Competency groups and competency models

Competency groups and competency models are used to add multiple skills and competencies simultaneously to a job or position. Competency models can be included in appraisals.

Competencies and skills can be grouped in competency groups. Competency groups are attached to competency models. A competency group can belong to multiple competency models and can include a mix of skills and competencies. A competency model is unique.

You can also break down competencies and skills into behaviors. This multilevel structure enables you to group related competencies and attach predefined groups of competencies to a job or position. You can attach multiple competency models to a job or position.

You can attach a competency or skill to a job or position by itself or as part of a competency model.

The advantage of using competency models is that you can attach a set of skills and competencies to a job or position simultaneously. If a skill or proficiency is added to or removed from a model, it is automatically added to or removed from any of the jobs and positions to which it is attached.

Competencies and skills that are the default on positions

When you attach a competency or competency model to a job, it is automatically attached to any related positions. Any competencies or skills you attach at the position level add to the job-defined competencies.

On a job, a competency or skill can be designated as essential and have essential and preferred rating levels that are associated with it. This can be overridden on the position by associating the same competency or skill on the position and updating the details appropriately. If the same competency or skill is found on both the job and position, the details that are associated with the position are those that are used to determine the position requirements. The position values override the job values.

Flexibility in defining competency structure

In Infor HR Talent, you can define your competencies in different ways, depending on your organizations needs. Competency models and competency groups simplify the process of assigning proficiencies and skills to jobs and positions. It is advantageous to do advanced planning to put the competency structure to best use for your organization.

Note: You cannot have duplicate competencies or skills on a job or position. Ensure that the competency models that you attach to a job or position consist of competency groups that do not have overlapping competencies and skills. You cannot attach a model to a job or position if it results in duplicate skills or competencies.

Typically, a competency model would group the core skills required to do a certain type of job, such as NURSE. This core model includes competency groups that consist of competencies and skills that are unique to the job. It can include competency groups that consist of competencies and skills shared by other jobs. For example, a nurse needs to have specific skills such as taking vital signs, administering medication, and so on. But a nurse must also have people skills that are also required in other jobs, such as good communications skills. The beginning of a competency structure for the NURSE job may be similar to the groups and skills that are shown in this table:


Competency model	Competency groups	Competencies/skills
NURSE
	Core nursing skills
		Take and record vital signs
		Administer medication
		Chart medication
	People skills
		Effective oral and written communication
		Communicate concerns effectively
		Provide timely reports to superiors
		Relate well to all people

Because there many types of nurse positions, an organization could attach the NURSE model at the job level, then add additional required skills or competencies. If many additional skills or competencies are required at the position level, the organization could instead create a competency model for the position. The competency model could have competency groups that include only skills and competencies specific to the position. For example, a NURSEADMIN competency model could include an administrative skills group and a leadership skills group. The NURSE model would be attached to the nurse job; the NURSEADMIN model would be attached to the nursing administrator position, which would result in assigning all of the skills and competencies from both competency models to the nursing administrator position.

Note: Because the essential and preferred levels of competency or skill are defined at the job or position level, the same model can be used for multiple jobs and positions if the competencies and skills within the model are the same but different levels are required in different jobs or positions. In the previous example, you could create a single NURSE model that encompasses all of the skills that are required for all types of nurses. You can then differentiate them at the position level by marking specific skills as essential. A skill such as crisis care could be preferred for an office nurse, but essential for an ER nurse.