Key competences are a valuable resource in companies, and vital for survival. A competent team makes the organisation able to act and delivers the success it wants. With the major transformation processes in the working world, the demands placed on competences are changing too. At the same time, competent applicants are becoming ever rarer as the skills shortage grows. Strategic competence management is therefore an elementary factor in forward looking workforce planning. Which core competences are in focus differs from company to company and from industry to industry.
Introducing a competence model
At our client, a mid sized company in the construction sector with its own production and around 800 employees, we began with an analysis of the existing structures and needs against the target state: which competences exist and which are needed? How are the HR processes structured? What does an optimal role and position description look like? At the start there are many points to clarify, and a precise analysis is essential in order to define exactly the competences that will be needed in the short, medium and long term. On the basis of that information, THE MAK'ED TEAM developed a roadmap and a communication concept to enable a structured and efficient approach to developing and introducing the competence model. In close collaboration between the HR department and the specialist areas, the competence model was then developed, starting in a pilot area, and implemented in the existing HR management.
Lean processes, an agile approach
In the past, complex competence models were usually developed in full with great effort and then rolled out across the entire company. That was often laborious, sometimes the desired results failed to appear or were inadequate, and not infrequently it was time consuming and expensive. New, modern models by contrast are simple, understandable and geared to actual needs. They rely on agile management processes that are put through a test run in a defined pilot area and optimised purposefully. For our client's pilot project in the selected area of the business, the competences required for the relevant roles were defined precisely. In this context the competence model was used for workforce planning, recruiting and people development. Important areas such as HR marketing, staff selection, appraisal conversations, development and career paths and succession planning were implemented professionally. For the people development measures, defined qualifications for particular roles and positions were linked to the competence model. That then formed the basis for developing career paths and succession planning. In a pilot area we then adapted the competence model step by step and introduced it over a period of two months. After the successful pilot phase it was developed and implemented for the other areas of the company. This rollout was supported by an existing HR system in which the competence model could be stored.
Securing lasting results
Our client has been able to benefit from the introduction of the competence model on a lasting basis. Implementation geared to actual needs and adapted to the HR processes delivered the results that were wanted and planned: with the agile model the company can develop the competences it needs continuously and purposefully, make the best possible use of them and secure transparency about what it has and what it needs, in the medium and long term as well.
There is a broad range of solutions and methods for people development. We at THE MAK'ED TEAM are mid market experts and can draw on a wealth of experience in business development and business steering. We support mid sized companies in implementing their individual competence management model successfully and lastingly, with motivated employees and without great organisational effort.
Further information: project example and competence management
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