Finding the right fit for the right job is a matter of concern for most organisations especially in today’s economic crisis. As meeting an individual's career aspirations are concerned, once the organisation gives an employee the perspective of what is required from him/her to reach a particular position, it drives them to develop the competencies for the same.



Competencies enable individuals to identify and articulate what they offer -regardless of the job. Competency mapping is a process of identifying key competencies for a particular position in an organisation, and then using it for job-evaluation, recruitment, training and development, performance management, succession planning, etc. Introduction of competency mapping has also involved introducing skill appraisals in performance appraisals.





Need of the hour





“The slowing economy around the world has put new and increased pressure on an organisation’s capability to get more out of the available resource they have, and this often translates into pressure on the individual employees. That is where it is important to correlate performance result with competencies. It is therefore imperative to define a set of core competencies which corresponds the organisation’s key market differentiator,” says Gyanendra Acharya, manager - human resources, Hughes Systique Corporation.





The current economic downturn has created a situation for companies to scale down various overhead costs to meet their growth requirements. “Competency modeling identifies the precise set of competencies and proficiency levels needed for every role in the organisation. This system helps identify specific areas of training and maps employee growth to strategic business needs. During a difficult economic situation, it becomes particularly important for organisations to sustain their competitive edge in the industry by investing in learning and development programs that will empower employees to build on their strategic career objectives,” notes Narendra Raje, director - learning and development, Unisys.





Competency mapping – An important HR tool





Companies have long realised the importance of competency mapping as an important HR function. This is especially relevant in this recessionary environment where human capital is one of the most important assets of an organisation and needs to be nurtured. According to Ajay Trehan, founder, CEO, AuthBridge “There is always a need to have the best quality manpower. More and more companies are using competency mapping tools to screen and hire people with specific competencies. There might be a need for a person with excellent writing skills or an excellent creative mind. When individuals must seek new jobs, knowing one’s competencies can give one a competitive edge in the market.”





Professional Aptitude Council, a global talent mapping organisation, through its assessment tests for competency mapping helps companies understand their employees better. PAC has a set of modules used to help organisations assess their existing talent pool. These tests assess a person on the basis of Aptitude, Domain Skills, Communication Skills and Personality and Psychometric fit. "This involves making crucial decisions as to place which employee in which project, identify core competency area of employees etc. These tools that PAC uses help organisations plan their traning requirements in the long run," notes Naveen Manjunath, managing director (India) Professional Aptitude Council.



Unisys India has a comprehensive career management framework that helps employees map their growth paths, lateral or vertical. Each role has a defined set of competencies aligned to it. “Employees are expected to first acquire the competencies defined for the current role and then focus on the competencies for a growth role before they are considered eligible for movement. Unisys University facilitates the mapping of specific learning activities for each competency required for a role in the organization and has over 4000 training programs, both e-learning and instructor-led to help bridge any gaps in employee competencies,” adds Raje.





Adding further to this he says, “Unisys India has a robust and transparent Internal Job Posting (IJP) process to enable employees to get a complete picture of the opportunities available within the company. With this information, employees are better equipped to make informed career decisions and equip themselves with the knowledge and skills they require to move up the career ladder.”





CBay Systems has the advantage of employees delivering and exceeding requisite performance levels since the former has mapped out competencies that are required to perform specific roles. “New hires are pegged against these that are required for the role before being hired to ensure they fit as per their deliverables. Existing employees are periodically reviewed with the help of assessment tools and based on the gap analysis we provide them necessary training and development to hone the requisite competency. The action plans for the competency development outcome based on such assessments are finalised and the entire initiative is institutionalised,” confirms Shanmugaum, vice president - human resources, CBay Systems.



Competency mapping not only helps know your competencies but also your weak areas which can be worked upon. Besides increasing employee morale and enhancing productivity, it induces fresh thinking, fosters innovation and thereby aims to provide an enriching job experience.