Societe Generale brings competency-based appraisals to life

The strength and effectiveness of competency-based appraisals –assessing behaviours as well as performance targets – can make a large contribution to people development and management. But companies wanting to gain the most from this approach must ensure that, over time, the concept and the process are working together for optimal results.

This was the route taken by the information-technology division at SociétéGénérale Corporate and Investment Banking, in the UK, with the help of people-development and training specialist Rhema Group. The task was to “bring competencies to life” so that they became part of the culture of the IT division in which the new thinking and processes had been introduced.

Rhema had devised and delivered initial tailored training when, in 2005, SociétéGénérale Corporate and Investment Banking introduced the competencies for its IT managers and staff in London. A framework of competencies was defined under the categories of personal effectiveness, team effectiveness and result expectation. These included adaptability, assertiveness, self-management,developing and leading others, listening and influencing, and client focus.

The introduction of competencies as the basis for job descriptions required a matching approach to performance appraisals through competency-based interviews. Rhema trained the managers in the new interview skills needed to elicit evidence that staff behaviours were consistent with the competencies of each role.

Follow-up internal research revealed a need to refine processes and skills,particularly in terms of addressing varying levels of the understanding of competencies among staff, which were the result of differences in style and content of the briefings they received.

“Our task was effectively to bring competencies to life and integrate this approach into the corporate culture”, said Rhema director William Burton. His approach was to deliver this consultancy in three areas:

• 1.

  Communication through initial e-mails to all staff, with messages specific to the role of each, listing the defined competencies of that role and explaining these using a reference document. Each person was also invited to attend a more detailed briefing and question-and-answer session.

• 2.

  A formal briefing session for all staff on: the rationale behind the introduction of competencies; the benefits to individuals, the IT department and the organization as a whole; and the process and their roles and responsibilities in it. This was followed by a question-and-answer session with the project sponsor.

• 3.

  Training for managers, including videoed role-plays of interviews and feedback.

“We were very happy to be brought back by Société Générale Corporate and Investment Banking on such an interesting and important project,and one which is of potential interest at a corporate level,” said William Burton. “We were able to help the IT department through the various stages of the process to ensure complete buy-in from managers and staff alike, leading to consistency of approach in an effective performance-appraisal system which fully integrated into the culture.”

The result of the project was that all staff understood the competency framework, the rationale behind the introduction of competencies and the benefits to individuals. This was vital to ensure the buy-in from the staff.

In addition, all managers were trained in how to manage individuals using the new competencies. This included developing their skills in defining behavioural evidence for each competency, the skills of drawing out behavioural evidence(both qualitative and quantitative) and the need for establishing a consistent approach to performance management.

William Burton concluded: “Feedback from HR was very positive and managers are currently conducting staff appraisals using the new competencies.”

Rhema Group has also helped the Scottish Pharmaceutical General Council(SPGC) to facilitate strategic planning.

The SPGC negotiates terms and conditions of service, remuneration and reimbursement with the Scottish Executive Health Department on behalf of Scottish community pharmacists, who are independent contractors supplying pharmaceutical services to the Scottish National Health Service. The organization also provides information and advice to Scotland’s 1,150 community pharmacists, and engages with members of the Scottish Parliament,health boards and other relevant bodies.

“Many organizations can competently and successfully serve their main purpose at an operational level for a long period of growth and consolidation without strategic planning,” said William Burton. “But when a need for further development and for any appreciable level of change is identified, a strategy is the road-map properly to identifying goals and planning to reach them in the desired time-frame. Strategic planning is a high-level responsibility for any organization’s ruling body, and is recognized as a major piece of structured thinking which is often best approached with expert external facilitation.”

Briefed by SPGC chief executive Harry McQuillan, consultant Nick Hindley created and ran two customized sessions for the council’s 19-strong standing committee and recently-appointed chairman, Martin Green. Members of staff and guest speakers from sectors of the NHS took part.

The sessions introduced the processes and techniques for strategic planning– identifying themes, clarifying goals, and reviewing the organization’s purpose (current and future). The approach was strongly interactive, encouraging debate that dealt constructively with conflict as well as consolidating agreement.

One goal was to establish and communicate the ways in which the council benefits the NHS and safeguards its patients through delivery of an effective community-pharmacy network in Scotland.

“Strategic thinking in a non-commercial membership organization like SPGC needs to be specific to that organization,” said Nick Hindley, “and requires the careful involvement of people who are members with their own businesses to run but also have a vested interest in how the organization represents their interests at a higher level.

“The tailored training and facilitation we were able to offer were used well by the participants, and provided good grounding for taking the organization’s planning process forward productively – towards achievement of objectives that these initial sessions helped to identify clearly.”