Sunday, September 26, 2021

Competency Development Plan—All You Need To Know

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Steve Lieberman

A competency development plan enhances your workforce skills, reduces frustration in employees, and strengthens the team for higher performance. It is also an effective way of providing the right learning and training for building a highly responsive workforce for sustainable profitability.

Why Does Your Company Need a Competency Development Plan?

A strategically drafted competency development plan helps in bridging the gap between workforce skills as well as organizational goals.

Besides that, it improves the abilities of employees to fulfill their job responsibilities through training. It also provides them with the necessary certifications and compliance endorsements through a structured skills development program.

Having a competency plan also helps employees to have a sound retirement or succession plan.

How to Create a Competency Development Plan

Uncover Existing Core Competencies

Identify your current combination of skills and resources that act as your competitive advantage in the industry. If you do not have one, then decide on what type of core competency you need.

Decide Competency Needs

Identify the gap between your employee skills as well as business objectives. List down these improvement goals as the required competency needs.

Match Development Plan with Organizational Goals

Make sure to include only those competency development initiatives in your plan which are in line with the company’s future goals and objectives. A competency based training program ensures every effort contributes to long-term growth.

Decide on the Management Systems

Every competency development program needs a system that can ensure effective implementation, accountability, as well as employee participation.

Initiate the Skill Development Processes

After identifying skill development techniques and activities, you need to implement them with effectiveness to ensure employee development, career progression, and alignment of business goals with these initiatives.

Build Individual Development Plans

Apart from building new skills and improving existing ones, your competency development plan should also cater to individual career development, retirement, and succession planning.

Final Words

An employee development plan is essential for every organization looking to achieve a resource-backed competitive advantage powered by employee skills and talent.

Furthermore, on going feedback and evaluation are necessary to ensure that your plan is effective and adding the optimum value to your company.