One of the most debated topics in human resource management in organizations in recent decades is the approach to human resource management by competencies and, therefore, the concern in organizations has been how to apply competency management in the different processes of human resources management.
We can define competencies as “all those observable and measurable human capacities necessary to achieve excellent performance and high-quality results. These capabilities include both skills and knowledge, as well as attitudes, motivation and commitment. ”
For a person to show the behaviors that make up the competences, they must know how to do (skills), want to do (motivational aspects) and be able to do (capacities and aptitudes and behavior in certain situations). Other aspects to take into account are knowing (knowledge and experience), knowing how to be (attitudes towards the organizational and / or social environment).
Competence is a deep personality characteristic of a higher standard of success. The establishment of a competency model is directly related to the achievement of quality and competitiveness.
The competences that all the personnel of a certain organization must possess are general or “core competence” - they are based on the strategies of this organization and the specific competences - they are defined by position, they exist by position family and by specific positions.
Competencies can be technical or knowledge and management skills.
Knowledge competencies can be classified in different ways:
Functional
Personal
Techniques
Management competencies vary in intensity according to the type of role:
Executive
Manager
Technical
Key or “core” - for all employees
Let us now see how competency management can be applied in human resource management processes:
Selection:
First, the profiles and job descriptions by competencies must be prepared. The position will have knowledge competencies and management or behavior-related competencies. All aligned with the strategic planning of the organization.
Competency interview:
The key is to detect through questions the observable behaviors in the past in relation to the competence to be evaluated.
Competency Assessments:
The organization must carry out competency evaluations or evaluations for potential competencies in order to obtain information from its personnel and thus be able to train it, change its position or develop it.
Training and coaching:
Once the skills of the staff are known, they can decide what training is necessary.
Feedback Evaluation:
It is the newest way of developing performance appraisal, since it directs people towards satisfying their needs and expectations. This concept consists of a group of people valuing another through a series of predefined items or factors, observable in the daily development of professional practice. For example, a self-evaluation is carried out, an evaluation of the boss and finally the evaluation of a collaborator and results are crossed. (360 ° evaluation)
Compensations:
It means that the organization must implement variable remuneration systems where the competencies in relation to the position and their performance are considered for the calculation.
In conclusion, it can be affirmed that if an organization has job descriptions by competencies, career plans in relation to them and evaluates the performance of its personnel by competencies, it will be able to successfully develop human resource management in relation to the organization's competencies., its vision, its mission and its values, but as long as the implementation of this approach is based on the principles of participatory management, a fundamental pillar in the implementation of every process in an organization, where managers and employees actively participate in the process.
