How to Use Competency Models for Onboarding

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Imagine you’re walking into a new job on your first day. You’ve interviewed, you’ve talked to people, and you think that you’re ready. But typically, unless the person you’re replacing is still at the company and a high performer who is able to articulate all the role’s best practices easily, the actual expectation of the required skills and behaviors for the new job are merely guesswork.

Imagine you’re walking into a new job on your first day. You’ve interviewed, you’ve talked to people, and you think that you’re ready. But typically, unless the person you’re replacing is still at the company and a high performer who is able to articulate all the role’s best practices easily, the actual expectation of the required skills and behaviors for the new job are merely guesswork.

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So you do what all new hires do. You ask people, you fumble a little, you learn as you go, and over time, you hopefully hit your stride.

So you do what all new hires do. You ask people, you fumble a little, you learn as you go, and over time, you hopefully hit your stride.

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But what if you don’t?

But what if you don’t?

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According to a recent article in TD magazine:

According to a recent article in TD magazine: 

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  31 percent of people have quit a job within the first six months.

  31 percent of people have quit a job within the first six months. 

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  22 percent of turnover occurs in the first 45 days of employment.

  22 percent of turnover occurs in the first 45 days of employment. 

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  The cost of losing an employee in the first year is estimated to be at least three times the person’s salary.

  The cost of losing an employee in the first year is estimated to be at least three times the person’s salary.

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What if you, as the new hire, had a way of reviewing all those expectations and best practices early on, so you could eliminate the fear, uncertainty, and doubt that leads to the statistics above? That’s what competency models bring to onboarding:

What if you, as the new hire, had a way of reviewing all those expectations and best practices early on, so you could eliminate the fear, uncertainty, and doubt that leads to the statistics above? That’s what competency models bring to onboarding:  

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  They allow new hires to become familiar with the nuances of the job, which will make them successful.

  They allow new hires to become familiar with the nuances of the job, which will make them successful.  

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  They help new hires identify what’s important in corporate culture, because those aspects are reflected in the desired behaviors.

  They help new hires identify what’s important in corporate culture, because those aspects are reflected in the desired behaviors. 

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  When you enable new hires to self-assess against the competency model, they can learn the baseline skill set and what gaps they have to close to be successful.

  When you enable new hires to self-assess against the competency model, they can learn the baseline skill set and what gaps they have to close to be successful. 

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  They map skill gaps to learning opportunities, empowering new hires to close those gaps so they can immediately begin their journey toward competency.

  They map skill gaps to learning opportunities, empowering new hires to close those gaps so they can immediately begin their journey toward competency. 

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  They help new hires see what specific behaviors they should exhibit in various situations to increase their proficiency and become high performers.

  They help new hires see what specific behaviors they should exhibit in various situations to increase their proficiency and become high performers.

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People are intrinsically motivated toward competence. When they can’t achieve it, they become stressed and frustrated, and begin looking elsewhere for opportunities to be successful. And that leads to attrition.

People are intrinsically motivated toward competence. When they can’t achieve it, they become stressed and frustrated, and begin looking elsewhere for opportunities to be successful. And that leads to attrition.

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If you want to retain new hires and help them achieve their potential, embrace competency models and put them to use during the onboarding process.

If you want to retain new hires and help them achieve their potential, embrace competency models and put them to use during the onboarding process.