Competency-Based Assessment

Our clients are increasingly using competency based approaches to selection, promotion, and development and performance management. We work with our clients to leverage existing, best practice competencies and then work closely with their people to adapt the definitions and behavioural examples so that they are totally relevant to their specific business. Our experience tells us that there are some key critical success factors in implementing a competency based approach:

Managers and team members understand why they are doing this-and know this is not just an academic exercise
Competencies are expressed in their everyday language-they are seen as relevant
Good support is given to apply the competences in day to day coaching, observation, performance management situations
Easy to access development materials/workshops available to bridge any training ‘gaps’ which are identified

Once the competences have been developed and tested we work with our clients in three key ways:

Training for Implementation is offered in terms of workshops and coaching materials. We use video examples, actor led role plays and lots of practice so managers really know ‘what excellence looks like’ and ensure that ratings are as consistent as possible throughout the business.
Assessment Centres are designed to give candidates experience of a job/role by testing them on work-related activities as individuals and in groups. Assessors can evaluate current performance against the standards set in the organisation and therefore predict future job performance. Organisations use Assessment Centres to help them to make objective, fair and robust decisions for recruitment or internal promotions.
Development Centres are very similar in design however their purpose is developmental rather than around decision making. They are used to help individuals, their managers and the organisation as a whole to gain a better understanding of an individual’s strengths and areas for future development. They often form part of a Talent Management process.

Our Approach

When we design both Assessment & Development Centres our aim is to reflect:

the culture of the organisation
the actual skills required to carry out the job
current HR strategy and processes

Centres need to reflect the reality and context of the job. For instance, the tasks set should be representative of the true requirements of the role. The experience must also be seen as fair as a selection or development process.

Research shows that well designed and managed Centres with a variety of activities and relevant psychometric tests can reach 0.8 predictive validity in assessing future performance.

Critical Success Factors

From our experience the CSF’s for a successful Centre are:

be clear about the objectives
look for competencies, not just ‘nice to haves’
make sure any assessment reflects the real working environment
limit the competencies that you measure
have a good variety of exercises to let candidates shine
don’t overlook the details when staffing
don’t cut corners on training observers
give quality feedback to everyone – not only the successful candidates

The Key Components

We design each Centre to the specific needs of our client’s however they often include the following components:

structured, behavioural interviews
relevant questionnaires and tests- such as psychometrics, 360^o surveys, ability tests
assessment-centre exercises or simulations designed to replicate the kinds of tasks to be performed in daily work – such as meetings, report writing, presentations, dealing with emails, performance reviews, meetings with external clients
A feedback session with either an occupational psychologist or someone trained to deliver professional feedback is vital and indicates that the organisation is taking the process seriously and will be seen as fair by all the participants.