How to manage career development expectations with a competency model
With skill gaps growing, keeping good people is paramount to success. According to Work Institute's 2017 Retention Report, career development was the number one reason employees stayed in a job.
Competency models enable people to assess their capabilities for the job they want next so they can upskill and be ready for it. A career competency assessment with personalized competency-based learning is far better than a job posting for preparing people for the future… especially if their job may be going away.
One of the biggest questions we hear from customers who fear using competency models for career assessment and development is, “how do I ensure that people don’t assume that just because they have the skills for the job, they get the job?” That is, they perform a career assessment, find they have some skill gaps, actively develop and close those gaps, re-assess and find out “I’m ready”. How do we keep them from being disappointed?
Communicate the big picture
Developing the skills to do a job puts you in the best position to be able to get that job… but they are not the only criteria. There may be other requirements (education, certification) or experience that are required. There may be 10 people who also have the skills for the job, and so additional criteria will be used. A good career assessment for growth helps people assess their capabilities for multiple roles, including lateral ones.
Invest in them - use career development altruistically
People may say, “If getting the skills for the job doesn’t automatically get me the job, why would I bother?” You need to be committed to use career development altruistically, that is, be able to say that we’re investing in you so that you may either use your new skills in a new job here, or take them somewhere else. Using competency models for career development is only to their benefit.
Recognize them in their current role
As people become more skilled in other areas or achieve greater levels of proficiency in skills they need in role, you can use competency assessment results to identify who should be selected to work on or lead challenging projects, and be task-based mentors for others. So while they are not actually in a new role, they can be recognized for the new skills they possess.
Summary
Communicate clearly what they will get from career assessment and development.
The best opportunity to get the job
Take advantage of the organization’s investment – here or elsewhere
Recognition
If you can use role-based competency models to help people show movement in their skills, and help them grow, and recognize them for their efforts, you have the best chance at keeping them.
Acknowledge the new social contract which says, “you may not always want to stay here, but I’m trying to help you develop for the future… whether that is here at our company or elsewhere.” You want to get employees engaged? THAT gets them engaged.
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