Competencies for Performance Appraisal
Competency Curriculum
Develop your job-related competencies with 39 online modules in Workday Learning. Learn more below.A New Framework
Now staff and supervisors can use Workday performance management tools, including a new competencies framework. Competencies will be applied automatically based on job profiles and management level.
For questions or additional information, contact your school or center Human Resources professional, or contact Human Resources Staff and Labor Relations at 215-898-6093.
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Competencies
Competencies are observable and measurable skills and behaviors that contribute to workplace effectiveness and career success. They are used to evaluate performance, make hiring decisions, identify development needs, and establish a strong talent pipeline. In 2022, in conjunction with the job architecture project of Workday Wave 2, the University acquired Korn Ferry’s set of 38 competencies.
Five University-wide Competencies
In consultation with senior leaders, the University has identified five university-wide competencies that are assigned to every staff member regardless of job family or job level.
These are:
- Ensures Accountability
- Collaborates
- Communicates Effectively
- Customer Focus
- Values Differences
Job Family Competencies
Additionally, five competencies are assigned based on job family. These five competencies were identified in a survey of representatives from each job family asking which of the 38 competencies they used most frequently and how important each was to effectiveness in their role.
Thus, each staff member will have a total of 10 competencies.
Each competency description comes with behavioral examples for four organizational levels:
- Entry/Support
- Individual Contributor
- Supervisor/Manager
- Director/Executive
These behaviors are further arranged into behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) that provide a consistent description and vocabulary to use when thinking about or discussing on-the-job behavior. BARS provide a means to evaluate on-the-job performance or candidate potential.
Proficiency Ratings
Staff and their managers are required to provide a proficiency rating for each of the 10 competencies. The proficiency rating values for competencies include the following:
- Needs improvement
- Meets expectations
- Exceeds expectations
The information in each staff member's performance review provides specific examples which will help in determining the appropriate proficiency rating for each competency.
Competency Curriculum
HR Talent Development has created an online competency curriculum to support Penn staff and leaders in understanding and developing their job-related competencies. These self-paced courses can be completed in any order. Click on the links to access each course.
- An Overview
- Communicates Effectively
- Drives Engagement
- Organizational Savvy
- Drives Vision and Purpose
- Persuades
- Collaborates
- Ensures Accountability
- Customer Focus
- Values Differences
- Drives Results
- Manages Conflict
- Interpersonal Savvy
- Builds Networks
- Attracts Top Talent
- Develops Talent
- Builds Effective Teams
- Business Insight
- Financial Acumen
- Tech Savvy
- Manages Ambiguity
- Nimble Learning
- Being Resilient
- Situational Adaptability
- Manages Complexity
- Decision Quality
- Balances Stakeholders
- Action Oriented
- Resourcefulness
- Directs Work
- Plans and Aligns
- Optimizes Work Processes
- Courage
- Instills Trust
- Demonstrates Self-awareness
- Self-development
- Global Perspective
- Cultivates Innovation
- Strategic Mindset
You can also access the competency courses on Workday Learning. New modules will continue to be added to this curriculum, so check back frequently.