizes cause-and-effect relationships, identifies trends and separates the relevant from the irrelevant. An analytical assessment can also observe how an employee recognizes the need for clarifying information, verifies facts, organizes information and explains trends or data gathered. 4- Adaptability Assessments For most businesses, it's vital that employees have the ability to adapt to new priorities and changes. Those who are the most effective at adapting can remain productive despite changes and are able to work well with others who have different opinions or ways of performing tasks. Adaptability assessments measure how well an employee embraces change and makes accommodations to meet new or differing demands. 5- Vocational Assessments A company, such as a large retailer, may conduct vocational assessments on new employees in order to place each individual in the role and department that best fits an individual's skills, knowledge and personality. These assessments can help determine an employee's training needs, communication skills, teamwork abilities, planning skills and ability to work effectively with customers or coworkers.

For example, if a vocational assessment shows that an individual is a good team player but lacks interpersonal skills, he may get a behind-the-scenes job where he does not interact with customers often.

III.

Benefit of using competency model:

For Managers The benefits are: y Identify performance criteria to improve the accuracy and ease of the
hiring and selection process. y Clarify standards of excellence for easier communication of performance expectations to direct reports. y Provide a clear foundation for dialogue to occur between the manager and employee about performance, development, and career-related issues.

For Employees the benefits are:

y Identify the success criteria (i.e., behavioral standards of performance excellence) required to be successful in their role. y Support a more specific and objective assessment of their strengths and specify targeted areas for professional development. y Provide development tools and methods for enhancing their skills.

IV.

A typical competency assessment process:

The process starts with a person assessing themselves against a set of competencies. They compile a list of evidence that shows they are competent. A workplace assessor, someone with considerable experience in the area being assessed, reviews the evidence and verifies the person performing the skill. Development needs are identified. The person uses a variety of sources, both on and off the job to develop the areas identified. After a period, the person is reassessed and if they can now demonstrate the skills, they are awarded competence.

Re-assessment award qualification

If the individual can then show competence against the required competencies and performance criteria, the qualification is awarded

V.

Competency Assessment Procedures

When you hire an employee to work for your company, he must remain competent. An incompetent employee can slow down the company's overall productivity, as well as lower the morale of the workplace with negative attitudes and behaviors. By implementing an assessment procedure, you have a means of identifying incompetent employees. Some incompetents are transformable. Others are not. y Assessment Criteria Before you can adequately assess the competency of your employees, determine what they need to perform their jobs. This includes skill requirements and practical knowledge, as well as your organization's behavioral expectations. When the employee takes a training course, assess him on the information taught in the course. If you need help compiling an employee competency test, there are online resources that offer free employee competency checklists. y When To Assess Evaluate an employee's competency before she begins her job duties. This is especially true for an employee who has job responsibilities that, if performed incorrectly, can result in injury or loss to the company. Perform competency assessments when you notice increased periods of low or no productivity or when an employee continuously exhibits behavior that is not conducive to the work environment. Do not wait for a situation to get out of hand before assessing an employee's competency. y Who Should Assess An assessment is only as great as the individual giving the assessment. For this reason, the employee should be assessed only by someone who is knowledgeable and capable of performing all the tasks on which the employee is being assessed. If there is no manager knowledgeable enough to give an assessment, consider hiring a third-party agent to perform the assessment. Many third-party agency's use computer-based assessment testing. y Handling Incompetent Employees Review the competency assessment results to determine in which areas the employee shows weaknesses. Meet with her to discuss the evaluation results. Ask her what the company can do to help her. Perhaps she needs additional

training that focuses on those weak areas. By offering additional training to the employee, you save money because you do not have to hire and train a new employee to fill her position. If the employee remains incompetent, despite the continuous training and coaching sessions, it may be in the company's best interest to terminate her.

VI.

Features of competency-based assessment

Competency-based assessment is different from other forms of assessment that may have been used in the past. The major differences are:
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competency-based assessment is criterion based - a person is assessed not in competition with others but against standard criteria or benchmarks; competency-based assessment is evidence based - decisions about whether a person is competent are based on the evidence they provide to the assessor; and competency-based assessment is participatory - the person being assessed is involved in the process of assessment and has the scope to negotiate with the assessor the form that assessment activities take. In keeping with these four features, competency-based assessment should always use an integrated approach which covers all aspects of work performance including:

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task skills (being able to perform individual tasks); task management skills (being able to manage a number of different tasks); contingency management skills (being able to respond to problems/irregularities that arise); and job/role environment skills (being able to work with others).

VII.

Tools of competency assessment

There are several different types of tools which are intended as examples to be adapted for use in different locations. The primary types of tools are
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direct observation of job responsibilities traditional or multiple choice tests experiential questions simulations portfolio evidence

Evidence: Evidence is defined as information, data, materials, or documentation that supports inferences, conclusions, or judgments. Evidence can include objective or subjective judgments of performance. Where possible, more than one aspect should be used to assess performance. Evidence should include various aspects of performance as well as overall strengths and weaknesses. There are several types of evidence including written papers, documents or cases demonstrating the results/activities connected to operational simulations, supervisor comments, self-assessment, etc. Evidence must be relevant, representative, repeatable and verifiable. Direct observation : Performance assessments are designed to judge AMPs abilities to apply specific knowledge and skills. They should include a variety of approaches, thus providing insight into a AMP's level of conceptual and procedural competence.The purpose of direct observations performance assessment is to evaluate the actual process of operational activities. Performance assessments examine AMPs actual application of knowledge to solve problems. In some cases, the solution of the problem may imply the application of a specific procedure; in others, a combination of procedures; still in others it may require a thoughtful adaptation of AMPs' skills. The assessment focuses on the process and the result. Tests : Tests are a more traditional method of assessing knowledge. In some cases, in the Toolkit, knowledge is used as a substitute for ability in order to make the assessment practical and cost-effective. Many styles of tests can be used including multiple choice, short answers and more open-ended questions. Experiential Questions : Experiential questions are similar to tests but the question asked is of the form what would you do?. Experiential questions can be posed in written or oral situations. In the case of verbal questions, it is very important that answers and results are documented. Simulations : A simulation is where the forecaster or observer is given a real or hypothetical situation and asked to respond as if he or she were on the job. Simulations range from simple questions, such as experiential questions to full operational simulators. Portfolio :A portfolio contains evidence of knowledge, ability or competence based on past experiences. Portfolio evidence can be very powerful in demonstrating competency as it provides clear evidence of what an individual has done. A portfolio could even describe unsuccessful examples along with remedial work that the AMP has done to remedy the deficiency.

Regardless of the method used there are four key features of competency-based assessment that hold paramount. These are: validity, reliability, fairness and flexibility. Validity: in a competency-based system refers to assessments that cover a range of skills and knowledge and integrate them with their practical application. Judgements to determine competency should be based on evidence gathered on a number of occasions and in a variety of contexts. Reliability: means that assessment practices should be regularly monitored and reviewed to ensure that there is consistency in the interpretation of evidence. It should also be noted that if competency is being assessed for the purposes of issuing qualifications under the AQF, then assessors must be:
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competent in the national competency standards for assessment; have been deemed competent in the standards being assessed; and must have a detailed understanding of the standards and their use as benchmarks within the context and culture of the workplace/sector/industry Fairness: relates to practices and methods that are equitable to all groups being assessed. Provisions must be made for assessees to challenge assessments if they are unsatisfied with the process or the outcomes. Flexibility: in assessment refers to processes that provide for the recognition of competencies regardless of where they have been acquired. For example, competencies can be achieved:

Conclusion
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Good employees are priceless assets.