4/16/2015 SkillsvsCompetencies.WhatstheDifference?TalentAlign

http://www.talentalign.com/skillsvscompetencieswhatsthedifference/ 1/2

GoodITJobDescriptionsaretheLifebloodofyourITHumanCapitalManagement.

StartSearch...

Search

PostedbyGailSturgessSkillsvsCompetencies.WhatstheDifference?

| December6,2012

ThetermsSkillsandCompetenciesareused,virtually,interchangeably.Infact,withmanyHRpractitioners,CompetenciesseemtoonlyrelatetoBehaviouralcompetenciesasdefinedinaCompetencyDictionary.Butthisreallyisnotthecase.So,wemakeanattemptatdefiningthedifferencebetweenSkillsandCompetencies,andprovidingsomeinsightintothedifferenttypesofCompetenciesandthelevelofcriticalityofCompetenciesinorganisations.

What is a Skill?

Thesedefinitionswereextractedfromanumberofdifferentsources,buttheyallseemtosay,moreorless,thesamething:

Proficiency,facility,ordexteritythatisacquiredordevelopedthroughtrainingorexperience.Theability,comingfromonesknowledge,practice,aptitude,etc.,todosomethingwellAnabilityandcapacityacquiredthroughdeliberate,systematic,andsustainedefforttosmoothlyandadaptivelycarryoutcomplexactivitiesorjobfunctionsinvolvingideas(cognitiveskills),things(technical

skills),and/orpeople(interpersonalskills).AskillisthelearnedcapacitytocarryoutpredeterminedresultsAlearnedabilitytobringabouttheresultyouwant,withmaximumcertaintyandefficiencyProficiency,facility,ordexteritythatisacquiredordevelopedthroughtrainingorexperience.

So,aSkillissomethingLearnedinordertobeabletocarryoutoneormorejobfunctions.

What is a Competency

Again,thesedefinitionswereextractedfromanumberofdifferentsources:

Aclusterofrelatedabilities,commitments,knowledge,andskillsthatenableaperson(oranorganization)toacteffectivelyinajoborsituation.Competenciesrefertoskillsorknowledgethatleadtosuperiorperformance.Measurableskills,abilitiesandpersonalitytraitsthatidentifysuccessfulemployeesagainstdefinedroleswithinanorganisationAcompetencyismorethanjustknowledgeandskills.Itinvolvestheabilitytomeetcomplexdemands,bydrawingonandmobilisingpsychosocialresources(includingskillsandattitudes)inaparticularcontext.Ameasurablepatternofknowledge,skills,abilities,behaviours,andothercharacteristicsthatanindividualneedstoperformworkrolesoroccupationalfunctionssuccessfully.Competenciesspecifythehow(asopposedtothewhat)ofperformingjobtasks,orwhatthepersonneedstodothejobsuccessfully.

Competencies,therefore,mayincorporateaskill,butareMOREthantheskill,theyincludeabilitiesandbehaviours,aswellasknowledgethatisfundamentaltotheuseofaskill.

An Example

AnexampleofthisinanITcontextisProgramming.Toeffectivelywriteacomputerprogramoneneedsgoodanalytical,logical,andinterpretiveabilityaswellastheskilltowritetheprograminaspecificlanguage.So,learningJava,C++,C#,etc.isaSkill.Butunderlyingtheabilitytousethatskilleffectivelyisanalytical,logicalandinterpretiveabilitythoseareCompetencies.

FOLLOW / SHARE

TalentAlignonLinkedIn

Tweet

ARCHIVES

October2014September2014July2014May2014April2014February2014January2014November2013October2013August2013May2013April2013March2013February2013January2013December2012October2012September2012August2012July2012June2012May2012January2012December2011November2011October2011September2011July2011June2011April2011February2011January2011January2010

Home/ITHRGuruBlog/SkillsvsCompetencies.WhatstheDifference?

Home ITHRGuruBlog Books@TalentAlign MyTalentAlignIT/HRKnowledgeBaseStrategicHRCoachITJobCompiler

REGISTERSIGNIN

Share

SharetoFacebook

4/16/2015 SkillsvsCompetencies.WhatstheDifference?TalentAlign

http://www.talentalign.com/skillsvscompetencieswhatsthedifference/ 2/2

Thereasonthatwesuggestthisisbecauseitisrelativelyeasytolearnotherprogramminglanguagesonceoneknowsonelanguagewell(andItalkfrompersonalexperience).However,withouttheunderlyingCompetence,itisvirtuallyimpossibletowriteaneffectiveprogramirrespectiveofthelanguage.

Types of Competencies

Competencieseffectivelyfallinthreegroups:

Behavioural(orLifeSkills)CompetenciesLifeskillsareproblemsolvingbehavioursusedappropriatelyandresponsiblyinthemanagementofpersonalaffairs.Theyareasetofhumanskillsacquiredviateachingordirectexperiencethatareusedtohandleproblemsandquestionscommonlyencounteredindailyhumanlife.Examplesare:Communication,AnalyticalAbility,ProblemSolving,Initiative,etc.Functional(orTechnical)CompetenciesFunctionalCompetenciesrelatetofunctions,processes,androleswithintheorganisationandincludetheknowledgeof,andskillintheexerciseof,practicesrequiredforsuccessfulaccomplishmentofaspecificjobortask.Examplesare:ApplicationSystemsDevelopment,NetworkingandCommunication,DatabaseAnalysisandDesign,etc.ProfessionalCompetenciesProfessionalcompetenciesarecompetenciesthatallowforsuccessinanorganisationalcontext.Theyaretheacceleratorsofperformanceoriflackinginsufficientstrengthandqualityarethereasonpeoplefailtoexcelinjobs.Examplesare:BusinessEnvironment,IndustryandProfessionalStandards,Negotiation,PeopleManagement,etc.

Levels of Criticality

InanyorganisationtherearesomeCompetenciesthataremoreimportantthanothers,basedondifferentcriteria:

CoreCompetenciesCorecompetenciesarethosecompetenciesthatanysuccessfulemployeewillneedtorisethroughtheorganisation.TheseCompetencieswouldgenerallyrelateinsomewaytothebusinessoftheorganisation.KeyCompetenciesKeycompetenciescontributetovaluedoutcomesoftheorganisation,definingtheabilitiesofindividualstomeetstrategicdemands,andareimportantnotjustforspecialistsbutforallindividuals.CriticalCompetenciesCriticalcompetenciesarecompetencieswithoutwhichtheorganisationwillbeunabletoachieveitsgoalsandstrategy.

Summary

WhenimplementingCompetencyManagementitisimportantthereforetounderstandthedifferencebetweenSkillsandCompetenciesaswellasthedifferenttypesofCompetenciesneededintheorganisation.ItisalsoextremelyimportanttocategorisetheCompetenciessothatinvestmentsincoreHRinitiatives,suchasDevelopment,WorkforcePlanning,CareerManagement,etc.arebasedoninitiativesthatwilldeliversoundReturnonInvestment.

PostedinCapabilityManagement,CompetencyManagement,LatestNews

Copyright20062012TalentAlign.com.Allcontentexceptwhereotherwiseindicated.AboutUs|Terms|JoinNow!|OrderProcess|Sitemap|UsefulLinks|ContactUs

Followus:Twitter|LinkedIn|Facebook

32Like