In our recent Skills Masterclass on the Healthcare Industry, we received a question that deserves more ink (or should I say, keyboard time):
“After you break down tasks to skills, how would you assess them for competency levels across roles?”
This question, posed by a curious attendee, sparked a lively discussion that got Mike and I thinking: how do we ensure that once we’ve identified the right skills, we’re assessing them effectively?
Whether you’re in healthcare, tech, or finance, the challenge remains the same—competency isn’t just about ticking off a list of skills. It’s about verifying, validating, and evolving them in real-world contexts.
1. Credentialing and Qualifications: In fields like healthcare, qualifications are non-negotiable. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals demonstrate their competency through formal credentials and exams. But this applies to more than just healthcare! Many industries rely on certifications to verify a base level of knowledge before on-the-job learning begins.
2. Real-World Application: Credentialing is only part of the equation. True competency comes from how people apply their skills in real scenarios. For example, while healthcare workers must pass exams, their ability to manage real-life patient care is what sets them apart. This principle applies across sectors—whether it's finance, tech, or beyond.
3. Measuring Proficiency Levels: Skills have layers, right? For each role, you need to define what “proficient” means at different levels. Think of a nurse who starts by mastering basic patient care and then progresses through advanced diagnostics and specialized skills. What does that growth look like in your organization?
4. Aligning with Workforce Experience: It’s not enough to suggest proficiency models; you’ve got to ensure they fit the workforce you have. In healthcare, this could mean tailoring assessments to real-world pressures, like responding to emergencies. In your sector, what do those real-world factors look like, and how are you verifying skill growth?
In healthcare, competency assessments often hinge on credentials, but success goes beyond passing an exam.
A healthcare professional might have the paper qualifications, but real-world skills like bedside manner and emergency response are validated through on-the-job performance. Aligning formal assessments with practical demonstrations ensures that competency isn’t just theoretical—it’s real.
We enable the validation of skills in the platform in four different ways:
👉 HR & Talent Validation
Skills can be validated by HR or Talent teams through structured interviews and formal assessments. This ensures that candidates and employees have demonstrated their competencies before advancing further in their career journeys.
👉 Manager Validation
After employees complete projects, gigs, or other tasks, managers can validate the skills they've applied or developed. This feedback loop ensures an up-to-date and accurate reflection of skill proficiency within teams.
👉 Self-Validation
Employees can also suggest the skill level they believe they are at and add this to their profile. While this requires validation from HR or managers, it helps highlight where individuals feel their strengths lie, opening up conversations about development and growth.
👉 Reejig-Inferred Skill Proficiency
Our platform also uses AI to infer skill proficiency by analyzing the recency and frequency of skill usage. For instance, if Mike was a daily Python coder but has since moved into leadership, his Python expertise might be less current. Reejig can adjust his mastery level accordingly, ensuring an accurate and dynamic understanding of skill competency across your workforce.
With these robust validation methods, Reejig ensures that your workforce's skills are always aligned with real-world demands, keeping your organization agile, productive, and ready for the future.