Value-oriented Corporate Culture
3.1 Kienbaum Consulting Group
3.1.3 Strategic Competency Management
A basic principle of our personnel management is the realization of our intensive human resources management know-how. Besides image, branding, international presence and financial strength, most likely, human resources management is the essential strategic success factor for success for consulting companies. Aspects of these overarching hr-factors for success are:
x Expertise;
x non-professional competencies;
x employer’s attractiveness for top-talents;
x long-term retention of high performers;
x career expectations of a consultant for the individual period of life get indicated in an appropriate career model for the respective consultant.
Fig. 3.4. Developing the Kienbaum Competency Model
Figure 3.4. demonstrates the development process of a tailor-made, overarching competency model that covers the needs of 3 divisions of a company and, in the next step, results in specific requirement profiles, e.g. for consulting or executive positions. It is crucial to deduct directly and indirectly professional and, in particu- lar, non-professional/social requirements that result from the strategic factors for success and also from the specific business situation. Here, external benchmarks have to be linked; business models and the philosophies of consulting companies on a regular basis have to be checked against the feasibility of their contents. Fig-
ure 3.5. shows the present competency model of Kienbaum Consultants Interna- tional, which is definitely based on non-professional competencies (behavior, opinion/personality) and general consulting competencies (ability to manage and be in charge of projects, sales and marketing skills, ability to develop products).
The indicated requirement profile refers to our leaders’/executives’ section; fur- ther profiles –based on identical rating scales– are available for
x Senior consultants;
x junior consultants/post-graduates (high relevance for the recruitment pro- cess);
x internal specialists for Service/Administration;
x positions in the field of service/support (for instance, project assistance, processing).
Fig. 3.5. Present Competency Model of Kienbaum Consultants and Target Profile Manager (entry level)
In particular, we apply our competency model in recruitment processes (for avoiding wrong decisions and identifying potential in personnel), in the annual feedback processes (note the key instrument “employee discussion”) and in the re- sulting planning of professional and non-professional personnel development measures. Which qualifying measures to be chosen for the individual employee mainly results from the previous professional career/ biography (the time, the per- son has worked in a certain position and the experience) and from the feedback
given by project managers and supervisors. Our competency model considers pro- fessional competencies relevant for consulting and consulting instruments as well as certain fields of business/industries with the most important business processes;
accordingly, each division has developed additional professional competency pro- files for each field of competency. In the field of non-professional skills/competencies, the analysis of the employee’s status quo and the actually re- quired status quo results in budgeted qualification measures such as
x Behavior trainings;
x coaching;
x exchanging professional experiences in job-related work groups;
x mentoring performed by experienced consultants/executives (excluding mentoring by somebody’s direct supervisor);
x national and international conferences;
x job-rotation.
From the range of well-established personnel development processes and in- struments those ones that are of particular importance to Kienbaum and thus, are based on specifically designed and tested tools and application processes are marked in figure 3.6.
Schulung und Training Beurteilung
Ressourcen - Sicherung
» Mitarbeiter -
» Zielvereinbarungssystem
» Standort - und F ö rdergespr äch
» Personalreview
» -Center
» Aufwä rtsbeurteilung
» 360 °- Feedback Personalplanung
» Kompetenz -Analyse
» Ausbildungs -Design
» Expertenlaufbahn
»
» Bildungsbedarfs -Analyse
»
» Mitarbeiterbefragungen
»
»
» Nachfolgeplanung
» Mentoring
» Job - Rotation
» - Programm
» Job -Enlargement / Job - Enrichment
» Auslandsentsendungen
» Aus - und Weiterbildung
» Fachliche Weiterbildung
» Verhaltens - und management - bezogene Seminare
»
» Coaching und Einzeltraining
»
» Teamtraining und Moderation
»
Education & Training Assessment
Procurement of Resources
» System for assessing employees
» MbO system
» Audit and coaching conversation
» Personnel review
» Assessment - Center
» Bottom- up assessment
» 360 ° - Feedback Qualitative Personnel
Planning
» Analysis of competencies
» Design of training
» Expert careers
» Career model
» Analysis of further education
» Research in the field of personnel
» Employee surveys
» Quantitative personnel planning
» Individual career planning
» Succession planning
» Mentoring
» Job - Rotating
» Trainee - Programs
» Job - Enlargement / Job - Enrichment
» Expatriate programs
» Basic trainng and education
» Expertise enlargement
» Seminars on behavioral &
managerial skills
» Development programs
» Coaching and individual training
» Learning on - the - job and projects
» Team training and moderation
» Transfer and controlling of education
Schulung und Training Beurteilung
Ressourcen - Sicherung
» Mitarbeiter -
» Zielvereinbarungssystem
» Standort - und F ö rdergespr äch
» Personalreview
» -Center
» Aufwä rtsbeurteilung
» 360 °- Feedback Personalplanung
» Kompetenz -Analyse
» Ausbildungs -Design
» Expertenlaufbahn
»
» Bildungsbedarfs -Analyse
»
» Mitarbeiterbefragungen
»
»
» Nachfolgeplanung
» Mentoring
» Job - Rotation
» - Programm
» Job -Enlargement / Job - Enrichment
» Auslandsentsendungen
» Aus - und Weiterbildung
» Fachliche Weiterbildung
» Verhaltens - und management - bezogene Seminare
»
» Coaching und Einzeltraining
»
» Teamtraining und Moderation
»
Education & Training Assessment
Procurement of Resources
» System for assessing employees
» MbO system
» Audit and coaching conversation
» Personnel review
» Assessment - Center
» Bottom- up assessment
» 360 ° - Feedback Qualitative Personnel
Planning
» Analysis of competencies
» Design of training
» Expert careers
» Career model
» Analysis of further education
» Research in the field of personnel
» Employee surveys
» Quantitative personnel planning
» Individual career planning
» Succession planning
» Mentoring
» Job - Rotating
» Trainee - Programs
» Job - Enlargement / Job - Enrichment
» Expatriate programs
» Basic trainng and education
» Expertise enlargement
» Seminars on behavioral &
Schulung und Training Beurteilung
Ressourcen - Sicherung
» Mitarbeiter -
» Zielvereinbarungssystem
» Standort - und F ö rdergespr äch
» Personalreview
» -Center
» Aufwä rtsbeurteilung
» 360 °- Feedback Personalplanung
» Kompetenz -Analyse
» Ausbildungs -Design
» Expertenlaufbahn
»
» Bildungsbedarfs -Analyse
»
» Mitarbeiterbefragungen
»
»
» Nachfolgeplanung
» Mentoring
» Job - Rotation
» - Programm
» Job -Enlargement / Job - Enrichment
» Auslandsentsendungen
» Aus - und Weiterbildung
» Fachliche Weiterbildung
» Verhaltens - und management - bezogene Seminare
»
» Coaching und Einzeltraining
»
» Teamtraining und Moderation
»
Education & Training Assessment
Procurement of Resources
» System for assessing employees
» MbO system
» Audit and coaching conversation
» Personnel review
» Assessment Center
» Bottom-up assessment
» 360 ° - Feedback Qualitative Personnel
Planning
» Analysis of competencies
» Design of training
» Expert careers
» Career model
» Analysis of further education
» Research in the field of personnel
» Employee surveys
» Quantitative personnel planning
» Individual career planning
» Succession planning
» Mentoring
» Job - Rotating
» Trainee - Programs
» Job - Enlargement/
Job -Enrichment
» Expatriate programs
» Basic training and education
» Expertise enlargement
» Seminars on behavioral and managerial skills
» Development programs
» Coaching and individual training
» Learning on - the - job and projects
» Team training and moderation
» Transfer and controlling of education
Fig. 3.6.Instruments Relevant for Personnel Development
As in the field of consulting there are many individualists and ambitious peo- ple working, referring to the internal human resources management, an essential part is the continuous and consistent career planning. Within this context, the em- ployee discussion is a key tool which consists at Kienbaum of the following mod- ules:
x Management by objectives (the objectives of the previous year are assessed on, objectives for the following year are agreed on);
x feedback on the behavior (GAP-analysis based on the strategic competency model and the requirement profile for the respective job-group);
x deduction of qualifying measures/training;
x analysis of potential for further fields of responsibility which of course, get checked against the employee’s personal career expectations.
The results are based on appropriate instruments (noted-down agreement on ob- jectives, personnel development plan, career plan) and are processed further in strategy meetings, in particular for the human resource management/planning.
Here, the set-up of a personnel portfolio for all divisions of our company is espe- cially important (see Figure 3.7.). Individual career expectations as well as an em- ployee’s obvious weaknesses in performance result in a development plan which focuses on
x Accelerated improvement, or otherwise, in a limitation of responsibilities or even in an outplacement on the external job market;
x systematic extension of consulting and general responsibilities (e.g. in form of being in charge of a project);
x internal and external responsibility for projects;
x short- and medium-term promotion planning, based on respective objectives and supportive training.
Our career model concentrates on the following levels:
x Joining the company as a Consultant’s Assistant/Junior Consultant;
x Consultant (usually 2 to 4 years experience);
x Senior Consultant;
x Senior Project Manager (within the career model for extended operational careers);
x leadership level 2 (full responsibility for the results of the profit center and the team allocated to the Consultant’s certain field of competency);
x leadership level 1 (usually Partners, complex responsibility for a consulting division and for the level 2 Managers within this division);
x Executive – full responsibility for all individual divisions of the company;
together with other Executives responsible for the group’s strategy.
Herr B. Herr Dr. D.Work horses Talent
Problematic cases
Herr Dr. A Herr L.
Herr C
Work horses with potential Herr B. Herr Dr. D.Star
Evaluation of potential
overemployed
Above average Below average
Same level, enlarged respon- sibility or new position Next level in 2-3 years Next level immediately
Same level of responsibility, same position also in the future
Average
10 % 15 % 25% 25 % 15 % 10%
(50%)
Performance Assessment Fig. 3.7. Personnel Portfolio
The single career steps are based on clearly defined entry criteria/requirements which refer to objectives concerning the consultant’s performance as well as the behavior. If these criteria have not been met for two years, the job position is ad- justed to the consultant’s performance/ behavior and thus, his/her responsibility is reduced, accordingly. This way, we develop towards a targeted model of ’inner mobility’ that we prefer to the up-or-out principle which in our opinion, does not offer any perspective with respect to the narrow job market and increasing expec- tations about a consultant’s experience.
The qualifying/ training measures are realized by an internal hr-team that organ- izes in-house training programs and analyzes the external market of training pro- viders; if necessary, they make first contacts with external trainers/ experts. Our in-house training program, offered by the Kienbaum Academy, provides our em- ployees with the following services:
x Welcome @ Kienbaum event for employees new to the company;
x organization of in-house trainings (some of them are performed by;
Kienbaum-trainers, others by selected external trainers);
x transparent information on the recognizable external training providers and renowned topics/speakers;
x support in the chose of seminars and external seminar providers;
x purchase of external coaches for single training and consulting.
The creation of value regarding an excellent personnel selection, which guaran- tees that potential is identified and wrong hiring decisions are avoided, is likely to be higher than the outcome of a permanent investment in qualifying measures for the employees. This holds true especially for the highest requirements like prob- lem solving, stress-resistance, motivation, social competence, and flexibility in behavior are concerned. Therefore, the recruitment and selection processes are one of the key tasks of managers/executives; the following tools support these crucial processes:
x Partly-structured, competency-based interview guidelines for at least 2 com- prehensive interviews with the applicant;
x systematic analysis of the professional biography, based on our experience (grades, colleges/universities graduated from, milestones in the biography etc.);
x self-assessment and personality-questionnaire;
x partly-dynamic single-assessment tailored to the job level of consulting the person has applied for.
In the assessments, we apply the four-eyes-principle (meaning that always two observers assess the applicant) and simulate typical situations a consultant is con- fronted with in his/her every day’s work, for instance, analyzing a problem, hav- ing a conflict discussion with another consultant or a client, planning a project, performing in acquisition/ presentations and (for managerial or executive level) leadership tasks. Our good reputation as a consulting company that provides its clients with excellent assessment centers and management audits reflects our pro- found knowledge in the field of hr-consulting, and in particular, in the selection and assessment of personnel. Thus, we consequently use our expertise for our company’s internal recruitment processes. Having concentrated on graduates for our company’s recruitment division in the past, today, our main target group are experienced consultants that are presently working for competitors and senior managers working in fields of business/ industries that are interesting to us. While the recruitment division’s focus is on experienced consultants, hr-managers, and sales managers, our two divisions offering consulting services in the “traditional”
sense (i.e. human resources management and Business Efficiency division) con- centrate on three different kinds of candidates. One-third of the employees we take in here, are graduates that enter our company as assistants/ junior consultants, the second group consists of experienced specialists, and the third one of top-leaders/
managers from competitors and target companies.