Gluu Glossary

A competency matrix is a grid that maps the competencies — skills, knowledge and behaviours — required for each role against the people who hold those roles, scored on a proficiency scale. It gives you one view of the capability that exists in your organisation, where the gaps are, and what to train for next.

What is a Competency Matrix?

Role competency matrix (RCM)

A role competency matrix (RCM) is the most common form: a graphical representation of the roles and competencies of the employees in an organisation. It highlights which competencies exist within your company and where your employees are strongest. It also uncovers the weaknesses and pitfalls in their competencies, so you can define and visualise both the skillset you have and the one each role requires.

Competency matrix vs skills matrix

The two are often used interchangeably, but they answer different questions. A skills matrix asks what can this person do right now? — it tracks technical, job-specific abilities against current tasks, and it scores them quantitatively. A competency matrix asks the broader question: can this person perform the role well? That includes technical skill, but also the behaviours, judgement and collaboration the role demands. A skill is one component of a competency.

	Skills matrix	Competency matrix
Measures	Technical, task-level ability	Skills plus knowledge and behaviour
Scope	The job as it is today	The role, plus growth and future readiness
Assessment	Quantitative — rating scales	Qualitative and quantitative — observed behaviour plus levels
Typical use	Staffing a shift, assigning a project, spotting a training gap fast	Succession planning, performance reviews, role design
Owned by	Team leads and planners	HR and leadership, with process owners

In practice most organisations need both, and the skills matrix usually sits inside the wider competency picture. If you only need to know who can run a given machine or handle a given task, a skills matrix is enough. If you need to know who is ready to take over a role, you need the competency view.

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Importance of Role Competency Matrix (RCM)

1. Highlighting Employee Competencies:
   • RCM brings into focus the competencies that exist within the organization, providing a detailed overview of the skills and strengths present among employees.
2. Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses:
   • Beyond showcasing competencies, RCM also reveals the weaknesses and pitfalls in employees’ skill sets. This insight is invaluable for targeted skill development and improvement initiatives.
3. Defining and Visualizing Skillsets:
   • RCM is designed to help define and visualize employees’ skillsets and the competencies required for their respective roles. This clarity ensures that employees and managers have a shared understanding of the skills needed for success.
4. Utilization for Business Objectives:
   • RCM plays a crucial role in aligning employee competencies with business objectives. It helps in developing the specific competencies required to fulfill organizational goals.
5. Identifying Competency Gaps:
   • An integral aspect of RCM is the identification of competency gaps. Recognizing areas where skills are lacking enables organizations to strategize and implement training programs for targeted skill enhancement.
6. Base for Training Programs:
   • RCM serves as a foundational tool for developing training programs. By understanding the existing competencies and areas for improvement, organizations can tailor training initiatives to address specific needs.
7. Setting a Vision for Professional Development:
   • The competency matrix sets a clear vision for professional development. It outlines the skills and competencies that individuals can aim to acquire or enhance, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
8. Recruitment Enhancement:
   • With a detailed understanding of the competencies within the organization, RCM can inform recruitment strategies. It aids in attracting and selecting higher-quality staff who align with the required skill profiles.

What goes in a competency matrix?

Every competency matrix is built from three parts: the competencies (rows), the roles or people being assessed (columns), and a proficiency scale that fills the cells. The scale is what turns a list into a decision-making tool — a simple four-level scale is usually enough.

Competency	Process owner	Team lead	Operator
Process mapping	Expert	Practitioner	Novice
Work instruction writing	Practitioner	Expert	Practitioner
Quality inspection	Aware	Practitioner	Expert
Root cause analysis	Expert	Practitioner	Aware
Coaching and handover	Practitioner	Expert	Novice

Read it two ways. Down a column tells you whether a role is adequately covered. Across a row tells you how thin your organisation is on a single competency — a row with one expert and nothing else is a single point of failure. Keeping the matrix tied to the actual process maps and work instructions people follow is what stops it drifting into an HR document nobody updates.

Steps to Build a Competency Matrix

1. Define Employees and Job Roles:
   • Clearly define the employees and their respective job roles within the organization.
2. Determine Needed Skills:
   • Identify the skills and competencies required for each specific job role.
3. Create Assessment Method:
   • Develop a method of assessment, such as categorizing competencies into levels (e.g., expert, practitioner, novice), and evaluate each team member’s competencies.
4. Reflect and Develop:
   • Reflect on the data gathered through the competency matrix and strategize ways to develop and enhance the missing skills. This may involve creating targeted training programs or mentorship initiatives.

In essence, a Competency Matrix, particularly when integrated with Role Competency Matrix (RCM), serves as a dynamic tool for understanding, developing, and aligning employee competencies with organizational objectives, ultimately contributing to sustained success and growth.

RCM Example

A competency matrix comes in many formats. Here is one example of how it can look. Want to use this template? See how Gluu handles role and competency management.

Further resources:

• Lean recruitment – avoid hiring a gourmet chef for flipping burgers
• RCM (Karuba M., 2019), Springer.

Related Links:

• How to ensure a good employee onboarding process
• Process Analyst role
• How to run online training with Gluu (and avoid an LMS)

FAQ

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