Competencies were selected to help support and drive NU's strategic goals. Because these competencies are so critical to the performance management and employee development programs, it is important to provide tailored measures of these competencies that reflect job duties, responsibilities and actual behaviors. From a motivational point of view, it is critical to communicate to employees key performance expectations and provide actionable feedback regarding their performance relative to the competencies. In order to do this, objective and observable measures were developed for each job family. We call these measures key behaviors.
Developing Key Behaviors for Different Job Family Zones
Since there are various levels of jobs within a job family, key behaviors were developed with jobs in mind that represented each job zone. Naturally, one would expect to find differences in skill development, knowledge and abilities as you contrast a lower level key behavior to the higher level ones within each competency. To this end, the key behaviors were developed for each job family along a continuum from Assistant to Senior in a way that matches the arrangement of jobs in each family.
The following factors were used when developing the key behaviors.
- The purpose of key behaviors is to tailor the competencies to the job family.
- Two to four key behaviors were written for each zone of each competency.
- Key behaviors are observable.
- Key behaviors are measurable.
- Key behaviors are written in a language that is understood by both employees and supervisors.
- Key behaviors are written as succinctly as possible.
- Key behaviors drive the successful performance of the competency. There must be a meaningful difference in skills, abilities and knowledge requirements reflected in the behaviors from one zone to the next. In many instances, the same behavior was used for more than one zone by adjusting magnitude, frequency level, and so forth from one zone to the next. In some instances, different behaviors that measure and reflect distinct skill sets were used to differentiate one zone from the next. When using different behaviors, the behaviors used for higher job zones truly reflect enhanced levels of skill and knowledge than the behaviors used to describe lower zone job requirements and expectations.