Inherited Competencies

To simplify the tracking of job competencies, you can attach individual competencies to each level in the organizational structure, and then attach jobs to those levels. Inheritance is the process of attaching job competencies to high levels in the organizational structure so that they also apply to the subordinate levels. Inheritance means that, when you attach a competency to a business unit that is at a high level in the organizational structure, that competency applies to the jobs in that business unit, as well as to all of the jobs that are in subordinate, lower-level business units. You can further take advantage of inheritance by assigning competencies at the company or job-group level. For example, you might define Commitment to Quality as a core competency and attach it to the company level of the organizational structure so that all of the jobs in the company will inherit that competency. For jobs that are at lower levels of the organizational structure, you can attach additional, more specific competencies and override the inherited competencies, if necessary.

Employees are expected to be proficient in the competencies required for their jobs, as well as in any inherited competencies. Advantages of inherited competencies include:

• You can reduce data entry tasks by defining and attaching a competency in one place only.

• When you change a competency, you make changes in one place and all jobs that inherit that competency automatically inherit the changes.

• You can attach one competency to many jobs.