Q&A - what is a competent person?
Q. Many articles and training documents refer to a “competent person”, but what’s the definition of this term and what can we do to prove our employees are competent?
A. Competency is based on five key aspects.
- skill - does the worker have the necessary skill to undertake the task?
- knowledge - do they have up to date knowledge of their activity?
- attitude/aptitude - do they have the right mindset and capability for the role?
- training - is their training relevant and timely?
- experience - how long has the employee been in the role?
So how can you demonstrate competence ? For new employees a good starting point is the job interview, where you can quiz candidates on their knowledge and experience. For some roles you may even set a practical text/exercise at the interview. You will also learn a lot about their attitude at this stage.
As a manager you need to be sure that you have the best person for the role, so for long-term employees you may need to record one-to-one conversations, performance appraisals and absences, accident rates, ongoing supervision requirements, etc. By collating this information regularly, you can identify if competency is being maintained.
Create your profile to unlock this advice and many more.