Your how-to: Utilising competency-based assessments to guide behaviour change
Utilising competency-based assessments to guide behaviour change within your company refers to the strategic use of reviews to gauge employees' proficiency in their respective roles and identify areas for improvement. These assessments, which can be tailored to meet Australian industry standards, pinpoint the specific skills, attributes, and knowledge required for a particular job. The focus lies in how these competencies - defined as effective behavioural responses to job-related challenges - can be developed and leveraged for individual and organisational success.
This process goes beyond standard performance evaluations. It aims to foster a deeper understanding of an employee's capabilities, linking them to positive behavioural attributes like greater resilience, better collaboration, or enhanced mental wellbeing.
When correctly implemented, these assessments provide empirical data which HR professionals can use to guide interventions and training programmes, promoting behaviour change that not only improves work performance but also builds a healthier, more positive company culture.
Step by step instructions
Identify Competencies: The first step is to identify the competencies required for each role within your company. These may differ based on the role, level of experience, and specific tasks that each employee is expected to perform.
Develop Assessment Tools: Create appropriate tools to measure these competencies, which could include questionnaires, simulations, 360-degree feedback or performance reviews.
Analyse Assessment Data and Identify Areas for Improvement: Analyse the results of the initial assessments and identify the areas where improvement is needed. Link these competencies to positive behavioural attributes, to encourage growth and development. In this phase, you may discover areas where training or further development is required.
Continual Assessment and Analysis: Ensure regular competency assessments are carried out at specified intervals to keep a check on the progress of employees. These also help to show the areas where further interventions are needed, allowing continual refinement of training programmes.
Establish Metrics for Assessment: Once the competencies are identified, establish the metrics you will use to assess them. These benchmarks should be clear, measurable, and relevant to the tasks each employee is expected to undertake, making them valuable and relevant to the Australian industry standards.
Conduct Baseline Assessment: Carry out an initial assessment to establish a baseline of where employees currently stand in terms of the identified competencies. This will give you a starting point for implementing improvements.
Develop and Implement Training Programmes: Based on the data analysis, tailor-made training programs should be created and implemented. These should aim not only at improving work performance, but also at enhancing the resilience, collaboration skills, and mental wellbeing of employees.
Legal Compliance: Finally, be mindful of your legal requirements. Under the Fair Work Act 2009, you might have obligations to regularly review the performance of your employees in an objective, fair, and transparent manner. Make sure your competency-based assessments comply with this legislation.
Use this template to implement
To ensure you can execute seamlessly, download the implementation template.
Pitfalls to avoid
Understanding the competencies specific to each role within your company is an essential first step. Failing to properly identify these can lead to assessments that are irrelevant or negatively impact employee engagement and morale.
While detailed assessment can be beneficial, there's a risk in making the process overly complicated. This can intimidate employees or lead to a focus on assessment 'game playing' rather than genuine competency development.
Failing to provide feedback leads to missed opportunities for employee growth and development. Absence of communication can also lead employees to feel undervalued or misunderstood, decreasing engagement with the assessment process.
Your competency framework must be aligned with the values, mission, and strategic objectives of your company. A mismatch can lead to assessments that do not accurately reflect the company's direction, potentially leading to confusion or even counterproductive behaviours.
Ensure your competency assessments are inclusive and do not disadvantage any employee or group within your company. Failure to do so may contravene Australian anti-discrimination law, notably the Equality Act 2010.
The assessment process must be consistent across all departments to ensure fairness and reliability. Inconsistent applications can result in discontent among employees, potential legal issues, and skewed results that inaccurately reflect competency levels.