Competency mapping important tool:

Finding the right fit for the right job is a matter of concern for most organisations
especially in today’s economic crisis. As meeting an individual's career aspirations
are concerned, once the organisation gives an employee the perspective of what is
required from him/her to reach a particular position, it drives them to develop the
competencies for the same.

Competencies enable individuals to identify and articulate what they offer

-regardless of the job. Competency mapping is a process of identifying key
competencies for a particular position in an organisation, and then using it for job-
evaluation, recruitment, training and development, performance management,
succession planning, etc. Introduction of competency mapping has also involved
introducing skill appraisals in performance appraisals.

Need of the hour

“The slowing economy around the world has put new and increased pressure on an
organisation’s capability to get more out of the available resource they have, and
this often translates into pressure on the individual employees. That is where it is
important to correlate performance result with competencies. It is therefore
imperative to define a set of core competencies which corresponds the
organisation’s key market differentiator,” says Gyanendra Acharya, manager -
human resources, Hughes Systique Corporation.

The current economic downturn has created a situation for companies to scale
down various overhead costs to meet their growth requirements. “Competency
modeling identifies the precise set of competencies and proficiency levels needed
for every role in the organisation. This system helps identify specific areas of
training and maps employee growth to strategic business needs. During a difficult
economic situation, it becomes particularly important for organisations to sustain
their competitive edge in the industry by investing in learning and development
programs that will empower employees to build on their strategic career
objectives,” notes Narendra Raje, director - learning and development, Unisys.

Competency mapping – An important HR tool

Companies have long realised the importance of competency mapping as an

important HR function. This is especially relevant in this recessionary environment
where human capital is one of the most important assets of an organisation and
needs to be nurtured. According to Ajay Trehan, founder, CEO, AuthBridge “There is
always a need to have the best quality manpower. More and more companies are
using competency mapping tools to screen and hire people with specific
competencies. There might be a need for a person with excellent writing skills or an
excellent creative mind. When individuals must seek new jobs, knowing one’s
competencies can give one a competitive edge in the market.”

Professional Aptitude Council, a global talent mapping organisation, through its

assessment tests for competency mapping helps companies understand their
employees better. PAC has a set of modules used to help organisations assess their
existing talent pool. These tests assess a person on the basis of Aptitude, Domain
Skills, Communication Skills and Personality and Psychometric fit. "This involves
making crucial decisions as to place which employee in which project, identify core
competency area of employees etc. These tools that PAC uses help organisations
plan their traning requirements in the long run," notes Naveen Manjunath,
managing director (India) Professional Aptitude Council.

Unisys India has a comprehensive career management framework that helps

employees map their growth paths, lateral or vertical. Each role has a defined set of
competencies aligned to it. “Employees are expected to first acquire the
competencies defined for the current role and then focus on the competencies for a
growth role before they are considered eligible for movement. Unisys University
facilitates the mapping of specific learning activities for each competency required
for a role in the organization and has over 4000 training programs, both e-learning
and instructor-led to help bridge any gaps in employee competencies,” adds Raje.

Adding further to this he says, “Unisys India has a robust and transparent Internal
Job Posting (IJP) process to enable employees to get a complete picture of the
opportunities available within the company. With this information, employees are
better equipped to make informed career decisions and equip themselves with the
knowledge and skills they require to move up the career ladder.”

CBay Systems has the advantage of employees delivering and exceeding requisite
performance levels since the former has mapped out competencies that are
required to perform specific roles. “New hires are pegged against these that are
required for the role before being hired to ensure they fit as per their deliverables.
Existing employees are periodically reviewed with the help of assessment tools and
based on the gap analysis we provide them necessary training and development to
hone the requisite competency. The action plans for the competency development
outcome based on such assessments are finalised and the entire initiative is
institutionalised,” confirms Shanmugaum, vice president - human resources, CBay
Systems.

Competency mapping not only helps know your competencies but also your weak
areas which can be worked upon. Besides increasing employee morale and
enhancing productivity, it induces fresh thinking, fosters innovation and thereby
aims to provide an enriching job experience.