Competency Mapping

A skill is different from competency.

- John Pereira

A skill is an ability to accomplish assigned tasks flawlessly. It can be acquired or developed through training and improvement. Whereas competency is a set of skills which makes a person proficient to do a particular job at the individual level and capacity to perform in a socially heterogeneous group. Most organisations fail to achieve their goals due to scarcity of skills and competency among work force. The economic turmoil has changed the fate of many entities and compelled them to cut costs and retrench staff and enhance overall productivity. Hence, most organizations hire new employees at low remuneration and select new recruits who have multi-tasking skills.

Human competence is the most important element for the success of business. Sometimes, it may not be possible to buy talents from outside the organizations. Hence, organisations need to develop talents internally by ensuring that an employee is fully equipped with the right kind of skills to accomplish his tasks. This is the reason that, competency mapping has gained so much relevance in the present scenario.

What is competency?

Competency is the capacity of an individual to meet job demands. It is the inner potential of an employee to accomplish a given task flawlessly. Competency enables individuals to identify and articulate their potential job skills and groom themselves fit for the future assignments. Competency is concerned with effect rather than effort and with output rather than input. It is the capacity of an individual that leads to that behaviour which meets the job demands within the parameters of the organizational environment and assures expected results. Competency encompasses knowledge, skills and attitudes. Competence is a standardized requirement for an individual to properly perform a specific job.