Introduction to the Assessio Competency Framework

The competency framework is one of Ascend’s base functions. The framework is an essential tool in order to be able to determine, which working competences that your company is looking for within recruitment, selection, on-boarding and development. Due to the help that Ascend provides, specific behaviors for a certain role can be detected in advance, resulting in that the lead time to find the right person for a position can be reduced significantly.  

Therefore, the competence framework is a common tool for several processes within HR.  

Detailed description on the competency framework 

The competency framework itself can be broken down into four different areas, which are in various ways critical when it comes to a working role and within leadership: 

• Strategic area: the main focus is to determine different behaviors that are in multiple ways driving innovation, constantly evolving, and re-thinking. The strategic area consists of four different competencies: problem solver, entrepreneurial, business savvy and customer centric to choose from. People and organizations that are strong here, often want to be first with things. 

• Operational area: the main focus within this area are behaviors that drive us to do things the right way. It is about high ambition and goal fulfillment, structure, efficiency, and process, but also about adapting to situations in a calm and balanced way. The operational can be broken down into four different competencies: sales oriented, result oriented, resourceful and planning. 

• Driving area: The main focus in this area is to look for behaviors that in different ways drive us to do things quickly. It is about taking the initiative to do new things, building new networks that take us forward and being visible and driving in their behaviors. In this area the following three competencies are represented: initiator, influencer, and networker. 

• Enabling area: The main focus within this area is determine how high a person’s competence is in regards to doing things together with others. Behaviors in this area drive cohesion, commitment, good relationships, and high service. In this area, we also find the following four competencies: team player, good communicator, continuous learner, service minded.   

The competence framework consists thereby of four different areas and a total of 15 competencies. 

The reasons behind the framework  

The framework exists for several reasons:  

1. Support for defining job requirements. The framework makes it easy for the hiring manager to define what is critical in the desired role. This creates both transparency and efficiency. A profile requirement hereby becomes easier to put together. 
   
   
2. Ensure that all candidates are assessed in the same way, i.e., an objective and accurate process. As each competence has an underlying connection to scales in the personality test MAP & logical ability test Matrigma, candidates can be ranked on how well they match the profile requirements.  
   
   
3. Work competence-based throughout the recruitment process - from requirements profile, screening, advanced assessment, interview, reporting to the hiring manager and final decision. 

How to use the competence framework 

The list presented below, gives a detailed description of how to use the framework.  

1. Use the competency checklist to make a good requirement profile talking with the hiring manager. What are the competencies that are critical for the current role? Which behaviors create the most value?
    
2.  Build the profile in Ascend and select the methods you want to use to investigate the candidate's conditions for demonstrating these behaviors (MAP, Matrigma, Interview). 
   
   
3.  Let the candidates complete the assessment and then look at the competency matching % and the ranking of the candidates. 
   
   
4.  Conduct the competency-based interview with selected candidates. Make your assessment of the candidate's answer in Ascend. 
   
   
5.  Use the final match to make the assessment of which candidate should be taken further in the process. 
   
   
6.  Use the competence report or Visual Analytics when you report to the hiring manager.