HR Competencies and Career
Development
HR Support Group
Success Through HR Professionals
February 2007
Objectives
Explain the HR competency framework and the
new HR behavioral competencies.
Learn about the career management process in
government.
Identify the steps in creating a career development
plan
Review how to prepare for a career discussion with
your manager
Review what happens after the workshop
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Agenda
Competency – what does that mean?
New HR Competencies – what are these?
Career Development – how does this link to
competencies?
Next Steps - after the workshop
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Objective #1: What is the HR competency
framework and the new HR behavioral
competencies?
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Competencies – an overview
In every job, some people perform more
effectively than others.
Exceptional performers use a different variety
of approaches and behaviours than those
individuals who perform at the expected level.
What it takes to be successful on the job.
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What Is a Competency?
A competency is any observable and/or
measurable knowledge, skill, ability, or
behaviour that contributes to successful job
performance.
Skills
Knowledge
Values
Traits
Motives
Necessary for
top performance
but not sufficient
Characteristics
that lead to
longer-term
success
Components of a Competency
 Definition
• Explains what the competency means
• Provides common language that everyone can
understand in the same way
 Scale
• Lays out a behaviour pattern for each level—begins
with passive behaviour and gradually increases
• Incremental and additive—any one level is inclusive
of all preceding levels
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Example of a Scaled Competency
Impact and Influence
The ability to persuade, convince, influence or impress others in order
to get them to go along with or to support the organization’s direction
Less
Complex
A. Takes a Single Action to Persuade
B. Takes Multiple Actions to Persuade
Complexity
C. Calculates Impact of Words or Actions
Target
Level
(MCP 6-19)
D. Uses Indirect Influence
More
Complex
E. Uses Complex Influence Strategies
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Types of Competencies
Behavioural competencies
 Refer to motives, traits and attributes that
shape behaviour and reflect “how” you apply
your knowledge and skills to achieve results.
Technical competencies
 Refer to the specific knowledge and skills
required to be effective in the job and reflect the
“what” you know and what you can do
technically.
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Why Competencies?

Promote a more open and transparent culture

Improve the way an organization selects and
develops employees

Identify and encourage corporate behaviours

Provide a common framework and language
to integrate HR processes

Support organizational change

Encourage employees take more
ownership for their own
career development
Now that we understand
competencies, what are the new
competencies for the HR
Community?
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Leadership
Competencies for the
AS group:
HR Competencies
for the Community:
Relationship
Building
Client
Orientation
New HR
Decisiveness
Self Confidence /Courage
of Convictions
Competencies
Change
Leadership
Effective Interactive
Communication
Client Orientation is…
…developing and maintaining strong
relationships with clients. Focuses one’s
efforts on discovering and meeting the
client’s needs, while balancing against the
government’s key business and strategic
priorities. Clients may be broadly defined,
including internal “customers” or “clients”,
as well as the public.
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Change Leadership is…
…the ability to energize and alert groups to
the need for specific changes in the way
things are done. People with this
competency willingly embrace and
champion change. They take advantage of
every opportunity to explain their vision of
the future to others and gain their buy-in.
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Effective Interactive Communication is…
…the ability to transmit and receive
information clearly and communicate
effectively to others by considering their
points of view in order to respond
appropriately. It includes using tact and
diplomacy in all communications as well as
the ability to convey ideas and information,
both orally and in writing, in a way that
brings understanding to the target
audience.
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Competency Activity
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HR Competency Framework
Competencies that
apply to the entire HR Community and enable its members to utilize their knowledge more
effectively.
Competencies that apply to the entire HR Community
and enable its members to utilize their knowledge more
Incorporates
MCP leadership competencies.
effectively. Incorporates the MCP
leadershipthe
competencies.
Strategic Orientation
Strategic Orientation
Strategic Orientation
Strategic Orientation
Development of People
Development of People
Development of People
Development of People
Self Confidence
Self Confidence
Self Confidence
Self Confidence
Impact and Influence
Impact and Influence
Impact and Influence
Impact and Influence
Relationship Building
Relationship Building
Relationship Building
Relationship Building
Self Confidence
Team Leadership
Team Leadership
Team Leadership
Team Leadership
Relationship Building
Achievement Orientation
Achievement Orientation
Achievement Orientation
Achievement Orientation
Decisiveness
Decisiveness
Decisiveness
Decisiveness
Decisiveness
Leadership qualities can
be demonstrated by all
members of the
HR Community.
Effective Interactive Communication
Change Leadership
Client Orientation
Support
Developmental
Consultant
Management
Leadership
HRAs
Jr. Consultants
Generalists & Specialists
Managers & Sr. Consultants
Ex. Directors & Directors
3 common competencies required by all members of the HR Community.
8 leadership competencies for MCP employees.
3 leadership competencies for AS employees.
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Target Levels of Proficiency
Competency
Leadership
Management
Consultant
Developmental
Support
Client
Orientation
E
E
D
D
C
Change
Leadership
D
D
C
C
B
Effective
Interactive
Communication
D
D
C
C
B
Decisiveness
--
--
--
--
B
Self-Confidence
--
--
--
--
C
Relationship
Building
--
--
--
--
C
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Best Leader/Worst Leader
Characteristics of
Best Leader
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Characteristics of
Worst Leader
Leadership Competency: Decisiveness
is…
…the ability to make decisions based on
analysis of the information presented
in the face of ambiguous or conflicting
situations, or when there is an
associated risk.
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Leadership Competency:Relationship
Building is…
…the ability to develop contacts and relationships
internal and external to the organization to
facilitate work efforts or to gain
support/cooperation.
Building long-term or on-going relationships with
clients or stakeholders (e.g. someone internal or
external to the organization, on whom your work
has an impact).
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Leadership Competency: Self-Confidence
is…
…a belief in one’s own capability as expressed in
increasingly challenging circumstances and
confidence in one’s decisions or opinions, within
the framework of public interest, ethics and values
and organizational integrity.
It may include providing leadership, direction, and
inspiration to others by making difficult decisions
and taking actions that may not be popular but are
in the best interests of the organization and its
clients.
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Vision
Competencies will help the HR Community work
towards its Vision:
The HR Community will strive to make the
Government of Nova Scotia a “preferred employer”.
In Future:
Managers are able to manage their HR
Clients are coming to us as partners
We are a fully qualified HR Community that can deliver a full
range of services
Our HR Community has a high level of job
satisfaction and contentment
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Objective #2: What’s the Career
Development Planning process?
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What is Career Development?
Career Development (or Management)
is a process where you work with
your manager to map out a realistic
path to achieving your career
aspirations within the context of the
organization.
It is:
Employee owned
Manager facilitated
Organizationally supported
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Win-Win-Win
Employees
Managers
Organization
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Career Development
Roles and Responsibilities
•Take charge of their own development and career
Employee
• Close skill gaps for current and future positions
Owned
• Seize developmental opportunities
• Remember there are no promises or guarantees
Manager
Facilitated
• Take time with employees to discuss career aspirations
• Listen and provide feedback, ideas and contacts
• Make choices to support development
• Communicate future direction and skill requirements
Organizationally
• Provide information and tools
Supported
• Post opportunities
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Career Development Process
1. Discovery
Determine Where
You
Want To Go
4. Preparation
Get closer to
your goal
Management
Support
and Coaching
3. Planning
Make a Career
Development Plan
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2. Assessment
Identify strengths
&
development
areas
1
Discovery
Know yourself:
 Who are you?
 What is your motivational type?
 What is your personality type?
 What are your career assets?
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2
Assessment

Assess where you are in relation to
where you want to be

Identify your strengths and
developmental needs

Benchmark your goals
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Planning and Preparation
3
Planning: Create Your Career Development
Plan
4
Preparation: Have a Career Discussion and
be Competition Ready
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Objective #3: What are the
steps in creating a career
development plan?
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What is Development?
Development is a planned and systematic
effort aimed at increasing your personal
effectiveness in targeted skills and
competencies.
Three key Factors:
Assessment
Challenge
Support
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3
Planning: Creating a Career
Development Plan (CDP)
Step 1
Complete Background Info
Step 2
Set your development goals
Challenge
Step 3
Write your action steps
Support
Step 4
List obstacles and solutions
Step 5
Evaluate progress/success
Assessment
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Planning Step 2
Choose One or Two Areas for Change
 To change means to “hard-wire” new
behaviors—this activity is like building
muscle
 It is easiest to be successful when you
focus on one or two things—practice
developing these “muscles” for at least
six months
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Planning Step 3 - Write Action Steps
Purpose
Link to PM
How to…
determine
action steps
Gives you an action plan that allows you
to track your progress towards your
development goals.
 Major projects/activities should be
included in your performance appraisal
form as well as your career development
plan.

Identify actions/activities that will stretch
your development areas.

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Planning Step 3 –Example
Step 2 – Development Goal: Client Orientation
Offer more creative/innovative solutions to client problems and
be able to explain why the solution will work for the client
situation.
Step 3 – Action Steps:
Ask my manager about a challenging or difficult client problem she
is currently involved with. Ask to work with her in helping to
resolve the situation.
Look for opportunities to collaborate with people from other CSUs or
depart on initiatives or programs that may help my clients.
Prepare and present a summary of my findings to clients.
Read: Customer Service From The Inside-Out Made Easy, by Paul
Levesque (Entrepreneur Press, 2006).
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Activity: Development
Activities
1.
Using the sample CDP, complete development
activities for John by creating action steps (Step 3)
for his development goal for Client Orientation.
2.
Use the development activities resource guide.
3.
Report back to large group on which activities you
choose.
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Objective #4: How do I prepare
for a career discussion with my
manager?
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4
Preparation: The Career Discussion
 Ask for a time to meet.
 Make a list of the things you wish to discuss. Be organized.
 Bring anything you think would help your discussion –
updated resume, competency assessment, previous
performance review and your draft CDP.
 Seek feedback. Express an openness to hearing frank
feedback.
 Be willing to modify your plan after receiving
feedback.
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4
Preparation: Competition Ready
 Understand government’s hiring policy.
 Update your resume and cover letter.
 Practice your interview skills.
 Look for opportunities – career and/or
development
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Next Steps
Discovery and Assessment: Do any self
assessments that you want to do using the various
tools and resources available to you(Career Explorer
Workbook, 360, informational meetings, etc.)
Planning: Draft your career development plan
Preparation: Schedule a meeting with your manager
and have your career discussion
 Incorporate any changes into your career
development plan and provide to your manager by
end of April 2007.
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Objective #5: What happens
after the workshop?
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Competency Dictionary
Comprehensive listing of competencies
with a definition and target levels of
proficiency
Provides a common tool for engaging in
competency modeling activities and a
common language around behaviours and
performance
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360 Leadership Assessment?
A 360⁰ Leadership Assessment is a
process that enables you to gather
confidential feedback about your
performance as a leader from
individuals you work with:
 Manager
 Peers
 Direct Reports
 Others
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Change Management Workshops
Focus is on change management education,
to support the new Change Leadership
competency and building capacity within
the HR Community
Available to the HR community in April
Register on LearnNet
Free!
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For more information…
Go to
www.gov.ns.ca/psc
Check out
HR Practitioner
section
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Questions or Comments?
Thank you!
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