Competency Modeling and Job Profiling

“Determining What People Need to Maximize ROI”

To be successful in today’s business environment, organizations need employees who possess the competencies and work styles that are in concert with the organization’s culture and strategic business objectives. Competency modeling or job profiling is a structured process that establishes the key links between the essential requirements of a job, position or role and the knowledge, skills, abilities and behavioral characteristics necessary for successful performance. Our approach to competency modeling is straightforward and practical. We work closely with our clients to capitalize on existing sources of job information and to define the most efficient and cost-effective approach to data collection. We then utilize a systematic and structured approach to examine the work process, organizational culture and business environment to define competencies most important to success based on the organization’s unique needs. The resulting competency model provides the foundation on which an organization can build integrated human resource management systems (e.g., staffing, performance reviews, training and development, succession planning).

Competency Based Interviewing

“Making Better Selection Decisions through Targeted Interviews”

The selection interview is one of the most widely used selection tools by businesses today. Unfortunately, as it is typically configured, the unstructured one-on-one interview used in many organizations is often the most unreliable and least valid step in the selection process. This need not be the case. The overall effectiveness of the interview process in terms of reliability, validity and ROI can be greatly improved by utilizing a structured, competency-based interviewing protocol. We provide our clients with the expertise needed to develop and implement a structured interviewing process that is job-related and focused on assessing the competencies that are most critical to successful performance. Our services include developing competency-based questions, objective scoring guidelines and a customized interview guide. Interview training or train-the-trainer options are also available.

Individual Assessment

“Making Good Staffing Decisions through Assessments”

The overall effectiveness of an organization’s workforce depends on the ability to maximize the “fit” between job candidates’ competencies and the needs of the business. Our individual assessments are designed to identify and describe in meaningful terms how an individual will behave and “fit” within an organization. In addition, it helps managers to better understand people already on the job and people being considered for additional responsibilities. The assessment process is tailored to meet the specific needs of our clients to ensure thorough and comprehensive results. In most cases, the assessment process consists of a customized battery of ability, aptitude, personality and motivation measures combined with an in-depth behavioral interview. A full written report of the assessment results is provided to our clients within five business days or less. Telephone feedback is also available for clients with more immediate needs.

Validation for Employment Testing

“Utilizing Valid Testing for Cost Effective Employment Screening”

Pre-employment testing can be a very effective and cost efficient way to assess whether candidates, either individually or in a group setting, possess the necessary minimum skills and abilities needed to successfully perform key job tasks. Effective pre-employment testing programs require that reliability, validity, fairness and utility be designed into the process. In addition, they must comply with various technical, professional and legal standards. Inattention to these standards may result in wasted resources, poor staffing decisions, and costly litigation. We help clients in the design and implementation of fair and valid testing processes for selecting and placing current employees into the jobs for which they are best suited. We work with the client to determine the most appropriate validation strategy for their situation including either custom test development or validation of published instruments. We also provide documentation to comply with all professional standards and federal guidelines that relate to the development and use of personnel selection methods.

Team Building and Group Facilitation

“Unlocking the Gate to High Performing Teams”

Team building and group facilitation has become a primary vehicle for helping individuals and leaders to work better together to accomplish important results. Our team building and group facilitation programs assist organizations in maximizing their effectiveness and overcoming blocks to success thereby creating an environment where quantum shifts in individual and team performance not only become possible, but common. Team building provides participants with skills and knowledge that will increase their personal effectiveness and ultimately, the effectiveness of the entire group. Instruments like the DISC or MBTI are often used to enhance communications within the team. It is an established fact that adults learn best doing. Our team building programs capitalize on this fact and utilize structured and engaging activities for people to interact with one another to share their experiences and insights. In our team building programs, participants take an active role in jointly experiencing an event, reflecting on it, and sharing what they learned from it.

Performance Management Systems

“Managing Performance to Achieve Business Goals”

How an organization manages its human capital plays an important role in its ability to successfully meet current and future business challenges. Each employee needs to have a clear understanding of what is expected, how performance will be measured, and constructive performance feedback. A performance management system should have appropriate linkages to incentives and personnel decisions to help foster a strong performance-oriented culture. Our approach to developing performance management systems incorporates these key elements to help our clients implement a process that is motivational as well as legally defensible. We work collaboratively with our clients to design and install practical, valid systems to help them optimize performance to achieve business and individual goals. Each system is designed with a goal of supporting other human resource management processes such as compensation, career development and training needs analysis.

360 Feedback & Development

“Using Feedback to Build Individual and Collective Capabilities”

People need feedback to effectively make desired changes in their behavior. Multi-rater or 360 feedback systems are some of the tools currently available for helping employees to development competencies that are critical to success. In a 360 feedback system, employees receive structured feedback from their managers, peers, direct reports and internal or external customers if appropriate. This feedback system produces a wealth of data that can help employees target specific areas for improvement and identify strengths that can be leveraged to enhance their overall effectiveness. We have extensive experience in planning, designing and administering 360 feedback systems. We provide comprehensive consulting services that range from initial survey design to actual administration and facilitation of the feedback process. We work with clients to select an approach to best meet their specific needs whether to develop a fully customized system or purchase one of the many available feedback instruments to the public.

Leadership Development and Coaching

“Maximizing Leadership Skills to Produce Results”

Every organization is filled with leaders, some who are highly skilled and others who are clearly lacking. When leaders inspire others, coach, build trust, and drive individual as well as team performance, organizations thrive. Self-knowledge is critical to a leader’s success within an organization. We provide leadership development and coaching services that help to build job-critical competencies and promote positive behavior changes that lead to better job performance. Our consulting is personalized and offered through one-on-one coaching to address the developmental needs of key individuals in the organization. In concert with the organization, the leader and the coach construct a detailed action plan that focuses on sustaining or improving job effectiveness and value to the organization. On-going support is provided to assist participants in implementing their plan, overcoming obstacles and achieving results.

Replacement & Succession Planning

“Ensuring a Continual Flow of Talented Leadership”

Replacement and succession planning involves identifying, tracking and developing “high potential” managers for future leader positions. Competitive companies not only hire the best people, they find systematic ways to develop those individuals into a continuous succession of top performers. Effective replacement and succession planning not only provides organizations with future leaders who can manage the business, it also provides a structure for ensuring that on-going leadership development efforts support the changing needs of the business. We work with clients to design and implement replacement and succession planning systems that help to build bench strength and ensure a supply of people to meet future needs and challenges. We help our clients define criteria for identifying viable successors, design assessment processes for input into candidate reviews, facilitate planning discussions, and develop methods to initiate development planning to prepare candidates for their next assignments.

Organizational Development

“Enhancing Organizational Capabilities to Support Business Needs”

Mergers and acquisitions, cultural transformations, downsizing, reengineering, and process improvement all have become part of the current business landscape. Organizations must be able to change and grow to remain competitive in today’s rapidly evolving business environment. Organizations will continually need to look for ways to reduce costs, improve the quality of products and services, identify and seize new opportunities for growth as well as increase productivity. Organizational development is the application of behavioral science to facilitate planned change in organizational structures and processes in order to support strategic business needs through enhanced organizational capabilities. We rely on a diversity of concepts, methods and applications to create appropriate interventions designed to help our clients improve organizational performance and align human capital with strategic business needs.