Degrees of attraction: employers' use of competencies in graduate recruitment

Many new graduates are raw recruits, with little or no prior experience, and this presents particular challenges for employers wishing to recruit them. Neil Rankin analyses the role that competencies play in this crucial process.

Employers face unique challenges when recruiting new graduates. Unlike most jobseekers, they will have little or no relevant work experience from which recruiters can form a judgment about their abilities and talents. The roles they occupy on appointment are of little assistance in defining selection criteria because they are often no more than stepping stones in what is hoped will be a long-term career with the organisation.

Traditional selection criteria seldom prove useful in these circumstances, and many employers turn, instead, to behavioural competencies as their basis for making hiring decisions.

Most modern market economies are giving increasing emphasis to developing higher-level skills in their workforces in their efforts to compete internationally, and university education is expanding to meet this demand. In the UK, for example, the government has adopted a policy that 50% of all young people aged 18 to 30 will obtain a first degree (See Graduate recruitment 2002/03 ). In 2003 alone, more than a quarter of a million people obtained a first degree from British universities, of which more than 192,000 were looking for a job (Rankin, 2003). How are employers to find the new graduates who best meet their requirements among such huge numbers of jobseekers?

To examine current practice, we have analysed 38 sets of competencies used in graduate recruitment. Most of these sources are individual employers that recruit new graduates and use competencies for that purpose. We have supplemented them with some studies that have identified competencies among employers or new graduate recruits. In all, we have analysed 339 competencies.

Employability

The increasingly important role that higher education plays in national economic prosperity has heightened the interest in academia's ability to equip its students with the skills that society, specifically industry, requires. Enhancing employability (PDF format) - a major study published in 2002 by Universities UK, the representative body for British higher education, and the Higher Education Central Services Unit - notes that: "With the expansion of higher education, the long-time concerns of employers about graduate attributes have become more pronounced. Employers are looking for something in addition to a degree" (Harvey, Locke and Morey, 2002).

The research undertaken for the Enhancing employability report showed that employers are devoting more time and effort to identifying the competencies they require of new graduates, and are becoming increasingly sophisticated in assessing job applicants against these criteria. Mainstream graduate recruitment in countries such as the UK generally operates independently of routine vacancy filling. New graduates are often hired with little or no regard to the content of the degree course they have studied. In other words, with the notable exception of many vacancies for graduates in manufacturing industry, employers are generally concerned less with vocational, technical skills, than with broader qualities and other indications of individuals' potential to perform well in the future.

The same report noted that there is a "consistent core of desirable skills, often independent of the degree subject" that employers seek in their graduate recruits. Generally, it added, these criteria involve clusters of interpersonal skills, personal attributes, the ability to cope with change, business orientation and, in some cases, subject knowledge and technical skills.

Certainly, some employers are discontented with the efforts of higher education to develop employment-related skills in its students, as delegates to a special conference in London on "Graduate employability in hospitality" heard in February 2002. Terri Eastaff - the managing director of hospitality HR consultancy TED - spoke about her discussions with senior managers in several large international hospitality companies about the skills they require of new graduates (Eastaff, 2002). Having listed and discussed them, she added that "these competencies should be brought into the curriculum", with the inference that few institutions were already doing so.

But, as other speakers at the conference observed, many employers are generally pleased with the broader skills developed by higher education. Reporting on a large research project conducted by the Council for Hospitality Management Education, Liz Doherty told delegates that some of the fault lies with employers. Some firms fail to induct or develop new graduates effectively, give insufficient attention to students on work placements - a key means of fostering employability skills - and have not made efforts to gain an understanding of higher education and the content of its course (Doherty, 2002).

According to the National Audit Office - the independent organisation scrutinising central government expenditure in the UK - "Almost all institutions build key employment skills into the curriculum, and most (although only around 50% of pre-1992 universities) provide accredited work-related modules as part of their programmes. Work experience prior to leaving higher education is a key factor in facilitating the transition into employment - but it must not get in the way of degree studies" (National Audit Office, 2002).

IRS's annual research study of graduate recruitment has consistently found that recruiters are generally satisfied with most employability skills, based on their experience of graduates applying for jobs with them (See Graduate recruitment 2003/04 for the latest survey).

Competencies for new graduates

Our analysis of the competency frameworks used in graduate recruitment shows that the typical number of competencies involved is six (this is the mode; the median, or midpoint number, is seven competencies) within a range of three to 18 competencies in the 38 frameworks we examined.

A total of six competencies provides a manageable number for those involved in selection. More competencies than this, and recruiters will struggle to assess each candidate consistently and objectively against all the required competencies. They will find it difficult to weigh up the mass of evidence uncovered.

Staff at Pearn Kandola, a respected occupational psychology consultancy, suggest that employers would find it helpful to concentrate on "recruitment-relevant competencies" - that is: "Competencies that are required to perform the job immediately. As such, they are a 'need to have', rather than a 'nice to have'. The 'nice to have' competencies can be acquired once the graduate has started working, through training and development" (Kandola et al, 2001). Pearn Kandola staff explored the theme of differentiating competencies, in the context of high-fliers, in a recent article in this journal (Kandola and Galpin, 2003).

Overall, we have found 51 different competencies that organisations use to assess new graduates for appointment. However, within this variety, there is a reasonable amount of consensus as to recruiters' priorities, as we discuss below.

Communication skills: First and foremost, organisations require new graduates to have effective communication skills (see box 1 for a ranking of the most common competencies in the frameworks we examined). Some employers' frameworks explicitly state that both "oral and written communication" skills are required (box 2 provides examples of the names used by employers for graduate competencies, grouped into categories). Other frameworks, though, either leave this open as a general "communication skills" competency, or use the definitions or performance examples that typically accompany many competency frameworks to help indicate to graduates and recruiters the nature of the skills involved.

Example definition: "Communication: You can engage with all sorts of people, listening carefully and expressing yourself with clarity and confidence" (Jaguar, based on the "leadership framework" of its parent company, Ford).

Results orientation: Second, new graduates are expected to be "driven to achieve". This is a less precise competency, but reflects employers' interest in graduates who will meet, and hopefully exceed, their personal targets. It involves a sense of being focused on achieving results.

Example definition:

"Achievement: Do you have the ability to get things done?

- the drive and enthusiasm to set yourself and others challenging unambiguous targets;

- the resilience to deliver;

- the courage and self-confidence to tackle unfamiliar problems, and go against the crowd when necessary." (Shell).

Teamwork: Alongside results orientation, though, almost as many employers emphasise the importance of graduates' willingness to work with others, generally expressed as "teamwork". While drive and achievement are important, organisations generally do not want graduates who will act ruthlessly to the detriment of internal relationships. Indeed, one of the prime arguments for the use of behavioural competencies rests on their ability to provide a focus on the way in which someone achieves their results, alongside traditional measures that focus solely on what they achieve.

It must be said, however, that the emphasis given to drive, focus and achievement - not only in competency frameworks, but also in the recruitment materials produced for new graduates - represents a conflicting message. Employers are frequently prepared to bring together two related, but distinct, competencies, but we have found no examples where results orientation and teamwork are bracketed in this way. Were organisations to indicate that "achievement through teamwork", for example, is highly desirable, then graduates and recruiters might find the two competencies potentially less mutually exclusive.

Example definition: "A collaborative attitude: You're not on your own. You're part of a massive force for improving Britain's quality of life. That means you can count on incredible support from some of the most able professionals in the country. Conversely, you're expected to support, advise and guide those around you. Fast-streamers may have the ability to work alone, but they have the unselfish, sharing attitude of a team player." (UK civil service fast-stream programme).

Analytical skills: New graduates are valued for their analytical abilities - the intellectual prowess that universities have traditionally seen as enhancing in their students. Often, employers use their competencies to indicate that they want graduates who can apply this skill to real-life business issues - "analysis and decision-making" or "analysis and judgment". Others give a hint of the context in which the analytical skills are often required: "analyses data and learns fast"; or "gathering, analysing and interpreting data".

Business acumen: A competency of business acumen occurs as frequently as analytical skills in employers' graduate competency lists. This skill area reflects a concern that graduates should be aware of the organisation's priorities (and, as a corollary, share and support them), and should possess a basic general understanding of the culture and workings of modern business. Some employers express this skill as "business awareness", others as "business sense" or "commercial awareness". The latter, in particular, conveys a requirement that graduates are aware of financial realities, such as overheads and profit margins, having moved on psychologically from the different culture of academia.

Example definition: "Business sense: able to set priorities and evaluate options on a commercial and business sense. Uses time and resources to drive business performance" (BP).

Motivation: While being driven and profit-focused comes second in order of prevalence, many organisations include a separate competency of "motivation" in their recruitment criteria. This is often a broader skill, capturing their desire that graduate recruits should be fully committed to working hard. "Enthusiasm", "organisational commitment" and "passion and the right attitude" are examples of alternative labels for this type of competency.

Problem-solving: Seventh in prevalence comes a competency concerned with employers' desire that their new graduates should be capable of acting independently (within reason) to tackle and solve problems. There is an echo here of many employers' long-term focus on their graduate recruitment, where individuals are destined for future promotion to middle and senior management - levels of seniority where problem-solving and related abilities are highly prized. Often, employers bracket this competency with another, related competency, such as decision-making, judgment or innovation ("develop innovative solutions to problems").

Example: "If you can answer 'yes' to most of these [questions], you could be the type of person we're looking for:

Problem-solving and innovation:

- Do you tackle problems in a rational and logical manner, being able to see the key issues?

- Can you think of a time when you used your initiative to carry out a task or solve a problem?

- Have you had a job where you have been able to apply creativity and come up with ideas that are a bit out of the ordinary?

- Do you think through all the options in a systematic way before making a decision?" (KPMG).

Flexibility: The quality of being "flexible and adaptable" is frequently included in competency frameworks. Graduates recruited to traditional managerial development programmes will be expected to move on rapidly from post to post as they gather experience and develop their skills. In the long term, too, they will experience changes in their organisations, given the fast-moving environments in which businesses operate. There is also a connotation of being prepared to work productively with others in day-to-day activities, so that flexibility in this respect implies a willingness to cooperate and adjust to the different styles, priorities and personalities of other workers.

Persuasion and interpersonal skills: We have separately analysed these two sets of competencies, although many of the abilities are held in common. Had we combined them, this skill area would have ranked third from top in terms of its popularity with graduate recruiters.

However, "persuasion" is often defined by employers more narrowly, in terms of individuals' "negotiation skills" or "influence". Interpersonal skills, in contrast, are frequently seen as a broader ability to get along with people. Some employers express this as "empathy" or "interpersonal sensitivity". While such skills are often required to persuade another person, they can also be used in many other ways.

Example definition: "Lucidity: Fast-streamers must have the ability to turn complex and often technical information into plain English. Often, you'll be communicating the details of intricate policies to the media or the public. Or summarising a 1,000-page report into a page of A4 for a busy minister. You'll need to be comfortable getting your point across at high-level meetings, in presentations to large groups and in writing" (UK civil service fast-stream programme).

The next six competencies: Six further competency areas are equally commonly found among employers using competency-based graduate recruitment: customer focus; decision-making; leadership skills; management skills; technical/job-related skills and knowledge; and resilience.

The context of customer focus varies with the employer; in some cases, it relates to clients (of management consultancies, for example). In others, it focuses on customers as consumers of the organisation's products or services. In some frameworks, the competency is oriented towards external customers, while elsewhere it conveys a concern for customers both inside and outside the organisation.

Decision-making competencies raise many of the issues we discussed in connection with problem-solving: employers' interest in graduates' eventual senior roles, their ability to work independently, and their application of the analytical and reasoning abilities developed during higher education courses. As with problem-solving, too, this skill area is frequently combined with one or more related abilities, such as "taking responsibility and decisions".

The importance given to leadership and managerial skills reflects the non-technical context of much graduate recruitment. Even vocational careers, though, such as engineering or medicine, also involve aspects of management.

Resilience was a competency that we found particularly prevalent among frameworks applying to sales and marketing roles (See Twin peaks ). It has an obvious relevance for occupations where there is a high degree of interaction with members of the public or business people, particularly where the exchange may be stressful. Sales staff engaged in cold-calling prospective customers, for example, must be able to cope with the innumerable rejections they receive. Call centre staff will often encounter callers who are anxious, hurried, hostile or downright abusive.

Among new graduate recruits, though, resilience seems less central to much of their work, until placed in the context of modern organisations. Change and pressure are increasing and, looking to the long term, employers will want to identify individuals who can cope with such challenges over the course of many years as their careers develop.

Finally, in this group of six skills, some competency frameworks include provision for relevant technical (vocational, job-specific) skills that the graduate will have acquired during his or her course. Engineering is a prime example.

Low-key competencies: In contrast to the commonly found competencies described above, some skills are notable for their scarcity in graduate recruitment. For example, foreign languages and IT skills are rarely included in the competency frameworks used when hiring graduates in the UK. Others notable for their rarity, or absence, are diversity, equal opportunities, performance management, emotional intelligence, personnel management responsibilities, self-awareness, credibility and adopting a strategic approach.

To be fair, some of these may be implied or seen as bound up with other competencies (concern for equal opportunities, for example, might be thought to inform all other competencies), or subsumed in another competency (such as self-awareness might be within interpersonal skills). Others may be seen by employers as the kind of second-order competencies identified by Pearn Kandola that await future development, as the need arises. Examples here might be performance management, and responsibility for personnel management.

Competencies in recruitment

IRS's annual survey of employers' graduate recruitment practices in the UK has chronicled a steady increase in their use of competencies. Our latest survey finds that competencies are used by more than one-third (36.2%) of employers that recruit graduates to mainstream (graduate-type) vacancies. Workforce size, however, is significantly associated with the use of competencies in graduate recruitment. Among the largest organisations, with 10,000 employees or more, more than half (57.7%) use competencies. Among smaller organisations (those with fewer than 250 employees), less than one-third of this figure of 57.7% use competencies for this purpose - just one-fifth of them (18.5%).

Assessment centres

In addition, even larger proportions of organisations use assessment centre methods in their graduate recruitment. These involve a battery of selection methods that candidates undertake over an extended period, typically one to two days. The various methods are coordinated and given consistency through the use of a common set of selection criteria. Usually, each method focuses on one or two of the criteria and, ideally, each criterion is covered by at least two different events or tests during the centre.

Competencies have long provided the foundation for assessment centres' selection criteria. Although there are alternatives to them, there is little evidence that these have come to prominence. In IRS's latest study of graduate recruitment , almost all (90.4%) of the organisations that have adopted assessment centres have employed competencies to act as their foundation.

Indeed, competencies are almost inextricably linked to the use of assessment centres in connection with graduate recruitment. Assessment centres have received much favourable publicity as offering the most powerful means of identifying graduates who meet an employer's selection criteria (provided that the centres are well-designed and run). There has been a significant increase in their use in recent years. Now, according to IRS's latest research, almost two-thirds (62.9%) of employers that recruit new graduates to mainstream graduate-type roles use assessment centres for this purpose. The proportion rises to more than nine in 10 (96.1%) among the largest organisations - defined as those employing at least 10,000 people.

We should bear in mind that employers' recruitment of new graduates operates on two levels. On a visible level, organisations use various techniques - including advertising, interviewing and testing - to conduct their recruitment and selection. But underlying these practices are the methods that define the various skills and qualities that will be required - such as competencies, job descriptions and person specifications.

Interviews

Competencies are widely used in the recruitment of graduates as a means of informing the questions asked during selection interviews. IRS's 2002 graduate survey found that this was the second most widely used method of employing competencies, after assessment centres.

According to Tony Keenan, with his 20 years' experience of research and consultancy on graduate recruitment, competencies can transform the interview into "a highly effective selection tool - providing it is carried out in a certain way" (Keenan, 2000).

His criteria for success include the need to conduct a thorough analysis of the competencies required of new graduates, the use of structured interviews - where all candidates are asked a consistent set of questions - and assessment of interviewees' replies against a systematic rating scheme. But, "most important of all," he says, is that "core questions must focus on the candidate's past behaviour and directly target the competencies" (ibid). In other words, he argues that the interview questions should concentrate on obtaining examples of actual experience or behaviour, rather than asking hypothetical questions about how someone might act or react ("situational questioning"), or by asking them to identify their own emotions or motivations (such as asking interviewees to explain their reasons for wanting the job).

Keenan acknowledges that seeking evidence of past behaviour or actions is more difficult where applicants have no relevant work experience - a category covering many graduates. The usual response to this problem is to broaden the evidence criteria, so that any relevant evidence from someone's personal life, or other non-work-related experiences, is sought.

However, his work as an adviser to graduate recruiters showed that this often led to "trivial" examples being put forward by interviewees. To overcome this further difficulty, his consultancy has analysed the typical experiences encountered by undergraduates during their course - such as undertaking a project - and identified the competencies usually required for the experience to be a success. Given that he says he has found that many such competencies are also seen by employers as related to success in graduate-type roles, this provides a potentially more productive basis for interviewing (ibid).

Deloitte, for example, uses two interview sessions that are based on competencies. The first interview represents the second stage in its selection process, following an initial shortlisting based on the information supplied in an online application form. This interview is held on campus, or in one of its offices, and seeks evidence from interviewees' personal experience that meet competency-based selection criteria.

Information from this interview and the results of a two-part psychometric test of verbal and numerical reasoning are used to reduce the shortlist still further. The remaining applicants are then invited to attend a two-part assessment centre, consisting of a form of in-tray exercise intended to help assess applicants' likely performance in relevant roles, and a further competency-based interview. This interview focuses mainly on competencies related to commercial awareness and career motivation.

Application forms

The 2002 IRS graduate recruitment survey focused in depth on the use of competencies, and found that many employers are using them to help design the application forms that are widely used in graduate recruitment. The recruitment of graduates differs in this (and other respects) in the UK from that of experienced managers and professionals, where CVs are the customary mode of application for private sector vacancies.

The British public sector dislikes the use of CVs on equal opportunities grounds, and often uses application forms for all levels of recruitment. In contrast, private sector employers usually reserve the use of forms for lower-level vacancies where applicants may find it difficult to compose a CV, or where the large number of applicants makes it more effective to use forms as a basis for shortlisting applicants for interview.

In graduate recruitment, though, the private sector also favours the use of forms because graduates rarely have a significant work record that can be the focus of their CV. Application forms, too, have the edge over CVs where recruitment is competency-based. A form can be designed to include carefully worded questions to elicit evidence that can be assessed against competency requirements. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to do so on the basis of the information and commentary that candidates choose to include in their CVs.

The rise of the use of the internet in recruitment generally has been driven by its widespread adoption by graduate recruiters, where their target audience is seen as ideally suited to this medium. Many employers have reached the stage where their electronic recruitment has become interactive. Instead of merely posting vacancy details on the internet, recruiters now allow graduates to apply online - and, indeed, many strongly encourage them to do so in preference to using the postal system. In many cases, online applications involve the use of application forms, rather than CVs, and this is giving a significant boost to the use of forms in graduate recruitment generally.

As a final consideration, graduate recruiters may have to handle a great many applications - particularly where their organisation enjoys a high profile or has a reputation as being an exciting or prestigious place to work (that is, where it has a strong "employer brand"). Structured, well-designed application forms provide the best means of sifting through large volumes of applications in a short space of time, with the best chance of consistency and objectivity in the decisions being taken.

At Land Rover, for example, applicants complete an online application form (paper-based forms are not normally accepted). The answers to the application form's questions are assessed by managers from the relevant functional areas to which the graduate has applied, on the basis of the extent to which they provide evidence that matches a set of "leadership behaviours" and other competencies. Successful applicants then go forward to stage two in the selection process, which consists of a competency-based interview, and two psychometric tests of verbal and numerical reasoning from test publisher SHL.

Pearn Kandola points out that the design of the graduate application form is crucial (Kandola et al, 2001), which means concentrating on the methods used to develop the focus and wording of the questions.

"The information given by graduates in standard application forms is likely to be fairly similar, with most having similar backgrounds and experiences, and relatively little in the way of related work experience. Accordingly, employers need to find ways to differentiate fairly and effectively between graduate applicants. They need to identify what qualities they are looking for, and design the form around these" (ibid).

Recruitment materials

Relatively few graduate recruiters in the UK seem to act consistently in their use of competencies. While many of them base their selection practices - assessment centres, interviews and application forms - on competencies, there is less consistency at the front end, where the initial recruitment process takes place.

IRS's 2002 research found, for example, that only three in 10 (31.5%) organisations that use competencies in their graduate recruitment do so in the recruitment materials that they distribute to graduates, such as brochures and advertising.

This means that, while employers will have developed their competencies on the basis of researching the key skills and abilities they require of new graduates, many stop short of sharing this information with potential applicants.

When we examined the graduate recruitment pages of some 40 major organisations' corporate websites for this current research, we found that only a minority - roughly one in five - provides details of the competencies they require. Many more mention in passing that competencies are used at various stages of their selection process.

In some cases, organisations have rewritten their competencies in plain English for the recruitment pages - most competency frameworks are usually intended for an internal audience, where staff will already understand the culture and corporate language of their organisation.

In a few instances, we found examples where employers have gone a stage further and turned the competencies around. Instead of definitions and statements, they have posed a series of questions that graduates can ask themselves. Often, it is easier for someone unfamiliar with an organisation to understand it - and what it expects of its recruits - if he or she is helped to compare themselves against this benchmark (see the example from KPMG quoted above).

One of the UK's major graduate recruiters, the civil service - 11,777 applications for 512 vacancies in 2001 (Cabinet Office, 2002) - has long-standing and diligently researched experience of using competencies. It revised its graduate competencies in time for the 1999/2000 recruitment round, using them as the basis for a person specification used by recruiters and assessors. The whole recruitment process to the main civil service fast-stream programme takes several months, and features an initial application form (which has recently been made available online as well as in paper format), a "qualifying test" (a battery of aptitude tests), the "Civil Service Selection Board" (a two-day assessment centre) and, until recently, a "final selection board" (an interview with a panel of senior civil servants).

The fast-stream programme has been making strenuous efforts to improve its recruitment publicity, not only to encourage able applicants in general, but also as a means of broadening the diversity of the programme and the senior civil service. The 2001/02 recruitment campaign, for example, included advertisements in two publications for people with disabilities and on an internet site targeting ethnic minorities.

Questionnaires

Recruitment materials for new graduates must provide more than a simple briefing on the vacancy and the organisation. Many new graduates have little or no relevant experience of the world of work, and need as much information as possible about the values and culture of the company, the specific skills and behaviours required in the types of roles they will fill, and so on.

Communicating this information is no easy task, however. Recruitment packs filled with detailed information are unlikely to be read, or, if scanned rapidly, may not be absorbed or understood. Many organisations have tried to address this problem; their printed packs have been produced in full colour, livened up with graphics and illustrations and made as accessible as possible.

The internet revolution has opened up further possibilities. Some employers now provide video clips of real-life employees talking about the work they do and the culture of the organisation. Where appropriate, the website may offer a simulation - such as flying a British Airways passenger jet.

Simulations aside, though, most of this information is passive and depends on the graduate absorbing it and undertaking at least some limited form of comparison with their own interests, ambitions and skills. The self-assessment questionnaires that some employers have devised aim to turn this into a more active, participative process.

In essence, would-be applicants are asked to answer a series of questions that relate to the work they are likely to perform if appointed and to the wider organisation in which they will be working. Beyond that, the specific approaches taken by different organisations vary to a considerable extent.

At their most informal, some questionnaires expect no more than that the reader asks themselves the questions, without recording the answers. Others require answers to be noted down, but rely on the person concerned to compare their replies with model answers that are provided. Or, more formally, a scoring key will be given and the graduate asked to add up their answers and compare them with a series of typical scoring ranges that indicate the degree to which they match the employer's requirements. These questionnaires are sometimes designed to resemble the popular "test yourself" quizzes published in many newspapers and magazines.

Most formally, though, the organisation itself assesses the individual's replies - its internet site may use software that automates this process and presents its findings as a short report for the jobseeker to read. In a growing number of cases, the answers must satisfy the organisation as well as the jobseeker, and are used as a screening device within the selection process.

Sometimes, the graduate is able to lodge an application, which is then used in initial screening, and those going on to the next stage are asked to complete a questionnaire. This is the practice in the Royal Bank of Scotland, for example. Graduates must fill in an online application form, which takes around 45 minutes to complete. "If your application meets our initial requirements, we will ask you to complete an online numerical reasoning test [. . .] In addition, you will be asked to complete an online competency questionnaire, which will give us an indication of your working style. There are 16 sets of questions to answer, and it will take approximately 30 minutes to complete," the bank explains to candidates.

In other organisations, though, the questionnaire - usually administered online or by telephone - represents the initial stage in the process, and only those jobseekers whose answers to the questions satisfy pre-determined criteria will be invited to lodge an application.

In all or any of these variants, competencies often play a major role in the design of the questionnaires. Not only have many organisations decided that competencies will be central to graduate recruitment - with the result that their relevance to questionnaire design is immediately obvious - but the format of competency frameworks lends itself readily to this purpose.

In most frameworks, each competency is accompanied by information designed to help assessors in their selection decisions. The competency will be described or defined, and there will be lists of examples of the ways in which the competency's performance might be observed in action. In some cases, these examples will include ways in which the competency should not be performed, known as "negative indicators".

Just as this information can help assessors, it can aid self-assessment by the graduate. And just as competencies can be set out as statements or examples, they can be translated into questions and answers.

References

Cabinet Office (2002), Fast stream recruitment report, 2001-2002, Cabinet Office, www.faststream.gov.uk .

Doherty, Liz (2002), presentation to Graduate Employability in Hospitality Conference, LTSN and HCIMA, 21 February 2002, www.brookes.ac.uk .

Eastaff, Terri (2002), presentation to Graduate Employability in Hospitality Conference, LTSN and HCIMA, 21 February 2002, www.brookes.ac.uk .

Harvey, Lee, Locke, William and Morey, Alistair (2002), Enhancing employability, recognising diversity, Universities UK and CSU, www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/employability/ .

IRS (2002), Graduate recruitment, 2002/03 .

Kandola, Binna and Galpin, Martin (2003), "Assessing and developing high-fliers: the case for meta-competencies", Competency & Emotional Intelligence, vol. 10 no.2, pp.20-24.

Kandola, Rajvinder et al (2001), The graduate recruitment manual, Gower.

Kennan, Tony (2000), People Management, p.30, 25 May.

National Audit Office (2002), Improving student achievement in English higher education, www.nao.gov.uk .

Rankin, Neil (2002), Twin peaks: competencies for sales and marketing staff

Rankin, Neil (2003), Graduate recruitment, 2003/04: cutbacks and change .

1. The most commonly used competencies This box shows, in descending order, the competencies most commonly used in graduate recruitment. We have analysed 339 competencies, counting each skill area separately (competencies that include two skill areas under one heading have been counted twice). Box 2 gives some alternative names for the competency headings shown below. 1. Communication 2. Results orientation 3. Teamworking 4. Analysis 5. Business acumen 6. Motivation 7. Problem-solving 8. Flexibility 9. Persuasiveness 10. Interpersonal skills 11. Customer focus 12. Decision-making 13. Leadership 14. Management skills 15. Relevant technical skills 16. Resilience 17. Creativity 18. Learning orientation 19. Self-confidence 20. Initiative 21. Planning 22. Relationship building 23. Change orientation 24. Quality focus 25. Integrity 26. Self-management 27. Continuous improvement 28. Developing others 29. Intellectual ability 30. Foreign languages 31. IT skills 32. Diversity Source: IRS.

 

2. Competencies for new graduates This box uses the names of the most commonly found graduate competencies shown in box 1, and gives synonyms and related names for them as found in different employers' competency frameworks. The list of competencies in this box can be used as a reference source for organisations developing or reviewing their competency frameworks for new graduate recruitment. Some examples bring together two or more different competencies, but have been shown only once. Analysis Analyses data and learns fast Analysing information Analysis and decision-making Analysis and judgment Gathering, analysing and interpreting data Business acumen Appreciation of work culture Business awareness Business sense Commercial awareness Entrepreneurial skills and commercial awareness Change orientation Contribute to change Communication Communicates in an open, direct manner Communication skills Communications and knowledge-sharing Communicating, influencing and relationship building Effective communication skills Literacy Oral and written communication Continuous improvement Improving for excellence Creativity Creativity and innovation Developing ideas Innovation and change Think creatively Customer focus Client responsiveness Connects with customers Customer satisfaction Customer service Decision-making Decision-making skills Decisiveness Judgment Taking responsibility and decisions Developing others Develops employees and teams Personnel development Diversity Appreciation of diversity Drives diversity Flexibility Adaptability Flexible and adaptable Foreign languages Competence in a foreign language Initiative Initiate new and better ways of doing things Initiative and innovation Integrity Demonstrates honesty and integrity Does the right thing Personal standards Intellectual ability Intellect and problem-solving Interpersonal skills Empathy Interpersonal sensitivity IT skills IT Leadership Leadership and development Leadership potential Learning orientation Constant interest in learning Developing self and others Learning to learn Willingness to learn Management skills Delegation Motivation Ambition Commitment Enthusiasm Organisational commitment Passion and the right attitude Persuasiveness Influence Negotiation skills Persuasive ability Planning Forward planning Planning and managing time Planning and organising Problem-solving Develop innovative solutions to problems Problem analysis Problem-solving and innovation Quality focus Commitment to quality Inspire a passion for excellence Relationship building Ability to build relationships and inspire trust Building relationships Developing relationships Relevant technical skills Demonstrate technical, professional and functional expertise Relevant degree Relevant specialist skills Resilience Demonstrates resilience Stress tolerance Working under pressure Results orientation Ability to deliver results Contribute to delivery Delivers results Drive for results Driven and ambitious Driven to achieve Own your part in delivering results Self-confidence Confidence Confidence and flair Confidence under pressure Have confidence Self-management Personal organisation Working independently Teamworking Be one team Team skills Teamwork/working with others Working with others: teamwork and leadership Other Accuracy and attention to detail Community commitment Courage Demands the truth Mature, professional attitude Based on an analysis of 38 frameworks containing 339 competencies. Source: IRS.

 

3. British Petroleum (Document extract) Global graduate competencies: Interpersonal skills and influence Can communicate with positive personal impact and influence. Drive Able to go beyond what the situation requires and act before being asked. Able to identify and seize opportunities. An underlying concern for doing things better and more efficiently. Business sense Able to set priorities and evaluate options on a commercial and community sense. Uses time and resources to drive business performance. Thinking Can analyse and synthesise experience, observations and information to evaluate options and identify patterns and future possibilities. Working together Able to shift strategies and accept other viewpoints. Able to interpret the feelings, unspoken concerns, desires, strengths and weaknesses of others. Source: BP, www.bpfutures.com .

 

4. The National Graduate Development Programme (Document extract) [The National Graduate Development Programme for Local Government (NGDP) provides a centralised graduate recruitment service for participating local authorities in England and Wales. It uses a set of "assessment dimensions" in its selection process.] There are four stages to the recruitment process. The first three form the national part of the process and consist of an application form, first-round interview and assessment centre. At each of these stages, we will be assessing you against six validated assessment dimensions: a combination of skills and abilities that lead to highly effective performance on the NGDP. Working with others You work alongside others with sensitivity, bringing together people's strengths and abilities to achieve a common goal or purpose. Drive for results You're able to act on your own initiative and take responsibility for decisions that achieve results. You demonstrate tenacity when pursuing goals, and you're prepared to challenge the status quo to bring about improvements. Planning and organisation You're able to manage your time and prioritise effectively to achieve objectives and deliver work within tight deadlines. Persuasive communication You communicate and successfully negotiate with confidence (both orally and in writing), adapting your style of communication to the audience. Analysis You can identify, analyse and interpret relevant information from a range of sources, to develop well-informed solutions. Motivation for learning You proactively seek opportunities for personal development. You aim to learn from every new experience and can apply your new-found knowledge and skills to a range of situations. Source: National Graduate Development Programme for Local Government/Employers' Organisation for Local Government, www.ngdp.co.uk .

 

5. Vodafone (Document extract) Vodafone have established a set of six core competencies, which we believe will enable us to build on our success. And, throughout the selection process, we'll be looking for evidence that you can demonstrate them. Delivering results The ability to set and prioritise measurable targets as well as manage your own time and resources is essential. We need people who are motivated by results and who are not afraid to take calculated risks in order to achieve them. Putting customers first Delighting our customers is key to our success, making it vital that employees appreciate the value of profitable customers to our business. We need individuals who demonstrate the ability to listen to and understand customer needs and deliver solutions that exceed their expectations. Performing through people The complex and challenging nature of projects within Vodafone demands a collaborative approach to working. To be successful, you'll need to value and adapt to different cultures and develop working relationships based on mutual trust and respect. Making a personal difference Revolutionising the mobile industry has taken people who learn from their mistakes and stand up for what they believe in. Vodafone sets itself high standards and needs people who are keen to take personal responsibility and always go the extra mile. Managing a changing environment This is a fast-paced industry where change happens on a daily basis. And, to keep up, you'll need sound judgment and the analytical skills to think laterally when you're solving problems. Communicating for impact Vodafone values the ability to communicate clearly, concisely and confidently. We need people who can tailor style, tone and content to inspire and persuade any audience. Source: Vodafone, www.vodafone.co.uk .