Welcome to Penn States Competencies Program

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Welcome to Penn States Competencies Program
October 2008
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Topics

• Background of Competencies at PSU
• Advantages of Competencies
• Administrative Support Group
• Next Steps

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Competencies ProgramBackground

• Workforce and organizational needs have changed
  since Staff Position Evaluation Compensation
  process (SPEC) was implemented in 1992
• Competencies program is being implemented to
  provide a more comprehensive method for
  recruiting, developing, evaluating, compensating
  and retaining employees

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Competencies ProgramBackground
To continue to retain and recruit highly-skilled
employees, we must have a job classification
system in place that best reflects the needs and
values of todays workplace. Billie
Willits Associate Vice President Human
Resources
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Competencies ProgramBackground

• Program developed based on review of
• Overall goals of the new program
• SPECs strengths and weaknesses
• Peer institutions compensation practices
• Best practices for compensation systems
• Relevant market data
• Input from focus groups

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Competencies ProgramBackground

• Developed by Office of Human Resources
  specialists with input and guidance from
• Executive Oversight group composed of Deans and
  Executives
• Human Resources Representatives from Colleges and
  Administrative Units
• Employees from each of the groups being
  transitioned University-wide

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Competencies ProgramBackground

• Goal was to develop a new classification system
  that
• Considers both internal and external equity
• Supports quality decisions in recruiting,
  developing, evaluating, compensating and
  retaining employees
• Provides clear guidance for job classification
  and career growth

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Competencies ProgramBackground

• All Staff employees (approximately 9000) will
  transition to program
• Five groups of employees (approximately 3600)
  transitioned by the end of 2008
• HR exempt employees
• IT exempt employees
• Research Engineers
• Development fund-raising staff
• Administrative Support employees

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Competencies Program

• Advantages
• Supports retention of current employees by
  clarifying expectations and career paths
• Supports attraction of top talent by
• Identifying competencies required for successful
  performance in position
• Reflecting market rates in offers
• Allowing flexibility in posting of open
  positions, therefore reduced time to fill
• Supports reduction in replacement costs
  (mismatched placements and voluntary separations)

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Competencies Program

• Advantages
• Supports more unit autonomy by
• Allowing more flexibility in recruiting and
  announcing jobs (open level, multiple level)
• Streamlining process for salary offers and
  position reviews
• Retains equitability through consistent
  guidelines and audits of unit actions
• Creates cohesive recruitment, development,
  evaluation, and compensation processes

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Competencies Program
Comparison

• New-Competencies
• Internal Market linkage
• 5 competencies
• Unit determines levels
• Process streamlined
• in work unit
• Questionnaire
• Job categories
• Levels
• Focus on competencies
• career paths

• Current-SPEC
• Internally driven
• 10 compensable factors
• Central OHR grades jobs
• Upgrades require central
• reviews
• PIQ
• Job titles
• Grades
• Focus is on job duties

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Competencies Program

• Five key competencies for job evaluation
• Teamwork and leadership
• Effective knowledge
• Accountability and self-management
• Communication
• High-level innovation and problem-solving

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Administrative Support Group

• Approximately 1900 Administrative Support Group
  employees transitioned to program effective
  10/1/08
• Units given opportunity to review positions in
  SPEC prior to mapping
• Positions mapped into two job categories
  Administrative Support Assistants (Levels 1-4)
  Administrative Support Coordinators (Levels 2-5)
• Four levels identified within each job category

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Administrative Support Group
New IBIS Position Title
Current IBIS Position Title

• Administrative Support
• Assistants
• Administrative Support
• Coordinators
• Administrative Support
• Coordinators

• Staff Assistants
• Administrative Assistants
• Other Grade 18-22
• positions

• Work-unit titles may continue to be used for Penn
  States online directory and employee phone book

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Administrative Support Group
New Level
Current Grade

• Level 1
• Level 2
• Level 3
• Level 4
• Level 5

• Grades 11 - 14
• Grades 15 - 16
• Grades 17 18
• Grades 19 20
• Grades 21 - 22

Current status as exempt or non-exempt will be
carried over to the new system.
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Example Profile - Administrative Support
Assistant Level 1
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Administrative Support Group

• FAQs
• Will employees get an increase as of the
  transition? Since job duties and
  responsibilities are not changing due to the
  transition to Competencies, there will be no
  salary increases or decreases as a result of the
  implementation.
• What if an employees job changes? Should a
  positions duties change significantly in the
  future, the employee may request that his/her job
  be re-evaluated. Such a request should be
  discussed with the employees supervisor. Since
  most jobs were evaluated recently, it is not
  anticipated that many changes will occur within
  the next 3-6 months.

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Administrative Support Group

• FAQs
• Will my job title change? Your job title in IBIS,
  Penn States central information system, will
  change to a new Competencies title on October 1,
  2008. However, your work-unit title will remain
  unchanged and can still be used for Penn States
  online directory, employee phone book, and
  marketing purposes.

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Administrative Support Group

• FAQs
• What are the salary ranges for each level? Salary
  ranges are being finalized that will include both
  current and upcoming positions being transitioned
  into the Competencies Program. As soon as the
  ranges are finalized, currently targeted for
  12/31/08, they will be communicated and posted on
  the Penn State Office of Human Resources website.
  Interim salary ranges will be utilized for
  current openings.

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Competencies ProgramNext Steps

• Approximately 5300 staff positions in 27 job
  families remain to be transitioned
• Best practices of prior implementations
  identified to streamline upcoming implementations
• Salary ranges need to be finalized and
  communicated
• Goal is to significantly reduce remaining
  timeframe to complete implementation

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Competencies ProgramNext Steps

• Administration
• Job Responsibilities Worksheets should be
  reviewed/completed if job changes
• Use of Employee Input Form is optional
• Link Evaluate computer software should be used by
  Human Resources Representatives
• Questionnaire within Link Evaluate should be used
  to evaluate competencies for positions being
  reviewed or new positions
• HR Reps should consult Salary Guideline Link
  Evaluate documentation for further guidance

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Competencies ProgramNext Steps

• Competencies will need to be integrated into
  other processes
• Hire Power Training and Implementation
• New Hire Orientation
• Mastering Supervision
• General Salary Increase Process
• Staff Review and Development Process
• Succession Planning

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Competencies ProgramNext Steps
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Competencies ProgramNext Steps

• Communications
• Additional information on the transition of
  remaining positions into Competencies will be
  provided
• Employee questions about Competencies should be
  referred to supervisor or HR Reps
• Employment Compensation specialists are
  available for additional consultation for
  supervisors and/or Human Resources Reps