Summary
A procedure is approached for the determination of labor competencies in an employing agency; entity in charge of guaranteeing the timely and effective supply of human capital to the organizations of the sector or business group in which it operates. The objective of this material is to provide this type of organization with a tool that serves as a guide for the determination of competencies at different levels and for the elaboration of competency profiles, which will become the integrating element of the GCH system..
Abstract
This article is about a procedure to determine professionals competences in an employer agency; enterprise that provides efficaciously human capital to the organizations of the sector or managerial group that it belongs. The objective of this procedure is to provide these enterprises a shape or steps to determine competences in every levels and elaborate competences profiles; it will become an integrator element of Human Capital Management.
Introduction
Competency management is a tool that makes the organization more flexible through a process of integration between the organizational dimensions, considering the management of people as the main protagonist in the creation of competitive advantages of the organization. This approach supports the process of selection and integration into employment, contributing to the improvement of work management and the increase in productivity and competitiveness.
As Zayas Agüero expressed and other authors affirmed, the role that labor competencies play within the new GCH, and particularly in the process of selection and integration into employment is decisive, they have become an objective need of today's organizations day.
The term labor competencies arises as a need to bring the study, analysis and control of labor activity closer to real processes, so its main characteristic consists in starting from the results, objectives and functions of the activity to be carried out.
Ducci, M (1997) defines competences as the social construction of meaningful and useful learning for productive performance in a real work situation that is obtained not only through instruction, but also –and to a large extent- through learning by experience in concrete work situations ”.
Competences are also defined as "configurations in which the integration of the results, objectives and characteristics of the activity in relation to the cognitive, affective, physical and social requirements necessary to successfully perform certain functions occurs" (Zayas Agüero, 2002).
Labor competence is the operational element that links individual and collective capacity to generate value with work processes, therefore it constitutes a new alternative to improve the performance of workers and the organization. This is undoubtedly the purpose of competency management (Sánchez Rodríguez, 2007).
NC 3000: 2007 defines it as “a set of theoretical knowledge, abilities, skills and aptitudes that are applied by the worker in the performance of his occupation or position, in correspondence with the principle of demonstrated suitability and the technical, productive and of services, as well as those of quality, that are required for the proper development of their functions.
Sánchez Rodríguez (2007), taking into account the different currents (behaviorist, functional and constructivist,) defined that job competence is a complex and synergistic structure of human requirements integrated by cognitive, physical and socio-affective elements that lead the worker towards a performance superior of their functions and tasks, in accordance with the principle of demonstrated suitability and the organization's strategy.
Many have been the authors who have proposed methodologies for the determination of labor competencies (Jiménez, 1997; Ducci, M., 1997; Delgado Martínez, 2000; Cuesta Santos, 2001; MTSS, 2001; Gramigna, 2000; Gallego, 2002; Zayas Agüero, 2002; Sánchez Rodríguez, 2007; etc.) which have evolved alongside the GCH. The aspects analyzed around the main existing trends point towards competences as the most faithful expression of the man-work interrelation, since in it the particularities of work are integrated into a whole, with the characteristics of people, (Zayas Agüero, 2002; Sánchez Rodríguez, 2003).
Each author, in a general way, agrees that labor competencies are an alternative to improve work productivity and organizational results; where the role of the. For the purposes of this research, it is considered that the most convenient thing would be to assume a definition that is characterized by a more comprehensive approach where the elements of the three streams that are advantageous and that facilitate the practical implementation of the competencies approach for effective management are mixed of human capital.
As a result of the analysis carried out, the starting point for the development of a procedure for the determination and identification of competencies in an employment agency is assumed as proposed by Sánchez Rodríguez, 2008. It presents as a conceptual and methodological basis, the fundamental assumptions of the three streams: functionalist, behaviorist (holistic approach to this stream) and constructivist (Sánchez Rodríguez, 2008).
Materials and methods
The methods and tools used were: analysis-synthesis to establish trends in the field of research, induction-deduction to take sides on the reviewed literature and the historical-logical method to establish the phases of the procedure for the determination of labor competencies. Empirical methods such as expert methods (Delphi) were also used to establish criteria, surveys, and brainstorm.
Work results:
Before recruiting, selecting and integrating human capital into employment, all human requirements (traits, knowledge, cognitive and behavioral capacities, aptitudes) valued in the man-work relationship must be well defined, which will finally allow the new occupant of the position to achieve its adaptation to it and this translates into the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.
The proposed procedure consists of the following stages:
II-1. Determination of the essential competencies: they are the necessary competencies in organizations to achieve their strategic objectives. Supporting the values of the same.
At this stage the following steps will be carried out:
Step 1: Definition of the fundamental purpose based on the fundamental objective or rationale of the main organizations of the business group. This will be possible by making a comprehensive synthesis of the organizations taking into account the mission, vision and essential values, strategic objectives; through the expert method.
Step 2: Identification of the essential competencies. These are the competencies that all staff must possess to achieve their strategic objectives, respecting the values of the organization (Delgado Martínez, 2000).
The Delphi method (Cuesta Santos, 2005) is used as shown in the following table:
Table 1: Matrix of competencies (C) expressed by the experts (E)
This procedure is performed on each one of the experts of the competencies committee to subsequently determine the level of agreement through expression 1. Processing the results as shown in table 2.2.
Where:
CC: Coefficient of agreement expressed in percentage.
VN: Number of experts against the prevailing criterion.
VT: Total number of experts.
Table 2: Matrix of essential competences (AES) refined with level of concordance.
If the result is C ≥ 60%, the concordance is considered acceptable. The ESAs that obtain C values <60% are eliminated due to low agreement or little consensus among the experts. Obtaining as a result the list of essential competencies of the organization.
II-2. Determination of main process competencies: they refer to the precise behaviors of the main functional areas or key results of organizations (the study of these competencies in employing agencies is of utmost importance). The strategic elements are analyzed and their strategic functions are defined, relating to the technical aspects of it.
In this stage the following steps will be carried out:
Step 1: Identify the key processes that are essential parts of the fundamental purpose. For this, each of the members wrote their ideas about the main processes that derive from the fundamental purpose of the organizations and then it must be analyzed if there is consensus among them to list the main agreed processes.
Step 2: Definition of the competencies of the main processes. This step will be carried out by the competition committee. The facilitators and this committee, based on all the information obtained, refine and group the main processes.
II-3. Determination of the competencies of the main families of positions: they are the competences that belong to those positions of a similar nature, that is, it is the compilation of the competencies of those positions that have similar characteristics and that qualities, skills, experiences are required to occupy them, etc. similar. To do this, the following steps will be carried out:
Step 1: Identification of the main families of positions taking into account their operation and level of demand. The historically most requested positions will be taken as a reference for the grouping and the expert method will be applied mainly.
Step 2: Definition of the competencies of the main job families. This step will be carried out by the competencies committee, which, based on the information collected, will refine, group and describe the competencies applying the expert method.
In stage a fundamental contribution of the present material is carried out. Based on the information collected and to facilitate the process of selection and integration into employment, it is proposed to prepare a Generic Profile of Personal Skills and Qualities that includes all possible competencies related to the main processes and families of positions identified and that are required to enter client entities.
For the preparation of the generic profile, the Delphi method was used, the generic competency profile previously elaborated by other authors was taken as a reference (Sánchez Rodríguez 2008); A group of experts was selected who would issue their opinion on the subject matter. Various aspects were taken into account in the selection, such as:
• The theoretical mastery of the topics addressed both in terms of GCH and the approach to Management by Competences and in Labor Psychology.
• The professional experience regarding the subject investigated.
• The performance of functions and tasks related to the selection and integration to employment in employing agencies.
These aspects are evaluated through the survey developed by Moreno Pino (2003).
The selection of experts was made taking into account the following criteria (proposed by the author):
• 0.8 ≤ Kcomp ≤ 1 ---– High experts (select)
• 0.5 ≤ Kcomp <0.8 ---- Medium experts (select)
• Less than 0.5 ----- Low experts (do not select)
Where:
Kcomp is the coefficient of competencies of the experts.
The survey was applied to 14 experts: members of the board of directors of the entity under study and workers with experience in the subject matter; of them only 11 met the requirements and were selected.
Of them were:
• 8 high experts
• 3 medium experts
• 3 low experts
The experts were then asked to identify; and if they do not exist, list the competencies related to each process and family of positions identified. Discordant or similar competencies were eliminated and the competences that, for the experts' consideration, should be part of the generic profile of personal skills, attitudes and qualities were identified; which will be the basis for the procedure developed from the perspective of an employing agency (see table 3).
II-4. Validation of competencies: this phase allows affirming or denying the competencies that were defined, this process allows establishing the entry competencies or that people must have when entering the entities and the potentials that are feasible to develop. It is essential to validate the competency profile through the criteria of experts and the creation of a manual where all the competencies defined in an official document are grouped together, which serves as a tool for the development of the selection and employment integration activity.
Conclusions
The importance of job skills is indisputable in any organization, but when it comes to an employing agency they are even more relevant. In this type of organization, labor competencies are a key element when managing the human capital of client entities; For this reason, it is vital that managers adopt effective procedures for its determination. This material constitutes a guide to carry out the identification of competencies in employing agencies, which will undoubtedly contribute to the achievement of organizational effectiveness. It is suggested to pay special attention to stage II: determination of the competencies of the main processes,It will depend on the characteristics of the client organizations and use the generic profile of skills and personal qualities (competencies) designed.
Bibliography
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Table 3: Generic list of labor competencies
Source: Own elaboration
|
LABOR COMPETENCES |
LABOR COMPETENCES |
| Orientation to occupational safety and hygiene | Adequacy |
| Meticulousness | Orientation to obtaining results |
| Manual dexterity | Decision making |
| Stress tolerance | Readiness towards learning |
| Physical strength and flexibility | Emotional self-control |
| Self discipline | Initiative and enthusiasm |
| Simultaneity of tasks and versatility | How to act in harsh environments |
| How you receive criticism and suggestions | Perseverance |
| Coping ability | Self motivation |
| Critical capacity | Self confidence |
| Concern for achievement and quality | Problem analysis |
| Perceptual ability | Independence |
| Motor perceptual ability | Knowledge assimilation |
| Effective use of knowledge and experience | Motivation towards concrete work |
| Adaptability | Tenacity and persistence |
| Organizational sensitivity | Vigor |
| Integration | Written communication |
| Generation of potential solutions | Verbal fluency |
| Interpersonal sensitivity | Honesty |
| Collaboration | Solidity |
| Resistance | Ability to explain surrounding situations |
| Problem solving ability | Speed of completion |
| Collaboration | Planning |
| Flexibility | Solidity |
| Openness to experience | Depth |
| Controllability | Professional attitude |
| Resource management | Teamwork capacity |
| Establish relations | Commitment |
| Organizational capacity | Concern for order and precision |
| Originality | Identification of problems and solutions |
