Evolving HR Competencies

Both Competency Models were based on research by the same group of HR experts back in 2012 and again in 2021. What are the primary differences between these two models?      

The vocabulary used for competence domains changed in the 2021 model. All seven previous models used roles with adjectives that explained the role's duties. In the 2021 model, verbs and outcomes were used to label the competence. 

Humans evolve, as do the organizations those humans inhabit. You will see that all the competence domains have changed, albeit some less than others (i.e., Mobilizing information is similar to Technology Proponent). At the core of the model, the HR Executive is tasked with simplifying complexity in 2021 instead of being a credible activist. The global pandemic likely had a significant effect on this change. 

In your judgment, do the 5 HR competencies in 2012 appropriately meet the needs of HR professionals now in 2021/22?

            The five competencies listed in the 2012 model are not inappropriate today. However, they needed to be updated to provide a more nuanced clarity. Through time, people evolve, as do the needs within organizations. The "Credible Activist" is at the core of the 2012 model. While that may have made sense previously, it was realized that being personally credible must be paired with the ability to build relationships, as credibility relies on trust. This competency had to be updated, especially after the global pandemic, which truly tested human resource management. The job function had to reconsider its true purpose, which led to adopting the core competency of simplifying complexity for all stakeholders- internal and external. Capability Builder, Technology Proponent, HR Innovator and Integrator, and Change Champion are all crucial competencies, but they were appropriately tweaked over time to best account for business in 2021.  

While more simplistic, I recalled an information graphic I saw a few months back (Appendix I). It shared the evolution of the Key Account Manager role. My takeaway from this is that change is happening all around us. If we are not reconsidering previously made assumptions of best practices, we will eventually be left behind.  

Do you believe the HR professionals in today’s businesses are proficient in these five competencies?

Industry, size, location, and demographics are only a few factors that will determine how an HR department will function. Additionally, many HR professionals have not seen the 2021 HR Competency Model. For this reason, I suspect that most HR professionals are not skilled in all five of these competencies. Sharing this, I believe that most demonstrate several of these competencies, even though they may not believe it is their duty to demonstrate all five functions. Further, if you ask a group of HR professionals to boil down their job to one responsibility, my guess is that the minority would state "simplifying complexity." I theorize that you would get many different answers with these five listed competencies each coming up. 

What must happen for HR professionals to shift their HR competence to better align with these five competencies identified in the 2021 Model?

Awareness and education would allow HR Professionals to shift their competencies to align with the 2021 Competency Model. If more HR professionals were aware of this model, they would want to educate their colleagues and peers about it. Especially since the model is very dynamic, having evolved seven times since 1987. The model keeps up with the speed of business and serves as a real asset for those who want to make an impact in their HR careers. Organizations should invest in training to equip their HR professionals with this model and how their current skillset aligns with it. 

For those of you who are not and do not intend to be HR Professionals, how do these 2021 HR competencies apply to management? How will you enable and support these within your organization?

            You could seamlessly apply the 2021 HRCS Competency Model to be an effective tool for management. At the core of any management role, whether a line manager or an executive, the primary duty should be to empower your employees to focus on their responsibilities, i.e., Simplify Complexity. By freeing up your employees to complete the work that they do best, you liberate them from tasks that not only slow down efficiency but may also cause them to resent the organization over time. The additional four competencies align with those supportive functions that a manager would ideally provide their team so that they can accomplish even more productivity than required per their job description. In short, the manager's role should be to facilitate their employees, not so that they can do their job, but so that they can achieve their full potential- one that the employee may not even understand is possible. 

The 2021 model helped me clarify some things in my mind. As I respond to this prompt, I realize that my VP needs to help simplify the complexities around my role. While I am achieving my key performance metrics and attaining quota within our focus products, I am not working efficiently, perceive that I do not have a work-life balance, and have become internally resentful towards my manager. I have asked for specific help with inefficiencies and provided ideas and research, but I am quickly dismissed. Ironically, my peers believe I am the only person he listens to, yet my insights are not considered. 

This model is constructive for me at this moment. In the future, I would continue to think about how my role when I serve in leadership is to help simplify complexity for those I lead. Additionally, I will share this message and educate those around me, both passively and actively (when appropriate). In terms of the additional four competencies, these too are important for leaders to possess to provide additional value to their employees so that they can achieve success for themselves and the organization that goes beyond the scope of their responsibilities.

Finally, as a manager or leader (or, for that matter, an Individual contributor), How might these 2021 competencies be of value to you in your role within an organization?

Building off my last response, it is essential to acknowledge your responsibilities and those obstacles that get in the way of you completing those responsibilities. Managers should focus on clearing these obstacles and rely on the employee's skills. This is a vital insight to have as an aspiring people leader.

To be an effective manager, you must be an effective leader. Simplifying complexity is at the core of empowering your employees, but additional work can and should be done to be a true leader. By mobilizing information and fostering collaboration, you set your employees up to perform at a higher level. These competencies have a direct relationship with advancing human capability and accelerating business. 

This model does a terrific job of visualizing critical concepts that help create a high-performing HR Professional and People Manager.

Appendix I

Works Cited

"The Evolution of Key Account Management." KAMGuru, www.kamguru.com/resources/the-

evolution-of-key-account-management/. Accessed 26 Jun. 2023.

Ulrich, Dave. "Do You Want to Be More Effective As an HR Professional? Here’s How." 25 

May 2021. Accessed 26 Jun. 2023.