Assessment Methods Employed to Ascertain Different Categories of Skill

In the last post, we discussed a hierarchy of skills. Our current post deals with how the skills are assessed for each level in the hierarchy.

At the top levels it is not enough to just assess whether the skill is available in the candidate. It is necessary to verify the track record through a "due diligence" process where claims are verified.

At the highest level, it is not enough to ascertain if the skill is available. Results depend on context &  culture - in other words, it is necessary to ascertain whether the attitudes of the candidate complement the culture of the organization an provide the synergy for superior results or whether there is dissonance.

Skills & Organizational Levels

Apart from the different categories of skills, it is useful to define a Hierarchy of Skills.Skills can be placed in the following hierarchy:

1. Execution Skills: (Ability to personally perform a task)
2. Conceptual Knowledge: (Understanding the underlying concept -technical / functional)
3. Functional Competence: (Understanding the role of the function in the organization)
4. Integrative Capability: (Ability to manage function or functional task in the context of a business or organization , includes interacting & collaborating with other functional heads)

The following picture indicates the skill levels required at different organizational levels:

It is necessary to understand that the skill level in the hierarchy does not necessarily indicate the value of the skill itself. For example, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan's execution skills are a lot more valuable than most CEO's skills. Similarly subject matter experts provide very high value and it has been told that the supply chain manager of one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers is paid more than its CEO.

In the next post we will discuss how each level of skill is assessed.

Framework to Understand Skills

In order to be able to make a marketable package and the following framework will help.

We need to first understand the kinds of skills

Discipline / Functional Skills (Technical skills of academic discipline or business function)

Procedural Skills (Procedures are defined to perform tasks efficiently; technical personal need to follow technical procedures and almost everyone in an organization needs to follow some business procedure)

Soft Skills (the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, friendliness)

Attitudes influence an individual's choice of action, and responses to challenges, incentives, and rewards

Next - these skills need to be placed in a context see glossary for definitions


Industry (Understand key drivers and key functions – with your skills and attitude check if it is the right place to be in)

Function (understand the role, the tools and the language)

Discipline - Narrow down / focus on what is relevant to Industry & Function and master the key concepts -

For example a mechanical engineer will need to use a different kind of skill to design a power turbine from what is required to maintain a compressor in a paint shop. The discipline viz. Mechanical Engineering requires to be placed in a functional and industry context to understand the skills to be used.

This context determines what tools will be used and their application.This determines the effectiveness of a in a job.