Using Competency Modeling to
Enhance
Leadership Development

Rick Lepsinger, President, OnPoint
Consulting
rlepsinger@OnPointConsultingLLC.com
| 212.472.8081
Welcome to Our Webinar!
Today’s Presenter

Agenda
● Why competency models matter
● How to develop them
● How to use them to enhance
training and performance
management systems
● How one company used
competency models to enhance
hiring and promotion

The Art and Science of
Competency Models:
Pinpointing Critical Success Factors in Organizations

Competency models
provide a precise definition
of the skills and attributes
needed to meet critical
business challenges.

Competency
Model Pyramid

Why Competency Models
Matter

They help us:
● Clarify job expectations
● Give useful feedback
● Invest in development activities that
have the greatest impact
● Build a pipeline of future leaders

How to Develop
Competency Models

Decisions You Need to Make
● Purpose of model
● Scope of project
● Who should be involved
● Methodology for data collection and analysis
● Build from scratch or use existing model
● Validating final model

1. Identify Performance Criteria
Identify individuals that meet, exceed, and fall below the
performance criteria

2. Collect Data
Observe and interview job
incumbents to determine
what specific traits and skills
they have to be successful in
their roles.

3. Develop an
Interim Model
Conduct focus groups,
analyze focus group data and
refine the model

4. Validate the Model
● Convert interim model into a survey
● Divide survey participants into “average” and “exceptional”
groups
● Administer survey and analyze data
● Make recommendations for streamlining or enhancing the
competency model

5. Integrate Into HR Processes
● Hiring
● Leadership
development
● Performance
evaluation
● Promotion

How to Integrate Competency
Models into Your Training &
Development Process

Benefits of a Competency-Based Training System
● Enables a focus on relevant behavior and skills
● Ensures training and development opportunities align with
values and strategies
● Makes the most effective use of training and development time
and dollars
● Provides a framework for ongoing coaching and feedback

1. Identify the extent to which
people are currently demonstrating
the competencies.
● Competency-based 360 survey and feedback report
○ Individual and organizational level
● Performance appraisal data

2. Identify opportunities that will help
people learn and develop “gap”
competencies.
● Job assignments and action learning
● Coaching and mentoring
● Training programs (face-to-face, VILP, e-learning)

3. Follow-up to ensure skill and knowledge
gaps are being closed.
● 360 “post-test”
● On-going coaching
● Periodic and annual performance review

How to Integrate Competency
Models into Your
Performance Review Process

Don’t focus solely on what
employees have accomplished.
Evaluate what they accomplished
and how they got it done.
A team leader who focuses on his own objectives
may be effective but not collaborative.

1. Ensure everyone understands the
competencies on which they will be
evaluated.
Provides a shared understanding of what will be monitored
and measured

2. Collect data on the behavior of the
persons being evaluated.
Provides focus for gathering information about a person’s
behavior on the job

3. Have constructive discussions that
address issues directly related to
performance.
● Focuses and facilitates the performance appraisal
discussion
● Improves the accuracy and perceived fairness of overall
rating

Case Study: PepBoys

The Challenge:
The company had competency models for key
positions, but they were outdated and no longer
reflected its new direction and greater focus on
customer service.

The Solution:
OnPoint Consulting interviewed senior leadership to
identify specific objectives the company wanted to
achieve and where it wanted to be several years
from now.

The Solution:
OnPoint observed and interviewed employees in target
positions, from the front desk manager to the auto
technicians, to determine what skills and traits
contributed to success.

The Solution:
OnPoint assisted PepBoys’ training managers and HR
professionals with communicating the competencies to
employees and integrating them into existing hiring,
promotion and performance management systems.

The Solution:
PepBoys began hiring associates with stronger
customer service capability and an aptitude to learn
technical skills rather than technicians who preferred
working with cars over working with people.

Using a Competency-Based
Interview Process
● Provides complete picture of job requirements
● Ensures more systematic interview process
● Increases likelihood of hiring people who will succeed
● Minimizes investment in people who may not meet expectations
● Helps identify limitations

Example: Initiative
Questions to Ask:
● What specific knowledge and/or skills do you want to develop over
the next one to two years, and how do you plan to acquire them?
● Describe a situation when a desired outcome was not achieved on
a project for which you had responsibility. What happened and
how did you handle it?

Example: Initiative
What to look for:
● Overcomes obstacles to success
● Is a self-starter
● Is comfortable with ambiguity
● Plans for success

The Solution:
The competencies were also used to shape training and
leadership development programs.

The Result:
Within a few months of rolling out the new competency-based
selection and development processes at its test store in Tampa,
customer satisfaction surveys improved, and the store’s Yelp rating
moved up by one star!

Questions

THANK YOU!
If you’d like to learn more about how we can
help you update competency models or
create new ones, feel free to contact us.
www.OnPointConsultingLLC.com | 203.533.5128