Writing a role profile and competency framework
For HR generalists, hiring managers and team leads who need to describe what a role requires in a way that can be assessed fairly and used for development. No prerequisites; 'Hiring: writing a fair job description and advert' is useful alongside it. You'll run a small job analysis to find the critical tasks and competencies, write competency definitions that are clear and observable, describe proficiency levels with behavioural indicators, assemble a role profile that says how each requirement will be assessed, and decide how one framework can serve hiring, performance and development. Models used: the US Office of Personnel Management's competency and job analysis resources and the UK Civil Service Success Profiles. Your organisation's grading structure and HR approval process apply on top.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Length
- About 98 minutes
- Contents
- 5 lessons · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 10 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Identify the critical tasks and competencies for a role using a structured job analysis
- Write competency definitions that are clear, cover a single characteristic and describe behaviour
- Write behavioural indicators that distinguish proficiency levels for a competency
- Build a role profile that links each requirement to how it will be assessed
- Choose how to use one competency framework consistently across hiring, performance and development
Course outline
- 1.Identifying critical tasks and competencies with a job analysisLesson · 18 min
- 2.Writing competency definitions that are clear and observableLesson · 16 min
- 3.Writing behavioural indicators for proficiency levelsLesson · 16 min
- 4.Building a role profile that links requirements to assessmentLesson · 16 min
- 5.Using one framework across hiring, performance and developmentLesson · 12 min
- 6.Writing a role profile and competency framework: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 14 questions
- 7.Writing a role profile and competency framework: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
- 8.Final exam10 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- US OPM: Competencies (Assessment & Selection)
- US OPM: Writing Competencies (summary sheet, PDF)
- US OPM: Proficiency Levels for Leadership Competencies (PDF)
- US OPM: Job Analysis (Assessment & Selection)
- US OPM: Six Steps to Conducting a Job Analysis (checklist, PDF)
- US OPM: Structured Interviews (Assessment & Selection)
- GOV.UK (Cabinet Office): Success Profiles
- GOV.UK (Cabinet Office): Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours
See it with your own jobs and topics
Tell us about your team and we'll walk you through setup, from choosing jobs to your first skills check.