How do you identify the top skills and competencies for hiring or promoting team members?

It is essential to understand the difference between skills and competencies and clarify these concepts with your staff. These concepts often need to be clarified. Skills are transferable to other roles. Competencies are knowledge-based and often related to a specific area and not as easily transportable. For instance, I use coaching techniques that can be transferred to other areas of knowledge. My knowledge is specifically in navigating careers and career theory. If I went to the financial industry, I could transfer my coaching skills but I would have to develop financial knowledge to become a financial coach.

It is essential to give feedback through the year and acknowledge improvements and deficiencies in real time. By the time evaluations roll around there should be no surprises.

Defining processes, SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) and identifying technology tools that are applicable to the needs of the positions can help identify target candidates. In some cases, complimentary skills and or competencies to the group can make great hires. As individual positions evolve, there are opportunities to cross-train and empower workers to be challenged and grow their skill sets.

Defining skills and competencies is fundamental when considering team members for hiring or promotion. Skills are the learnable and applicable abilities and knowledge, such as problem-solving or technical aptitude, while competencies represent behaviors and attitudes, like teamwork and adaptability, indicative of performance interaction. To identify which are critical or desirable for a role, consult job descriptions, performance standards, or competency frameworks. These serve as reference points, ensuring alignment with organizational expectations and goals, thereby facilitating the recruitment or promotion of individuals best suited to fulfill organizational objectives efficiently.

It is vital for the employee to feel that they are driving their advancement, and this step won't be punitive. I recommend a 360 feedback assessment of stakeholders, with the employee asking for feedback on these skills and competencies, using a Likert scale with an open question for more specific feedback.

Investing in People Analytics is a great way to track what skill and competencies are being used and who is working with who. The tools listed in the article are great examples of data collecting. This can be helpful way to identify internal talent while providing career growth to employees. In the case that there are no suitable internal talent, then the ground work is already set for creating an external search. This can be in a form of a contractor or full-time employee with the defined skills and competencies.

Giving employees a chance to self assess offers a chance for discussion of employee/employer concerns and empowers employees.

Utilizing diverse methods and sources is paramount in accurately assessing the skills and competencies of prospective and current team members. Employ a blend of formal and informal evaluations including interviews, tests, simulations, and feedback, each offering varied insight into individual capabilities and behavioral attributes. Incorporating multiple perspectives, such as self, peer, and external assessments, ensures a well-rounded and balanced understanding of each individual’s proficiency and adaptability, enabling informed decisions aligning with organizational needs and values. This multifaceted approach fosters objective, holistic appraisal of each candidate’s suitability for the role.

Identifying the top skills and competencies for hiring or promoting team members involves a structured approach. Begin by clearly defining job requirements and consulting existing job descriptions and competency frameworks. Conduct a skills gap analysis to compare current skill sets with the required ones, assessing technical expertise, essential soft skills, and leadership capabilities. Stay informed about industry trends and future skills to ensure relevance. Solicit input from peers and supervisors and review performance and accomplishments. Compile this information into a customized skill set, and during the hiring or promotion process, utilize interviews and assessments to evaluate candidates against these criteria.

Although there should be a structured assessment tool be sure to include non skill related items. Building a team requires acknowledging personality types as well

Work environments are like an ecosystem as their are cause and affects for all within. Using tools to gauge critical needs for the teams goals can help prevent bias and unconscious bias creeping into the critical to success needs vs the nice to have needs. Using collaborative exercises like the ones provided in the article gives those in the process the ability to update the process and adjust SOP as needed.

Comparing and ranking skills and competencies is pivotal. Utilize scoring systems, rating scales, or matrices to quantify individuals' skills and competencies against predefined criteria. Employ tools like gap and SWOT analysis to discern strengths, weaknesses, and potential in alignment with organizational goals, enabling a clear depiction of current and desired states. This rigorous, structured approach ensures objective, meticulous evaluation, allowing the identification of the most suitable candidates, aligned with the role’s demands and the organization's vision, fostering enhanced performance and organizational synergy.

To align team capabilities with organizational objectives, match individual skills and competencies to the organization's needs and goals. Employ strategies like talent mapping and succession planning, ensuring alignment with organizational vision, mission, and values. Consider diversity, equity, and inclusion, along with learning and development initiatives, to foster a culture conducive to growth and satisfaction. This alignment not only helps in achieving organizational goals effectively but also ensures that the individual's career trajectory is in harmony with organizational objectives, enhancing mutual growth and sustainability.

Don't forget about training. What raining can you offer your current employees that will make them better at meeting your company's needs and goals. If you already have a great employee but they are missing a few needed skills, why not offer them professional development. I have worked in both situations, one company that offered zero professional development and one that offered all that was wanted or needed.

Understand the relationship between the cost associated between ROI "Return On Investment" of the skills and competencies. Equity may be needed to be provided. This will help create several treatment plans for solving your problem, but each option will have a financial impact.

Open lines of communication with stakeholders is critical as they may have additional insights, options, and even people in their network to help widen your options. Not all jobs have to be done by one specific person. Job requirement can be re-assigned, omitted, or re-configured with the evolution of implementing technology.

Effectively conveying hiring or promotion rationales to stakeholders is pivotal. Utilize feedback sessions, consultations, and negotiations to share assessment results and reasoning with all relevant parties. Acknowledge the competencies and skills of your team members and address any discrepancies through recognition, support, and coaching. This not only clarifies organizational decisions but also fosters an environment of openness, mutual development, and high performance, reinforcing a sense of value and purpose among team members while aligning everyone’s efforts towards collective goals.

It is essential also to identify roles that have changed over time. I've seen folks in positions for extended periods with a job description on record that doesn't match their current responsibilities. Make sure to perform an equity review if this is the case.

Soft Skills: Pay attention to soft skills like communication, adaptability, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership. These are often critical for success in any role.