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Talent Management icon

Develop Core and Leadership Competencies

Create and leverage a competency framework to support talent management program goals.

Designing and implementing competencies can be extremely difficult and time consuming. Most HR departments are too busy with day-to-day operations and do not have time to create and build a comprehensive competency framework.

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Critical Insight

Core and leadership competencies provide organizations and their employees with a common understanding of the knowledge, skills, attributes, and behaviors required to achieve organizational goals and remain competitive.

Impact and Result

  • Understand the difference between core, leadership, and function-specific competencies.
  • Build core and leadership competencies that identify and explain the knowledge, skills, attributes, and behaviors that are most important to the organization leveraging McLean & Company’s competency library.
  • Define core and leadership competencies using behavior-based language.
  • Implement the competency frameworks and integrate throughout various HR functions.
  • Support the competency framework through annual reviews and appropriate resourcing.

Develop Core and Leadership Competencies Research & Tools

2. Select and define competencies

Select and define various core and leadership competencies.

Competency Template
Standard Focus Group Guide
Competency Mapping Tool

3. Implement core and leadership competencies

Secure leadership buy-in and participation and outline the competency framework implementation plan.

Competency Implementation Guide
Behavioral Interview Question Library
Interview Guide Template
Competency Framework Presentation Template

4. Support the competency framework

Create a defined plan for the maintenance of your competency framework.

Workshop Overview: Develop Core and Leadership Competency Frameworks

5. McLean Academy Learning Snapshot

Watch this learning snapshot for an introduction to creating a competency framework.

McLean Academy: Learning Snapshot – Competency Framework

Workshop: Develop Core and Leadership Competencies

Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.

Module 1: Select Core and Leadership Competencies

The Purpose

  • Select the core and leadership competencies.

Key Benefits Achieved

Core and leadership competencies selected

Activities

Outputs

1.1

Select core competencies.

  • Core and leadership competency names
1.2

Select leadership competencies.

Module 2: Describe Core and Leadership Competencies

The Purpose

  • Describe core and leadership competencies.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Descriptions for all core and leadership competencies

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Describe core competencies.

  • Completed core and leadership competency descriptions
2.2

Describe leadership competencies.

2.3

Present and review core competency names and descriptions.

2.4

Present and review leadership competency names and descriptions

Module 3: Complete Core Competency Proficiency Levels

The Purpose

  • Draft and review core competency proficiency levels.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Completed core competency proficiency levels

Activities

Outputs

3.1

Draft core competency proficiency descriptions by level.

3.2

Review core competency proficiency descriptions.

3.3

Complete core competency presentations.

  • Completed core competencies
3.4

Test the core competencies.

Module 4: Complete Leadership Competency Proficiency Levels

The Purpose

  • Draft and review leadership competency proficiency levels.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • Completed leadership competency proficiency levels

Activities

Outputs

4.1

Draft leadership competency proficiency descriptions by level.

4.2

Review leadership competency proficiency descriptions.

4.3

Complete leadership competency presentations.

  • Completed leadership competencies
4.4

Test the leadership competencies.

Module 5: Communicate the Competency Framework

The Purpose

  • Create a plan to integrate the competency framework into the other HR functions.
  • Develop a strategy to communicate the competency framework.

Key Benefits Achieved

  • A high-level plan to integrate and communicate the competency framework

Activities

Outputs

5.1

Identify how to integrate competency framework into other HR functions (time permitting).

  • High-level competency integration plan
5.2

Develop a communication strategy (time permitting).

  • High-level action and communication plan
Unlock This Blueprint

Develop Core and Leadership Competencies

Create and leverage a competency framework to support talent management program goals.

Executive Summary

McLean & Company Insight

A comprehensive competency framework provides organizations and its employees with a common understanding of the knowledge, skills, attributes, and behaviors required to achieve organizational goals and remain competitive.

Situation

  • A comprehensive competency framework founded on core and leadership competencies is an integral part of many HR processes and programs, including performance management, employee development, identification of future leaders, and talent acquisition. However, many organizations lack a consistent approach for identifying and implementing competencies.
  • Core and leadership competencies reflect the organizational culture and values, help set performance standards, and build a consistent language throughout the organization.

Complication

  • Designing and implementing competencies can be extremely difficult and time consuming. Most HR departments are too busy with day-to-day operations and do not have time to create and build a comprehensive competency framework.

Solution

  • Understand the difference between core, leadership, and function-specific competencies.
  • Build core and leadership competencies that identify and explain the knowledge, skills, attributes, and behaviors that are most important to the organization, leveraging McLean & Company’s competency library.
  • Define core and leadership competencies using behavior-based language.
  • Implement the competency frameworks and integrate throughout various HR functions.
  • Support the competency framework through annual reviews and appropriate resourcing.

Competency frameworks are the collection of knowledge, skills, and attributes an employee requires to do a job well

What is a competency? It is made up of:

Knowledge

Skills

Attributes

  • A body of information that a person possesses that may be applied directly to the performance of a function.
  • Includes, but is not limited to, facts, events, systems, ideas, theories, methods, procedures, principles, concepts, and cases that result from formal education, training, or personal experience.
  • Demonstrated and observable ability to perform a task with ease and proficiency.
  • Often requires the use of equipment, machinery, tools, or automated systems.
  • Implies measurable performance.
  • An individual’s demonstrated personality traits.
  • Often broader and more abstract than skills or knowledge.
  • Includes characteristics like attitude, motivation, ambition, values, and demeanor.

A competency framework:

  • Is a formal structure that lists a collection of competencies, including core, leadership, and/or functional competencies, where each competency defines one aspect of behavior an employee must exhibit to perform well in their job.
  • Is used to define the critical behaviors for roles within the organization, which aids in a range of HR practices including talent acquisition, performance management, employee development, and succession planning.

A competency framework is an organization’s ultimate HR reference tool.

Develop Core and Leadership Competencies preview picture

About McLean & Company

McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

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Get the help you need in this 4-phase advisory process. You'll receive 8 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Prepare to build core and leadership competencies
  • Call 1: Discuss making the case and ensure understanding of the different categories of competencies.

Guided Implementation 2: Select and define competencies
  • Call 1: Discuss and select core competencies.
  • Call 2: Discuss and select leadership competencies.
  • Call 3: Discuss themes, prioritization, and proficiency levels.
  • Call 4: Discuss and plan for focus group reviews.

Guided Implementation 3: Implement your competency framework
  • Call 1: Outline implementation plan for your competency framework.
  • Call 2: Discuss competency framework integration into other HR programs and processes.

Guided Implementation 4: Support your competency framework
  • Call 1: Review initial evaluations and identify any trends.

Contributors

  • Andy Woyzbun, Executive Advisor, Info-Tech Research Group
  • Anthony Papa, Vice President Human Resources, Meridian Lightweight Technologies
  • Doug Rozon, Director of Marketing, Sun Products Corporation
  • Dr. Bob Saggers, President of Robert Saggers & Associates, Learning-Leadership Consultants Inc. and adjunct professor at McGill University
  • Erin Casey, CPA, CA, Assistant Controller & Associate, Dillon Consulting Limited
  • Jon Holt, co-author of A Pragmatic Guide to Competency: Tools, Frameworks and Assessment
  • Mark Tanning, Senior Director of Learning, Development & Talent Management, University of Minnesota Physicians
  • Mary Esteves, Nova Consulting
  • Michael Taylor, Marketing Professor, Western Ivey Business School
  • Michelle Berry, Director of Human Resources, Global Customer Service and Marketing, OpenText
  • Several additional contributors who wish to remain anonymous

Related Content: Talent Management Framework and Competencies

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