Competencies are used by managers and staff in the following ways:
Defining a vacant or new role, writing a job description, interviewing and evaluating candidates for a job
Setting and agreeing objectives designed to develop a staff member in their role
Tracking progress, managing performance and giving feedback, making expectations clear for each staff member
Evaluating readiness for a staff member to step up to the next level (e.g. through promotion)
Competencies are not a checklist or the specific responsibilities for a role (this is typically available in a job description), but describe the way in which staff members should perform those responsibilities.
Competencies are described for each role in a job family, reflecting the level of proficiency or skill a staff member should demonstrate in each competency.
Proficiency levels we use are:
Awareness: a basic understanding of the concept or skill, recognising its importance and general application but not yet able to apply it independently.
Foundational: familiar with fundamental principles and concepts, able to discuss them and apply them in simple situations with guidance.
Working knowledge: solid understanding and the ability to apply concepts and skills in routine scenarios, independently handling common tasks and challenges.
Practitioner: proficient in applying skills and knowledge in a wide range of situations, solving complex problems, and guiding others in their application.
Expert: deep, comprehensive expertise in the area, capable of innovating, leading initiatives, and setting standards. Recognised as a go-to authority.
Each competency has a description or definition.
Planning & organising: Effectively manages activities within the available people, resources and keeps to expected or communicated timelines. Includes contributing to task break-down and estimating.
Independent working: Works independently as an individual at each level, showing self-reliance and initiative, and takes responsibility for completing tasks and seeing them through to completion.
Problem solving & decision-making: Makes well-judged and timely decisions, identifies problems, and creates effective solutions.
Business impact: Recognises the broader business context and strategically aligns actions to support organisational goals.
Communication: Effectively listens, understands, and conveys messages in a way that is appropriate to the audience - including verbal, written, use of diagrammes. Uses a range of techniques to influence and make persuasive arguments. Adopts a patient, empathic style, avoids jargon, and checks for understanding in others.
Team work: Collaborates effectively across the organisation.
Curiosity & learning: Continuously seeks and creates opportunities for learning and growth.
Leadership of self and others: Guides oneself and inspires & develops others to achieve common goals. Reflects on their personal growth to identify areas to enhance their performance and for further development.
Technical (differs between job families) for Engineering: Demonstrates and shares technical and domain expertise, and develops high-quality, secure and reliable software solutions following industry standards.
Everyone develops at a different rate, and in response to different challenges and opportunities. People managers and staff members work together to define objectives and choose work assignments or projects which allow staff members to develop proficiency in each of the competencies, including technical skills.
As staff members achieve the required levels of proficiency for their own role, and performance and behaviours are shown to be consistent, the next step is to take on stretch objectives which build toward the next level - the next role in the job family. Cases for promotion - whether through an application to a vacant role or through the promotions process - should include an articulation of the staff member’s achievement in their current role as well as evidence to demonstrate the beginnings of the requirements for the next level. For this reason, a staff member should keep in mind the competencies and proficiency for their current role as well as the next role in their development.
A copy of the Engineering Progression Tracker (Google Sheet) is useful for keeping track of progress.
We have one set of competencies for each job family (e.g. engineering), so managers and staff members will need to work together to develop specific objectives that are relevant for the team, the technologies and solutions, or the specific role the staff member holds.
Check out the FT’s Learning Platform for articles, videos and tips to help. Relevant topics include: managing your career, goal setting, giving feedback, preparing for interviews. (Example: this article How do I give great feedback with a helpful guide on how to deliver feedback on yourself or a colleague.)