What's the best way to maintain a competency framework?

1 Why maintain a competency framework?

Maintaining a competency framework is essential to ensure that it remains relevant, accurate, and useful for the organization. If the framework is outdated, inconsistent, or unclear, it can have dire consequences for HR processes and outcomes; such as employees feeling confused or demotivated due to not understanding expectations or standards of their roles, wasting time and resources on training and development activities that do not address current or future needs of the organization or employees, missing opportunities to identify and nurture high-potential talent or address skill gaps, failing to align employee performance and behavior with the organization's vision, mission, and values, and even losing competitive advantage or reputation due to poor quality or innovation. Therefore, maintaining a competency framework is a continuous process that requires monitoring, evaluating, and adjusting the framework based on feedback, data, and best practices.

2 How often to review a competency framework?

It is difficult to determine how often a competency framework should be reviewed, as it depends on the size and complexity of the organization, the pace of external and internal change, and the availability of feedback and data sources. However, as a general rule of thumb, it is recommended to review a competency framework at least once a year or when there is a significant change that affects the organization or its roles. For instance, when there is a new regulation or technology that impacts operations, a merger or acquisition that alters the organization's structure, or new leadership that requires different competencies or behaviors, you may need to review the competency framework. Additionally, if there is feedback from employees, managers, customers, or other stakeholders indicating a gap or misalignment between the current competencies and desired outcomes, then you may need to review the framework.

4 How to analyze feedback and data?

Once you have collected feedback and data from various sources, you need to analyze them to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the current competency framework. You can use SWOT analysis to assess internal and external factors, gap analysis to compare current and desired competencies, and root cause analysis to identify underlying causes. Tools such as the 5 Whys, fishbone diagrams, or Pareto charts can be used to drill down to the root causes. Quantifying gaps in terms of frequency, severity, impact, or priority can also help in understanding the discrepancies that need to be addressed.

5 How to update and communicate a competency framework?

After analyzing feedback and data to identify areas for improvement or change, you need to update and communicate the competency framework. To do this, you should update the framework by adding, modifying, or deleting competencies, levels, indicators, or examples. This should be done in a way that is SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) and aligned with the organization's goals and strategy. You can then communicate the changes to relevant stakeholders through various channels and formats such as emails, newsletters, webinars, workshops, or online platforms. Additionally, you should monitor and evaluate the impact of the changes on the organization and its roles by measuring and tracking key indicators and outcomes such as employee engagement, performance, satisfaction, retention, or customer loyalty. Finally, you should collect feedback and data on the effectiveness and usability of the updated framework to make further adjustments if needed.