We often hear about competencies, their development and even competency-based management. But do you know what this is? And how does a competency matrix work? In today's post we're going to talk about this well-known subject, but one that is little discussed by some companies. We're going to clarify concepts, tell you what it's for and also give you some tips on how to put together this competency matrix. Ready to get started?

What is competence

Competence is the result of three characteristics combined: knowledge, skill and attitude. Knowledge is what we know, what we have learned throughout our lives; skill is the ability to put our knowledge into practice and attitude is proactivity, the desire to put our knowledge into practice.
If you've made an association with the famous CHA, so widely used in people management, you've already connected with our subject. But what is a competency matrix?

What is a competence matrix?

When we open a new position in the company, we list all the characteristics that the professional who will fill the vacancy must have, in other words, we list the competencies required for the position. What knowledge, skills and attitudes should this professional have? But this list is not random, it corresponds to a series of characteristics that should lead to a greater objective, aligned with the company's strategic planning.

Imagine that you are looking for a financial manager and that the manager's main responsibility is to reduce costs, optimize resources and increase the profitability of the business. When you list the competencies that this professional should have, you should keep these objectives in mind in order to choose a professional who is aligned with the company's objectives, who can meet these needs and bring good results. This means that you will put together a matrix of competencies for the role of financial manager.

See also: 07 reasons to apply strategic remuneration

What is the competency matrix for?

The main objective of the competency matrix is to verify the alignment of the professional who occupies or will occupy the position with their duties, which are linked to the company's strategic objectives.
In this way, it helps define recruitment and selection standards, performance appraisals and recognition for employees' technical and behavioral development.

After the competency matrix has been created, the employees undergo a individual performance evaluationThese include the employee's current competencies that are performing well, the competencies that need to be developed in order for the employee to reach the level of excellence required by the company, and also the competency gaps, i.e. their needs for improvement.

After this analysis, an Individual Professional Development Plan is drawn up, in which the company and the employee jointly determine which competencies will be worked on, how and when. Some of the skills to be developed or improved are taken on by the company and others are the responsibility of the employee, who must seek out training to further their professional qualifications.

What to evaluate in a competency matrix?

Each company develops its own competency matrix according to its needs, but to make it easier for you to understand, here are some of the competencies that can be included in your matrix:

• He works with a focus on results;
• Seeks self-development;
• Work as part of a team;
• It focuses on customer needs;
• It values the quality of its services;
• Proactive;
• Act maturely;
• Work under pressure;
• You have leadership skills;
• Among others.

Each item can have subdivisions or levels of excellence, for example: for the item "works with a focus on results", you can have subdivisions such as "planning", "execution" and "monitoring". As levels of excellence, we can have grades, from 1 to 5, or items such as "reasonable", "good" and "excellent".

Do you already have a competency matrix model? Would you like to implement a tool like this in your company and do you have any doubts? Leave a comment!