LeaderBase for Succession Planning
In a survey done by Human Resources Director Canada, over a third of companies reported not having job descriptions for each position in their organization. Even among companies that did have job descriptions, 43% reported never updating them.[1]
Making the right decision requires having the right information. That includes finding, hiring, and developing your team. Missing or outdated information can be a major barrier to acquiring top talent, but amidst rapid growth and industry change, most of today’s organizations struggle to clarify roles and identify needs.
In our work with organizations across North America, SIGMA noticed that many leaders don’t know what they’re looking for in essential members of their team. So, we decided to do some of the heavy lifting for you.
SIGMA’s LeaderBase is a collection of competencies needed for success in a number of critical leadership roles common across organizations. This database was developed from two sources: core competencies identified and endorsed by SIGMA’s succession planning clients, and job analysis using professional resources, such as O*NET.
Success Profiles
SIGMA’s LeaderBase is organized into Success Profiles, which use core competencies measured by the Leadership Skills Profile-Revised (LSP-R) to summarize the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for excellence in a particular role. Although high levels in every competency are conducive to performance, the competencies identified/endorsed for each role are tailored to the specific tasks and duties of that role. Competencies are categorized in three tiers:
Tier 1 – Critical. These competencies are necessary to perform key tasks in a role and are expected to yield excellent performance. Competencies at this tier are important for leaders across nearly all industries and organizations.
Tier 2 – Important. These competencies are necessary to perform major tasks in a role and are expected to yield skilled performance. At this tier, competencies are important for leaders at most organizations.
Tier 3 – Helpful. These competencies are not essential to a role but are expected to amplify performance in some tasks. Competencies at this tier are not necessarily important for leaders across organizations but they are, at minimum, relevant to some major duties and responsibilities according to job analysis information.
Future Competencies. These competencies are likely to become important to a role in the future. They have the potential to support adapting to changes in the industry, economy, and society. Competencies were selected based on job analysis information and/or client endorsements.
Using the LeaderBase
SIGMA’s LeaderBase can be used to supplement existing role requirements or provide a foundation for positions that currently do not have their own requirements specified. Essentially, SIGMA’s LeaderBase allows you to quickly access a thorough job analysis, which can benefit your organization in a variety of ways:
Hiring: Success Profiles allow you to attract and identify top talent. You can use them to define positions so that you know a good fit when you see one.
Succession Planning: You can use core and future competencies to identify candidates for succession, as well as target areas for growth and development.
Team Building: You can use Success Profiles to balance teams, clarify roles, and establish common expectations.
Employee Development: Competencies identified and endorsed for particular roles can be used to guide ongoing employee reviews and development.
Want To Use LeaderBase in your Organization?
SIGMA’s LeaderBase puts our expertise at your fingertips. We want to help you make the most of what we know. Contact us to learn more about LeaderBase and how you can use it to benefit your team.
[1] Douglas, E. (July 1, 2019). The state of job description creation in 2019. Retrieved from https://www.hcamag.com/ca/news/general/the-state-of-job-description-creation-in-2019/171452