The drive to competency based staff recruitment and selection
The adoption of competence based human resource recruitment and selection came as a
result of the organisation’s development project, which aimed at improving the organi-
sation’s strategy, functions and processes. With regards to recruitment and selection, the
project created an enabling environment for the introduction of multi method assess-
ment centres for job applicants, use of evidence based selection techniques and a com-
petence based training strategy. The following elements of competences were used to
improve the content, process and procedure of recruitment and selection.
- Instead of using a rigid form to record job descriptions and specifications,
recruitment forms for interviews were redesigned and used as templates to be used
differently depending on the competencies sought. - Key stakeholders (heads of departments where the post was held, supervisors and
other related staff and human resource officers) were involved in the interview. - Information from interviews was further used for talent and competence
development through career development programmes. - Staff involved in recruitment were trained on how to design exercises for capturing
personal and job attributes from candidates.
Therefore, according to Farnham & Stevens (2000), with the introduction of the compe-
tence based recruitment and selection system, West Sussex County Council was able to
review job descriptions and specifications to reflect talents, competence requirements
and behavioural indicators of different job categories and develop resource packs for all
job applicants. Their other achievement was the establishment of the superior method of
assessment centres rather than just traditional interviews. The West Sussex County
Council experience demonstrates the application of different competency modelling
approaches (Spencer & Spencer 1993; Rothwell & Kazanas 1998; Dubois 1993) but
shows remarkable flexibility in competency modelling. That is, the Sussex model does
not seem to closely follow the processes required in developing theoretically and meth-
odologically sound competency models. See for example, detailed guidelines from
Rothwell & Kazanas (1998 and a summary paper on competency movement by Roth-
well & Lindholm 1999). However, for an organisation deep rooted in the tradition of
personnel management, the Sussex case was successful and paved the way for better
models in the future. Similarly, organisations need not start with complex models in
order to be successful, incremental strategies may also be sufficient.
The experience from Tanzania Breweries Ltd
Tanzania Breweries Ltd which is a branch of South African Breweries, a conglomerate
of SAB Miller International uses competence based human resource management mod-
els and tools in employee recruitment and selection, performance, reward, and career
development. This is embodied in the corporate strategic planning and budgeting where
the human resource manager is seen as a strategy partner for other managers. Talents
and competencies for each job category are defined, matched with job seekers, and po-
tential is developed through systematic career planning through the support of its own
college based in South Africa. Job rotations, secondments to subsidiary companies
abroad are also some of the strategies used to develop employee talents and competen-
cies.