Competency framework: types, examples and how to build one

A competency framework is a structured set of the knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviors an organization expects people to show in their roles, each one defined and described at different levels of proficiency. It gives hiring, performance reviews, 360 feedback and development one shared language for what good work looks like. A useful framework is short, specific to your organization and written in observable behavior.

This guide explains the main types of competencies, shows illustrative examples by job level, walks through a seven-step method for building a framework, and covers how to use one framework across hiring, feedback and development without it becoming a document nobody opens.

What is a competency framework?

A competency is a measurable pattern of knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviors and other characteristics that a person needs to perform a role well. The US Office of Personnel Management describes competencies as specifying the "how" of performing job tasks, not only the tasks themselves. A competency framework (often called a competency model) groups these competencies, defines each one and describes what it looks like at different levels.

Most frameworks have four parts:

• Competency name. A short label, such as "Planning and organizing".
• Definition. One or two sentences that explain what the competency covers and what it does not.
• Proficiency levels. Usually three to five levels, from foundational to expert or strategic.
• Behavioral indicators. Observable actions that show the competency at each level, such as "Breaks a project into milestones and tracks progress against them".

Competency framework vs job description

A job description lists the tasks and responsibilities of one role. A competency framework describes the behaviors and capabilities that lead to success across many roles. The two work together: the job description says what a person does, and the competency profile for that role says how they need to do it and at what level. If you are starting from existing job descriptions, the guide on turning a job description into competencies covers that step in detail.

Why organizations build one

Research on competency modeling, including the best-practice review by Campion and colleagues (2011), highlights a few reasons organizations use frameworks rather than role-by-role task lists:

• Alignment. Competencies can be linked to the organization's strategy and values, so people see which behaviors matter.
• Consistency. The same definitions apply in hiring, reviews and development, which makes decisions easier to explain.
• Differentiation. A good framework describes what distinguishes strong performance, not only the minimum.
• Development paths. Proficiency levels show people what the next level looks like.

Types of competencies: core, behavioral, technical and leadership

Most frameworks combine several types of competency. The labels vary between organizations, but the distinctions below are common.

Core competencies

Core competencies express what the organization stands for. They are usually few, often three to five, and they apply to every role. Keep them behavioral: "respect" is a value, while "listens to different views before deciding" is a behavior a colleague can observe.

Behavioral competencies

Behavioral competencies describe how people work with others and manage themselves: communication, teamwork, problem solving, adaptability and planning. Bartram's (2005) "Great Eight" model is a research-based example of how these can be grouped into broad areas, such as leading and deciding, supporting and cooperating, and organizing and executing. You do not need to adopt a published model, but checking your draft against one helps you spot gaps.

Technical competencies

Technical or functional competencies cover the knowledge and skills a specific job family needs, such as accounting standards, software engineering practices or procurement regulations. They change faster than behavioral competencies, so review them more often. They are also easier to test directly, for example with job-relevant skills tests.

Leadership competencies

Leadership competencies describe what effective leadership looks like at your organization: setting direction, developing people, leading change and making decisions. Many organizations describe them at several levels, from leading yourself to leading teams to leading the organization. For ways to measure them, see the guide to leadership assessment.

Competency framework examples by job level

The examples below are illustrative, not a validated framework. They show how the same competency changes as responsibility grows. Use them as a starting point for discussion with people who know the roles.

Example: "Planning and organizing"

Example: "Communicating clearly"

A role profile built from the framework

For a single role, you pick the competencies that matter most and set the required level for each. For example, a hypothetical procurement team lead might need:

• Core: "Acts with integrity" at level 2.
• Behavioral: "Planning and organizing" at level 2, "Communicating clearly" at level 2.
• Technical: "Procurement regulations" at level 3.
• Leadership: "Develops others" at level 1.

Keep role profiles to five to eight competencies. More than that becomes hard to assess and hard to remember.

How to build a competency framework in 7 steps

Building a framework is part analysis, part agreement. The steps below reflect common practice and the recommendations in competency modeling research.

1. Define the purpose and scope. Decide what the framework is for (hiring, performance, 360 feedback, development, or all of them) and which roles it covers first. A pilot with one job family is easier than the whole organization at once.
2. Gather evidence about the work. Review strategy documents, values, job descriptions and existing performance criteria. Interview high performers and their managers, and run short workshops asking "What do the best people in this role do differently?" Campion and colleagues (2011) recommend tying competencies to business objectives and to evidence about the work, not only to opinion.
3. Draft a small set of competencies. Group what you heard into themes and name them. Aim for three to five core competencies and a short list per job family. Check the draft against a published taxonomy to spot gaps or overlaps.
4. Write definitions and proficiency levels. Give each competency a clear definition and three to five levels. Each level should build on the one before it.
5. Write observable behavioral indicators. For each level, write two to four behaviors a manager or colleague could see. Avoid adjectives such as "excellent" or "strong"; describe the action instead.
6. Validate with the people who will use it. Test the draft with managers and employees in the roles. Ask whether each indicator is clear, observable and relevant. Remove anything people read differently.
7. Launch, connect and review. Publish the framework with simple guidance, build it into hiring, review and development processes, and set a review date. Many organizations review technical competencies yearly and core competencies less often.

Checklist for each competency

Before you finalize a competency, check that it:

• Has a name of two to four words.
• Has a definition that a new employee could understand.
• Describes one capability, not two combined.
• Has levels that build on each other.
• Uses behavioral indicators someone could observe.
• Uses your organization's own language, not consultant jargon.
• Is relevant to the roles that will use it.