What is a competency framework?
A competency framework is a structured list of the skills, behaviors and knowledge an organization expects from its people, grouped into areas and described level by level.
What a competency framework includes
It usually has four parts. Areas group related competencies, such as Talent Acquisition or People Strategy. Each competency has a short definition. A rating scale says what each rating means. And each role or level has the rating it is expected to reach.
Why organizations use one
It gives hiring, reviews, training and promotions one shared language. Interviews test the competencies of the role, reviews rate people against the same list, and training focuses on the gaps those reviews find.
How to build one
Start with one department rather than the whole company. Keep the list short: a few areas with a handful of competencies each. Describe each level in plain words, then try it on a few real reviews and adjust what did not fit.
Example
| Skill | Area | HR Coordinator | HR Generalist | HR Business Partner | HR Manager | Head of People |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employee Relations Case Handling | Employee Relations | Novice | Proficient | Advanced | Advanced | Expert |
| Structured Interview Design | Talent Acquisition | Novice | Basic | Proficient | Advanced | Expert |
| Performance Review Cycle Administration | Performance & Growth | Basic | Proficient | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced |
| Workforce Planning | People Strategy | Novice | Novice | Proficient | Advanced | Expert |
Each row comes from a different area of the framework. Running the review cycle is expected from the first level; planning the workforce only becomes central at the senior levels.
Source: Human resources career path
Competency framework vs career framework
A competency framework describes what good work looks like. A career framework adds how people move: the levels they go through, what changes at each step and how promotion is decided. Most career frameworks are built on top of a competency framework.
Related
- More real examples: Project management career path · Business analysis career path
- Other definitions: Skills matrix · Competency matrix · Career ladder · Career framework
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