Use a Virtual Resource Panel to Build a Competency Model

Building a Competency Model Using a Virtual Resource Panel

Purpose of the Virtual Panel: To use when it is impractical to convene a standard resource panel of job incumbents, managers of job incumbents and other subject matter experts in one geographic location and at one time.

What is a Virtual Resource Panel?

It is a web-based survey process for collecting information about job requirements and potential competencies. The survey contains both open-ended comment questions and quantitative ratings for collecting information about what a job requires. A set of 6-20 jobholders, managers of jobholders and other persons who are familiar with the job complete the survey.

Workitect administers the survey, analyzes the responses, and prepares a detailed report that includes a draft competency model.

The Output

A verbatim printout of all responses to all questions on the survey
A summary of the responses, including identification and tabulation of key themes in response to qualitative questions, tabulation of average ratings on all quantitative questions, and suggested competencies for a draft competency model.
Suggested non-technical generic competencies for the target job taken from Workitect’s Competency Dictionary. Any technical competencies that are identified are based on language used by panel members in their responses to questions about technical skill/knowledge requirements.

SAMPLE REPORT

The Advantages

Each panel member spends about 30 minutes completing the survey, instead of attending a 4-6 hour standard resource panel.
Each member of the panel can provide input by completing the survey at a convenient time of his/her choosing, over a two-week period.
The resource panel’s ideas are automatically entered into a database, without the need to transcribe flip charts.
It is possible and practical to include input from a larger number of persons, who are more likely to feel ownership of the results.
An expert in competency modeling prepares the analysis and summary of the data.

How it Works

A representative of your organization discusses the project with us and we agree on a contract for the service.
We prepare a version of the Virtual Resource Panel survey for this job and provides you with a link to the survey.
You identify an appropriate set of panel members.
You send an email containing the survey link to an appropriate set of participants. The email explains the purposes of the project, its benefits to the organization, and the procedure and timeline for completing the survey.
The participant clicks on the survey link or, if necessary, copies it and pastes it into his/her web browser. The participant is taken directly to the first page of the web-based survey.
Participants complete the survey by clicking on response choices and entering text in response to the survey questions.
We track survey responses and keep you informed, so that reminder emails can be sent out to non-responders.
When the window for completing the survey has closed, we download data from the respondents, analyze the data, and prepare the summary report.
You convene a small group of persons to review the report and identify any desired modifications, such as changing the wording of competencies and their descriptions to align with language used elsewhere in the organization.
If the competency modeling process for the job includes other data collection (e.g., through structured interviews), the committee ensures that the competencies and their descriptions also reflect analyses of these additional data sources.

Note:

The Virtual Resource Panel is appropriate for a particular job or class of jobs that have similar responsibilities (e.g., Sales Rep, Customer Service Rep, First-Level Manager, etc.). It is appropriate if you want to develop several or many models for a variety of important jobs and at low cost.

The VRP is not appropriate for a one-size-fits-all competency model or profile (e.g. all management at all levels), which by definition, has to fit a wide range of jobs with very different responsibilities. For a one-size-fits-all model, we facilitate a resource panel comprised of senior HR staff and respected senior or upper mid-level managers from very different functional areas. That panel considers the company’s strategic plan and its mission and values, looks at a set of generic competencies and chooses a set that reflect some balance across all the areas for competencies: including among others Achievement, Self Management, Influencing, Thinking and Problem Solving. The consultant’s role is to facilitate a process of discussion, competency selection, and buy-in by a group of highly credible stakeholders.

For additional information, call 800-870-9490, email edward.cripe@workitect.com
or use the contact form at Workitect.

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