Behavioural Competencies and their Significance in an Organisation

Competencies are the skills required to do a task. The efficiency of an organization’s task force is measured by analysing the various competencies the organization demands. The characteristics that qualify the organization and its team leaders define competencies. They give employees an idea of the actions that will be cherished, rewarded, and acknowledged within the company. Competencies are required to be made clear to each of the employees so that they know what is expected of them.

Some fundamental skills that make up the foundation of an employee's personality are authenticity, empathy, creativity, self-awareness, motivation, ambition, and time management skills. Employees who lack these core competencies will not survive, just as no one can stand without a backbone. There are multiple competencies an employee can cultivate for performing better at work. All such competencies fall broadly under the following categories.

1. Behavioral competencies

2. Technical competencies

1. Behavioral Competency :
2. Behavioral competency is defined as the behavioral strengths of an employee that contribute to the organization and the business. Interpersonal skills, decision-making, time management skills, teamwork, integrity, taking accountability, empathy, and the ability to provide and receive feedback fall under behavioral competencies. More than the ability to do a task, it is about how a task is done. Also known as core competencies, they are the behavioral characteristics and soft skills expected of an employee irrespective of their position within the organization. These fundamental human abilities support an individual's survival in the dynamic and collaborative organizational environment. This boosts the growth of a business.

Technical competencies :

Technical or functional competencies are those skills specific to a particular industry or job profile. Each business requires its employees to possess a certain skillset which is mostly communicated in the job description. For instance, computer literacy, accounting, sales and marketing, business strategy, etc. fall into this category. Just like how an HR professional needs to be proficient in recruitment, HR policies, employee retention, and performance analysis, each professional in the organization will be required to have functional competencies according to their field of work.

Key competencies required for every employee :

A perfect combination of various behavioral and functional competencies in the right proportion makes an individual capable enough to lead a group of individuals who collectively work towards a common goal. In addition to technical knowledge, a leader essentially needs to have great communication skills, integrity, ability to influence others and leave an impact. Empathy and people management skills are what differentiate a leader from a boss. Although competencies are broadly categorized as mentioned above, a few skills that are absolutely necessary for every employee are given below.

i. Communication skills :

The ability to communicate with everyone within an organization, right from the senior management to the housekeeping staff is a skill that everyone needs to possess. The term “great communication” is often used in place of “effective communication.” Good and frequent communication is of no use if it is not effective.

ii. Problem-solving skills :

In a professional environment, problems are bound to arise and how these problems are managed by employees will be gauged by the organization. Solving problems requires one to have critical thinking skills, creativity, and the ability to think on their feet.

iii. Teamwork :

No business can survive on an individual’s effort alone. It is the quality of the output that determines the success of an organization when a group of people works collaboratively towards a common vision by leveraging their individual strengths and sharing the credit with all the team members.

iv. Leadership skills :

The leader needs to be a conceptual thinker and see the bigger picture to decide the direction in which the organisation should be headed. Essential skills of an empathetic leader include managing resources, building relationships, guiding others and taking responsibilities.

v. Taking accountability :

Taking responsibility for one’s own actions and the actions of team members is a trait of a true leader. In the same way credit for good work is shared equally among the team members, all members need to be ready to take accountability for their actions.

Why focus on workplace competencies?

Businesses invest in human resources who have competencies that are in line with the organization’s plans and strategies. Having a clear list of competencies helps the organization to identify skillset gaps and provide necessary training to those in need. To a great extent, competencies also play a role in setting a good workplace culture. Although this is a long process, talents with diverse capabilities come together and set a process in place. The practice becomes effective when started at the top management level as they are the key players in setting a good workplace culture.

In a nutshell, competencies are skills that an individual possesses and develops during their lifetime in order to be successful in their professional and personal lives. Self-reflection by identifying one’s own strong and weak points and working on them (personal development) along with working on how one’s qualities come across to others around them to create an impact (personality development) yields the perfect results.

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