Presentation Objectives

Explain the role of the ACT WorkKeys® package in a comprehensive approach to human capital management

Provide examples/share successes

• The means to systematically define and assess the necessary knowledge, skills, and personal attributes associated with performance (and through complementary products, to improve knowledge and skills)

• Helps you to align jobs so that work gets done efficiently and effectively; select the right people to do the jobs; and continue to develop, challenge, and engage those people

Visualize an upward spiral from one job to the next….

The Typical Client… Has less clarity in job descriptions than they

think they have Doesn’t have clear entry level requirements Hasn’t adequately defined a path from an

entry level job to higher paid, higher skilled positions within the job family

In the absence of effective measurement, overlooks potential

Could be a lot more effective in addressing their skill shortage

In addition, the typical client… Understands the connection between

“behaviors” and job performance/success Doesn’t have an objective way to talk about

it And as a result, calls these skills “soft” and

struggles to communicate the connection between their training programs and people’s jobs

XYZ Company Example Profiled a Lab Technician position Company myth is that all Lab Techs are

cross-trained to fulfill all responsibilities Truth: Some with inadequate foundational

skills only perform a limited number of the tasks, reducing team flexibility

WorkKeys benefit: With foundational skill levels set, employees can now train to the established “effective performance” levels, making them trainable on all tasks

Company ABC Example Tried to fill semi-skilled positions from incumbents of the

unskilled entry level position Differences in foundational skill level requirements made

it impossible to connect the dots Collective bargaining unit allows, however, for people to

be hired from the outside if internal candidates are not qualified

WorkKeys profiling established qualifications for the next job in the hierarchy, which is semi-skilled, and these qualifications can be training targets/promotion requirements for entry level employees as well as hiring requirements for outside applicants

Result: People who are not trainable for the semi-skilled positions will not be promoted before they’re ready, simply based upon seniority; quality and efficiency improve

Company 1-2-3 Example One highly skilled position on shop floor clearly

requires Applied Technology skill Inconsistent skills in incumbent group, as

“outside” hires have formal training and those promoted from within see the trade as “art” rather than “science” (because they don’t understand the science)

WorkKeys benefit: With effective performance clearly defined, company commits to mandatory training, beginning with foundational skills. Results? Reduced set-up times, less waste during set-up, more flexibility

Company 4-5-6 Example Confusion and employee dissatisfaction due

to excessive number of job descriptions and pay grades for similar work

Lack of flexibility because of limitations of many employees in semi-skilled pay grades

WorkKeys benefit: After the firm consolidated job descriptions and pay grades, profiling provided thorough analysis and related skill requirements. Company’s commitment to training and developing employees then allowed for cross-training to requirements, increased performance/flexibility, and increased satisfaction

Replicate These Successful Replicate These Successful StrategiesStrategies

Define the job Require internal and external applicants to meet

profile Provide (incumbents) employees the opportunity to

remediate foundational skills to the “effective” level and to entry requirements of the next job in the job family

Encourage employees to participate in occupational training to attain next level competencies

Provide job-specific training, including technical, process improvement and personal skills

How to be Sure That People can and are Likely to……

Interpret and apply information critical to

getting the job done

Accept their roles and responsibilities

Perform critical tasks to necessary level

Assess WorkKeys RFI, LI, AM

WorkKeys Personal Skills Talent (i.e., Drive and Discipline)

WorkKeys Applied Technology; locate and utilize occupational and job specific training resources; train key employees to coach and train others

How to be sure that people… Choose behaviors that

advance team goals and support team relation-ships/development

Multi-task, paying attention to and focusing on more than one variable at a time

WorkKeys Teamwork

WorkKeys Observation

How to be Sure That People can and are Likely to… (continued)

Have the necessary personal attributes or tendencies to work effectively within and outside the team, self-managing to the extent possible

Understand requirements of higher level jobs in their job family, and prepare to meet them if they wish to advance

Talent Assessment (Carefulness, Order, Drive, Discipline, Cooperation, Stability, Sociability, Goodwill, etc.)

Profile all jobs in a family, provide objective feedback during performance evaluation, and allow access to training including KeyTrain and job-specific technical training

Talent Results: Key Attributes of Successful Performers @ 4-5-6

Quality Inspector: Discipline, Order

Production Tech: Discipline, Order, Striving, Carefulness

Press Tech: Order, Carefulness, Cooperation, Stability

Follow-up on Talent Follow-up on Talent AssessmentAssessment Inform employees of attributes of

successful incumbents of the various positions (beginning with their own)

Help them make the connection to performance

Coach employees to develop plans to cultivate behaviors linked to key attributes

Support plans with targeted training Recognize and reward attributes and

behaviors in addition to technical skills

Beyond WorkKeys, You Need… Procedures to both identify opportunities for

process improvement and to clear the way for improvements to be implemented and evaluated

Performance improvement interventions including training and coaching, to help individuals and teams build strategically-necessary attributes, knowledge, and skills

Legitimate climate surveys and the will to address their findings

Ongoing evaluation to know what’s working

Summary Effective performance requires effective

processes and effective organizational design

On the people side, performance requires specific knowledge, skills, and attributes, deficits in which result in added cost

In order to retain key talent, you have to be able to point the way to the next level

WorkKeys tools can be highly effective components of your human capital management strategy

Contact Information

Pat OstradickPerformance Improvement ConsultantOttawa Area Intermediate School District6364 136th Ave PVTHolland, MI 494241.877.298.0007, extension 4202postradi@oaisd.org