Competency-based Learning & Development

As your organization establishes its corporate academy to establish a systematic way of addressing the employees’ developmental needs, it has become apparent that its long-term success depends on a holistic strategy.

A well-developed Talent Development Strategy is derived from a rigorous need assessment. Having a thoroughly developed competency-based position profile helps in benchmarking the individual employees’ competency strengths, and opportunities for improvement, helping them determine their developmental goals. It also helps in customizing developmental strategies that befit the learning gaps.

The big hurdles of competency-based talent development are the following:

Poor Needs Assessment Process

Thinking that all competency gaps are training needs is one of the biggest pitfalls of talent development interventions. This is brought about by poor appreciation of the needs assessment and analysis process. A good competency-based needs assessment identifies both the learning and non-learning needs and specifically determines what the developmental outcomes and objectives are not just the title of some training intervention.

Ineffective Learning and Development Intervention

Addressing competency gaps requires more than just sending people to training. Often, training is not the best solution. A good competency development strategy considers other more effective developmental interventions such as immersion, coaching, mentoring, self-paced learning, and others.

Lack of Monitoring and Evaluation

Attending training or seminar does not necessarily close a competency gap. The best indicator of competency is the demonstration of behavior desired behavior and performance. An effective L&D Strategy incorporates follow-through activities, monitoring, and evaluation that lead to better accountability and redesign of interventions to ensure that competencies are not just learned, they are applied and lead to improvement in performance.

ExeQserve Consultants offer our services in helping facilitate the development of the needed strategy and process for removing these barriers to address your employees’ developmental needs.

The Talent Development Process

A good learning and development strategy is based on validated needs. When learners go through development interventions with a clear understanding of the competencies they need to develop, where, and how they are expected to demonstrate these competencies, they will have a clear sense of mission in developing themselves. When they are made accountable not just for learning new skills but for seeing to it that the new skills lead to better performance, the organization benefits from a better L&D return on investment. ExeQserve Consultants follow the framework below in ensuring that the right competencies are targeted per position, and each employee is aware and committed to personal and professional development to ensure individual contribution to organizational performance. The Schedule of Activities provides more details on this process.

Talent Development Strategy

Effective strategies are holistic and systematic. The same is true with developing talents. There must be a clear link between the identified developmental needs and organizational strategic goals and performance objectives. Talent Development Plans do not only consider the organization’s priorities but also address individual needs by considering the employees’ competency gaps and tailor-fitting the solution to the nature of their learning and development needs. This proposal does not limit the option to addressing competency gaps via formal training. We look at the employee’s current situation and propose the right interventions.

One of the most effective strategies in Learning and Development is integrating knowledge acquired through formal training, deepening knowledge, and knowledge creation by creating opportunities for the application of learning and providing the necessary feedback to learners. ExeQserve has a great deal of experience in formulating such strategies. We have incorporated Learning Action Plans and Monitoring and Evaluation schemes that enable the client to take stock of learning and how much of it translated into performance. We propose the inclusion of these mechanisms to gain the needed benefit from the organization’s talent development investments.

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