What is Competence? What is the Competence Matrix?

Competence refers to the behavioral dimensions that encompass different abilities related to institutions or organizations and teams, as well as knowledge, skills, and attitude components. These behavioral dimensions allow institutions or organizations to gain a competitive edge in the market by enhancing performance and ensuring the continuity of the institution's existence.

To illustrate competencies broadly, these can be;
• Strategic thinking
• Result-oriented approach
• Taking initiative
• Entrepreneurship
• Quality-focused advancement
• Negotiation management
• Effective problem-solving
• Team building
• Motivation management
can be categorized in bullet points.

When mentioning competence, one of the elements that come to mind is the Competence Matrix. So, what is the Competence Matrix?
The Competence Matrix is also known as the skills matrix. It is an important tool that visualizes and assesses whether employees can perform a specific task. It categorizes employees based on their abilities and allows observation of which jobs they can be assigned to, thereby maximizing efficiency. The Competence Matrix and the competencies exemplified above are significant elements that employees possess. Having the mentioned competencies and facilitating the assignment processes through the matrix constitutes an effective and practical business process.

Creating a Competence Model (Competence Modeling)

The concept we refer to as a competence model or competence modeling is a guide developed by the human resources department and process that defines the specific skills, knowledge, and behavioral requirements needed for an employee to effectively, successfully, and properly perform their job. Ultimately, the competence model is an important guide, reference, and beacon. It is the name given to the guide that illuminates us like the North Star for transitioning to competence-based management.

What is Competence-Based Management?

Competence-based performance management: Measuring competencies also brings along the assessment of performance.
Competence-based career planning: Implementing career planning in businesses in a competence-based manner creates a more objective and transparent structure, increasing employees' confidence in their businesses, and allowing for development to be realized more consciously in a shorter time.
Competence-based training and development: Identifying what type of training employees need to enhance their qualifications during a process ensures that these competencies are developed according to the job requirements.
Competence-based compensation and reward management: Competencies are used as a significant criterion for determining the compensation for a specific position.

What are the Steps in Creating a Competence Model (Competence Modeling)?

To benefit from the advantages brought by the concepts of competence and competence model, it is essential to first learn how to create a competence model. The process of creating a competence model consists of several key steps. These are;
1. The first stop when creating a competence model is to enter into a comprehensive research process about institutions or organizations along with top management and human resources. As a result of this research, data on the requirements of institutions or organizations and which works are appropriate can be acquired. Another aspect that should be implemented simultaneously with this process is determining the purpose of the model to be created, as the model can be relevant to various topics.
2. Specific groups are formed for all positions. These groups consist of successful and managerial individuals in terms of performance. In this way, employees are classified, and conducive groups for the efficient functioning of the system are created.
3. The competence model is created using the data obtained from previous steps.
4. The created model is communicated to the management unit of the institutions or organizations, and various model validation processes (such as surveys) are carried out.
5. At the end of all these steps, a competence guide is prepared, and institutions or organizations begin to benefit from this guide.
These are the steps.

If these steps are followed carefully and collaboration with top management is maintained, institutions or organizations can advance to a higher level and open new opportunities.

Examples of Competence Models

As examples of basic competencies; let’s say one of the basic competencies of the company is being innovative. Being innovative should reflect the company’s core values. Here, being innovative should be based on the company’s values, vision, and mission. Innovation can be described as "Creating innovative solutions and approaches in the working environment, seeing opportunities, and trying different and unconventional methods to seize these opportunities." After this definition, the concept of “behavior indicators,” which is critically important, should come into play. Whenever an employee exhibits an innovative stance, we should identify which behaviors they are displaying. It is necessary to determine the levels of the behavior indicators of the fundamental competence we have defined. Let’s say we have defined five levels related to being innovative, and we have identified the innovation behavior indicators for each of those five levels. For example; the levels of the basic competence of being innovative can be as follows;

● Level one: Focuses on existing solutions, does not question the reasons for arising problems, does not seek ways to approach the current solution.
● Level two: It is crucial to convey and remind that there are different approaches related to the work area, stating important and priority issues. They do not show innovation tendencies on their own.
● Level three: Questions established approaches sought for finding solutions to issues, conducts extensive research for alternative approach proposals.
● Level four: Prioritizes issues in the work area and analyzes alternative approaches to these issues, develops a contemporary perspective, and makes efforts to implement this new perspective.
● Level five: Questions work methods, analyzes, proposes different approaches to make concrete contributions to achieving goals quickly, and sets an example for teammates, allowing others to draw inspiration from them.

Benefits of Competence-Based Management

The benefits of competence-based management are listed below;
● Competence management helps determine what skills a person needs to perform well in specific roles.
● The ability to determine what skills are necessary for a job means that human resources can better identify candidates who would succeed in those roles and provides tangible benefits. Therefore, it allows reaching better candidates.
● Facilitates the hiring and training of employees significantly since job parameters are based on much clearer and well-defined instructions. Employees receiving these instructions become much more successful in their positions and roles.
● When gaps created based on competencies are closed with training, human errors that can occur while working will decrease, and potential communication problems will significantly decline, which will bring substantial benefits to the company.
● Your employee retention rate and employee engagement increase. Especially employees who feel that top management is investing in them not only maintain their other skills and knowledge within the organization but also spread them, creating a positive climate at workplaces and substantially increasing their tenure due to their higher engagement at work.
● Determines what skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors are necessary for the organization’s future growth and success, and through this identified knowledge, skills, and attitudes, a roadmap for how to select and develop employees emerges. It provides immense benefit for filling management positions from within the company rather than transferring managers or leaders from outside. Competence management and modeling serve as crucial tools to develop leaders and managers from within. They are essential for managerial positions and can help foster a talented and honest management team through effective competence management, ensuring employee participation and integrating these employees into medium- to long-term plans to position them as natural candidates for leadership roles.

What are the Benefits of the Competence-Based System for Employees?

• A competence-based management system significantly contributes to the employee. It allows employees to make better decisions and run their businesses more effectively.
• By providing employees with different ideas regarding the general strategy of teams and departments, it enhances participation and increases employee motivation.
• Since employees know the competencies valued by the organization, they proactively create value in the development areas of the company beyond their individual roles.
• Increases job satisfaction. As a result, turnover rates decrease, and employees with higher job satisfaction significantly improve their performance.

Our Approach to Competence Management

As ODS, we provide a "competence creation" service. So, what benefits does competence management or modeling offer to businesses?
● Increases employee job satisfaction.
● Reduces employee turnover.
● Guides employees towards a more effective performance management and performance evaluation.
● Allows employees to understand what the employer expects from them and what the employer can offer to the employees.
● Creates the necessary working climate for the company’s growth.
● Allows for reaching the right employees more effectively in hiring, selection, and placement.
● Enables the company to transition to much more flexible working models (remote working, hybrid, project-based, etc.) during its growth.
We recommend our consultancy and service on competence model creation to companies wishing to incorporate the above benefits.

Areas of Use for Competence Modeling

Competence modeling can be observed in many different areas. These areas include;
• Making the use of the Human Resources department in institutions or organizations more effective.
• Clarifying the expectations of employees.
• Creating a knowledge source for a more comprehensive career.
• Increasing the motivation and productivity of employees.
• Ensuring healthy and systematic relationships between managers and employees.
• Identifying the reasons for shortcomings in institutions or organizations.
are multiple and quite diverse.

The most striking conclusion that can be drawn from the above points is that competence modeling is very important for institutions or organizations both in terms of benefits and scope. The source of this importance lies in the fact that competence modeling not only provides benefits but also reveals the weaknesses and areas for improvement of institutions or organizations.

What is ODS Competence Model Consultancy?

As ODS Consulting Group, we always prioritize maximizing efficiency and operating within a broad scope for institutions and organizations with our motto 'Our Business, Your Power.' We demonstrate our care and attention in various fields, including Competence Model Consultancy, and offer a practical consultancy process.

We present our Competence Model Consultancy service to institutions or organizations without skipping any details and paying attention to the aspects discussed in the above headings. We identify, classify, and develop long-term solutions for your company’s and your employees’ development needs.

While doing all of this, we ensure that we do not lose focus on you and your development process, and we are happy to share our vision with you and have you among us.