Role profiling and job analysis are essential but sometimes complex procedures. Why make it more difficult with manual processes? In today’s’ post, we take a look at the advantages of digital profiling methods.
In our last post, we looked at key criteria for creating high-quality profiles. To recap, they are:
- Profiles should serve organisational strategy
- Using competencies that can be assessed is essential
- Use profiles for more than just job descriptions
- Update and maintain profiles regularly
Keeping the above principles in mind will certainly help IO professionals to create profiles within their organisation that are relevant and useful. But as is often the case with complex talent management processes, delivery is commonly more challenging than conception.
Beyond manual profiling
Traditionally, profiling a position would involve plenty of paperwork, back-and-forth emailing, and the ever-present risk of a critical piece of information getting lost in the process. An additional risk is lack of consistency in profiles. Manual or semi-manual processes invite individual interpretation and variation. So, depending on who is conducting the profiling session, the resulting profile may not be comparable with those created by someone else.
Because of these and other challenges, we decided to develop a more consistent, more efficient and more secure profiling method. By moving away from manual methods and embracing emerging online technologies, we could help our clients to create company-specific profiles without the hassle and risk associated with outmoded techniques.
By housing the profiling process online, clients have a digital, secure database of all role profiles. What’s more, the system, which we call tts define, guides the profiling process using best practice guidelines to deliver an ultimately more professional and efficient product.
Assessment-relevant competencies
The tts define system was built with the central assumption that organisations always benefit from using competency frameworks that are compatible with (or even based on) scientific assessments. Clients of tts define can use validated and robust competency libraries like the Saville Wave or cut-e shapes frameworks to define critical and important job-specific competencies. If they have pre-existing competency structures, these can also be incorporated into the system.
The advantage of this approach: job profiles are not only linked to skills, qualifications, and organisational levels. Candidates can also be assessed for job match using best-of-breed psychometric tests.
Quick and efficient profile creation
One of the key benefits of using a profiling tool like tts define is the sheer speed and efficiency of the production process. Because SMEs and managers can be included in the profiling session online, the entire profiling session can be controlled remotely and won’t depend on all participants’ diaries lining up (always a near-impossibility in our time-pressured professional lives).
Once participants have been selected (depending on their expertise) for different contributions to the profile, they are guided through the process quickly and effortlessly. Using an innovative digital version of traditional card-sort techniques, SMEs can assign and rank competencies that are most relevant for job success.
Because all participants’ contributions are stored and collated, the IO professional’s work-load and risk of missing data is substantially reduced. Another advantage: because less time is spent on the logistics of a profiling session, more time becomes available for real value-adds, such as reviewing profile consistency and ensuring full participant involvement.
Once profiles have been finalised, the process comes full circle by directly informing assessments using the tts assess system. For more details on this system, click here.
If you enjoyed this article and would like to know how you can use tts define to make your profiling processes more efficient and aligned with best practices, drop us a line at info@tts-talent.com or call us on (012) 142-0010.