The Process of Competency Based Assessment
February 12, 2025
The Benefits of Self Learning Self learning can be quite useful for those who do not have the time to enroll in formal courses and degrees as well as for those who cannot travel to a specific location to educate themselves. In other words, self-learning is neither location constrained nor time-bound, and all that is […]
How to deal with Paltry Hikes and Bonuses The gloomy economic conditions prevalent in the West and most parts of the world call for some specific strategies from professionals who need to deal with them. To start with, it is a fact that working professionals have not seen salary hikes and bonuses for the last […]
A major change has been observed in the world of work since 1980s. The era of structured jobs, packed or fixed work schedules, male-dominated working culture and no family intruding started diminishing gradually. Companies and employees around the world faced dramatic effects of modernization, flexibility in work schedules, job sharing, work from home options and […]
Knowing employees plays a crucial role in motivating employees to deliver their level best. Knowing employees helps managers to understand their needs and expectations from the organization. Managers need to know whether their team members are happy with their jobs or not? Do not make your employees feel ignored or left out. Believe me; they […]
Employee Engagement has transcended from being the latest business buzzword to being recognized by organizations as a tool that positively influences business performance. This linkage between organization performance and employee engagement was researched by ISR in 2006 by means of world-wide survey. The ISR study reveals that companies with high engagement scores saw an increase […]
Both assessment and development centers use a number of simulation techniques to evaluate competencies however any other effort for competency assessment can also use same methods or look for other appropriate ways to evaluate behaviors.
It would be interesting to explore a little about some of the most used methods and best practices for assessments in organizations across the world.
The first and the simplest method is that of observing the candidate at his/her work. The natural work environment makes the candidates much relaxed and they display their job related competencies at ease without the usual anxiety that accompanies assessment.
This makes the job of the observers easy as well as they get concrete and relevant examples of behaviors to be assessed simultaneously, as they can see them in action.
Structured Interviews are another popular method which are open ended questions asked to the candidate which help explore a particular job related competency better.
It happens by asking very specific questions regarding a past performance, cited as example for a competency by the candidate and the observer tries to establish the competency by asking questions about it. A little script would help in understanding better:
Observer: Can you tell me an incident or an example from your work-life where you displayed the competency engaging and inspiring others
Candidate: Yes, last year when I was posted in the XYZ mines in South India, we were running a green initiative on behalf of the organization where we planted around 1000 saplings in the forest area around the mines.
Observer: Who had suggested the idea? At what level were you involved? Did you face any problems? How did you manage them? What do you think was the response of your team to this initiative? Did anyone oppose this? How did you create a buy in for this project? Etc.
The list of questions can be long but the observer has to essentially bring out the fact that if a competency or behavior is displayed, there is a well-defined intent behind it as well.
The next assessment methodology worth exploring is simulation exercises. As these exercises represent situations from the work life of the candidate, they can easily relate to it and therefore job related relevant behaviors are exhibited. Some of the important tools used under simulation exercises are:
The role play may have a little situation described which is given to the participant and similar information is provided to the observer however the observers are provided with certain leading questions which help to elicit the behaviors to be observed.
It is also a good idea to video record the role play which can be played later during washouts with other observers to clearly identify specific behaviors.
In some conservative organizations, instead of role plays verbatim are written which also serve the similar purpose of recording the behaviors for later reference.
The candidate is required to carefully analyze various relevant aspects of the problems and issues and reach a conclusion regarding the same with a logical reason to support his/her decisions.
Psychometric assessments/Aptitude Tests are another popular method for not just assessing the competencies but also understanding the strengths, personality types and motivation of the candidates.
There are psychometric tests which measure specific competencies like teamwork, sales orientation, emotional quotient etc. Cognitive ability tests provide great information regarding the aspects like conceptual problem solving, business and financial acumen etc.
As the approach to competencies are changing, the way it can be assessed is also undergoing a few changes, new methodologies like Appreciative Inquiry and Development Dialogue with the candidate are also being adopted to understand and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and also as methods to address performance issues and give feedback.
Let us understand the concepts behind these two terms. As one can figure out from the term Appreciative Inquiry, it basically is a process which sticks to focusing on the positives or strengths of a person.
The idea is that if the positive experiences are focused on it is easier to figure out the strengths of people which then makes it easier to talk about weaknesses and development areas subsequently.
A Development Dialogue is a one-on-one discussion between a senior and a subordinate or can even take place between an observer and a candidate. It covers areas like career goals, motivations an aspirations, development needs etc.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *