Using Competency Modeling to Enhance

Leadership Development

Rick Lepsinger, President, OnPoint Consultingrlepsinger@OnPointConsultingLLC.com | 212.472.8081

Welcome to Our Webinar!Today’s Presenter

Agenda● Why competency models matter

● How to develop them

● How to use them to enhance training and performance management systems

● How one company used competency models to enhance hiring and promotion

The Art and Science of Competency Models:

Pinpointing Critical Success Factors in Organizations

Competency models provide a precise definition of the skills and attributes needed to meet critical business challenges.

Competency Model Pyramid

Why Competency Models

Matter

They help us: ● Clarify job expectations

● Give useful feedback

● Invest in development activities that have the greatest impact

● Build a pipeline of future leaders

How to Develop Competency Models

Decisions You Need to Make● Purpose of model

● Scope of project

● Who should be involved

● Methodology for data collection and analysis

● Build from scratch or use existing model

● Validating final model

1. Identify Performance CriteriaIdentify individuals that meet, exceed, and fall below the performance criteria

2. Collect Data Observe and interview job incumbents to determine what specific traits and skills they have to be successful in their roles.

3. Develop an Interim ModelConduct focus groups, analyze focus group data and refine the model

4. Validate the Model● Convert interim model into a survey

● Divide survey participants into “average” and “exceptional” groups

● Administer survey and analyze data

● Make recommendations for streamlining or enhancing the competency model

5. Integrate Into HR Processes● Hiring

● Leadership development

● Performance evaluation

● Promotion

How to Integrate Competency Models into Your Training &

Development Process

Benefits of a Competency-Based Training System

● Enables a focus on relevant behavior and skills

● Ensures training and development opportunities align with values and strategies

● Makes the most effective use of training and development time and dollars

● Provides a framework for ongoing coaching and feedback

1. Identify the extent to which people are currently demonstrating the competencies.

● Competency-based 360 survey and feedback report

○ Individual and organizational level

● Performance appraisal data

2. Identify opportunities that will help people learn and develop “gap” competencies.

● Job assignments and action learning

● Coaching and mentoring

● Training programs (face-to-face, VILP, e-learning)

3. Follow-up to ensure skill and knowledge gaps are being closed.

● 360 “post-test”

● On-going coaching

● Periodic and annual performance review

How to Integrate Competency Models into Your Performance

Review Process

Don’t focus solely on what employees have accomplished.

Evaluate what they accomplished and how they got it done.

A team leader who focuses on his own objectives may be effective but not collaborative.

1. Ensure everyone understands the competencies on which they will be evaluated.Provides a shared understanding of what will be monitored and measured

2. Collect data on the behavior of the persons being evaluated.Provides focus for gathering information about a person’s behavior on the job

3. Have constructive discussions that address issues directly related to performance.● Focuses and facilitates the performance appraisal

discussion

● Improves the accuracy and perceived fairness of overall rating

Case Study: PepBoys

The Challenge: The company had competency models for key positions, but they were outdated and no longer reflected its new direction and greater focus on customer service.

The Solution: OnPoint Consulting interviewed senior leadership to identify specific objectives the company wanted to achieve and where it wanted to be several years from now.

The Solution: OnPoint observed and interviewed employees in target positions, from the front desk manager to the auto technicians, to determine what skills and traits contributed to success.

The Solution: OnPoint assisted PepBoys’ training managers and HR professionals with communicating the competencies to employees and integrating them into existing hiring, promotion and performance management systems.

The Solution:PepBoys began hiring associates with stronger customer service capability and an aptitude to learn technical skills rather than technicians who preferred working with cars over working with people.

Using a Competency-Based Interview Process● Provides complete picture of job requirements

● Ensures more systematic interview process

● Increases likelihood of hiring people who will succeed

● Minimizes investment in people who may not meet expectations

● Helps identify limitations

Example: InitiativeQuestions to Ask:

● What specific knowledge and/or skills do you want to develop over the next one to two years, and how do you plan to acquire them?

● Describe a situation when a desired outcome was not achieved on a project for which you had responsibility. What happened and how did you handle it?

Example: InitiativeWhat to look for:

● Overcomes obstacles to success

● Is a self-starter

● Is comfortable with ambiguity

● Plans for success

The Solution:The competencies were also used to shape training and leadership development programs.

The Result:

Within a few months of rolling out the new competency-based selection and development processes at its test store in Tampa, customer satisfaction surveys improved, and the store’s Yelp rating moved up by one star!

Questions

THANK YOU!If you’d like to learn more about how we can

help you update competency models or create new ones, feel free to contact us.

www.OnPointConsultingLLC.com | 203.533.5128