From Jobs to Skills · Step 3 of 8
Chapter 3: Define a shared, usable skills language
This guide as a PDF:
↓ Leaders & Business Owners↓ HR & L&D↓ Team & Department Leaders↓ Complete EditionWhy this matters
A competency framework must be understandable to the people doing the work. Translate a small number of priority roles into essential tasks, then into skills with definitions and observable proficiency levels. Distinguish skills from tools, personal attributes, credentials and responsibilities. Use simple terms before adopting a sophisticated taxonomy.
How to run it
- For each pilot role, choose five to ten tasks central to success, including tasks affected by automation, new tools or regulatory change.
- Translate tasks into six to twelve essential skills per role; combine duplicate labels and explain each in plain language.
- Define what “supported”, “independent” and “advanced” look like in the actual context. Use the same wording for everyone in the role.
- Check definitions with employees, managers and subject-matter experts; invite counterexamples.
- Version the framework, give it an owner and schedule its review when work changes. Keep legal qualifications separate.
Workshop prompts
- Could a new employee tell from this definition what good work looks like?
- Does “communication” mean a specific observable action in this role?
- What should change when AI performs part of the task?
Adapt it to your organization
- Small business: keep role definitions to one page.
- Nonprofit: distinguish paid and volunteer tasks and required safeguarding.
- Business unit: reuse approved terminology where it is genuinely useful.
Illustrative example
A customer-support team replaces “excellent communicator” with “explains an issue in plain language, confirms understanding, and documents the agreed next step”. Reviewers can now observe the same behavior.
Common failure to avoid: Beware skill inflation: hundreds of generic labels, inconsistent level scales and “advanced” ratings based solely on seniority.
What to measure: Share of priority roles defined, role profiles reviewed by workers, ambiguous skills removed and time to update a changed role.
Deliverable and exit test: An approved pilot role-to-skills matrix with definitions, examples and a named maintainer.
Worksheet 3.1: Role-to-skills matrix
Copy and fill in this template during a working session. Name an owner, use verifiable facts and record the next review date.
| Prompt / field | Your notes / decision |
|---|---|
| Role and major responsibilities | ________________________________ |
| Critical task / outcome | ________________________________ |
| Essential skill (plain-language label) | ________________________________ |
| What competent delivery looks like | ________________________________ |
| Required proficiency (0–3) | ________________________________ |
| Regulated credential, if any | ________________________________ |
| Reviewer and next review | ________________________________ |
| Suggested action | Owner | Review date | Evidence / result |
|---|---|---|---|
| __________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
Worksheet 3.2: Proficiency anchor card
Copy and fill in this template during a working session. Name an owner, use verifiable facts and record the next review date.
| Prompt / field | Your notes / decision |
|---|---|
| Skill and context | ________________________________ |
| Level 1: supported behavior | ________________________________ |
| Level 2: independent behavior | ________________________________ |
| Level 3: advanced behavior | ________________________________ |
| Accepted evidence examples | ________________________________ |
| Potential bias or accessibility concern | ________________________________ |
| Employee and manager sign-off | ________________________________ |
| Suggested action | Owner | Review date | Evidence / result |
|---|---|---|---|
| __________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |