Pickering Public Library Valerie Ridgway Cathy Grant The COMPETENCY CULTURE
Mar 27, 2015
Pickering Public Library
Valerie Ridgway
Cathy Grant
Valerie Ridgway
Cathy Grant
The The
COMPETENCY
CULTURE
COMPETENCY
CULTURE
Pickering Public Library
Background
Good news about competencies: most of us are already using
competencies – human terms require skills library staff have:
observers of behaviour; evaluate behaviour all the time
simple to establish (but not easy!)
Pickering Public Library
Background
Flourished in 1990s based on key article by Hamel & Prahalad in HBR
Partly a reaction to expansionist 80’s
“Core competencies” and “competencies” used interchangeably
Pickering Public Library
Some examples
Fedex Service: Delivery Core competency: Logistics
Eastman KodakService: Photography productsCore competency: Chemical imaging
Pickering Public Library
Organizational competencies
Core competencies originally applied to organizations as a whole:
Confer competitive advantage Valuable Rare Difficult to imitate Pervasive in the organization
Pickering Public Library
Individual competencies
Applied to individuals in an organization: Relate to performance of major part
of job Underlying, deep & enduring Identify and predict successful job
performance Behaviourally-expressed and
evaluated Can be improved by further training (Sometimes refer to technical skills)
Pickering Public Library
Behaviours determine competencies
Example: “Flexible” vs.: Accepts new roles and
responsibilities Anticipates and adjusts for
changing circumstances in achievement of objectives
Demonstrates a positive attitude during times of change
Handles multiple tasks and responsibilities successfully
Pickering Public Library
Competencies in a System Model
Strategic FoundationMission, Vision, Core Values
excellence; personal; communicate; enhance
Core Competencies•confer competitive advantage•value for user•qualities rare/unique•hard to imitate •pervasivepeople/clients; services;
Competencies•leadership•innovation•continuous improvement•problem-solving•etc.
Individual Job
Organization
Pickering Public Library
3 approaches to competencies
Homogenized – same set for all Individualized – unique set for
each Stratified – sets vary by class of
job
Pickering Public Library
Who has adopted competencies?
Other libraries of all types Professional organizations Private sector See thousands of lists on the
internet
Pickering Public Library
Advantages of competencies
Behaviour easier to talk about than labels
Reduces bias Distinguishes top-tier staff from
average Gives staff a common language
which permeates & aligns the organization
Provides focus for training Provides consistency
Pickering Public Library
Disadvantages of competencies
Some behaviours “personal” Extensive documentation and
control needed Not all behaviours can be
captured Competencies can
overlap/become vague or repetitive
Change in format generates its own problems
Pickering Public Library
Implementation I
Aim for fewer than 12 competencies Decide on approach – individual,
specialized or homogenized Focus on how, not what work is done
(tasks change) Learn from others Include a definition for each
competency as well as a handful of behaviours
Prepare a 1st draft for staff and management input and expect many revisions
Pickering Public Library
Implementation II
After competencies have been defined: Create job specifications Recruit using job specs Interview using behaviourally-based
competency questions Orient new employees to competency
expectations Introduce competencies to existing
employees and offer training Coach staff performance based on
competencies Evaluate all employees using
competency-based evaluation forms
Pickering Public Library
Building a competency culture at PPL
Why was this needed at PPL?
No clear understanding of what was expected from employees in an environment of change
PPL needed a comprehensive system to define, communicate and manage employee performance.
Pickering Public Library
Defining the desired competencies I
January 2004 Developed a consensus on
concepts and their relevance Reviewed the competencies of
other organizations – other libraries, professional lists, etc
Took what was appropriate for our organization
Core competency was difficult to define so we left it
Pickering Public Library
Defining the desired competencies II
Preferred the stratified structure and defined a hierarchy of competencies
Also, a common group of competencies were found in all positions.
Behaviours were the last to be defined
Pickering Public Library
Communicating with staff
Spring 2004 Staff were introduced to the
concept of competencies at staff meetings and through various memos and discussions.
Summer 2004 Staff were introduced to the
new competency-based evaluation forms during the annual evaluation process
Pickering Public Library
Competency-based performance evaluation I
Pickering Public Library
Competency-based performance evaluation II
360 degree feedback forms, based on competencies were added to managers reviews’ in 2005 and to staff reviews in 2006
Managers invited feedback from a random selection of colleagues
Pickering Public Library
Competency-based training I
Training is a major part of implementing a competency-based HR system
Some training was system-wide• Customer service training was
first• Coaching Skills for Supervisors• Communications Training
Pickering Public Library
Competency-based training II
Some training was individual and based on the training plan associated with evaluations
Individualized training was accomplished through in-house methods as well as external sources.
Pickering Public Library
Competency-based recruitment
Fall 2004 New postings included competencies Interviews included competency-
based questions
Continuous LearningThink back to when you received a new position or
responsibility within the workplace. What have you done
to learn the new skills that were required?
Pickering Public Library
Hurdles
Time-intensive for managers Ratings for behavioural frequency are
misperceived in many ways Performance can be a very emotional
issue for some staff Using competency measures for 360
feedback is difficult for staff Competency-based recruitment may
be difficult if there are not enough suitable recruits
Pickering Public Library
Successes
Managers and staff now have a language for handling performance issues
Managers find it easier to deal with performance problems and have had much success with underperforming staff
The recruitment process has been clarified
The training process is more focused, less ad hoc
Pickering Public Library
Continuous improvements
Streamlining and simplifying performance reviews forms and process
Managers are making more time for performance management.
PPL is committed to this practice and will continue to make improvements over time.
Pickering Public Library
Our core competency (nearly)!
Friendly and convenient service to fit every client’s needs.