How to Use the Talent Assessment and Competency Profiler
This tool helps you assess both candidates and employees against core and leadership competencies, generating a professional report with development priorities in minutes.
Before You Begin
- Select whether you are assessing a Candidate or an Employee. The tool will adjust the labels and report accordingly.
- For candidate assessments, decide which competencies are most relevant to the role before the interview. For employee assessments, focus on competencies tied to current performance expectations or development goals.
- Review the competency definitions and behavioral indicators for each level so you know what evidence to look for.
During the Assessment
- For interviews, take brief notes on specific behaviors and examples the candidate demonstrates. Your own words are sufficient.
- For employee assessments, draw on observed behavior over time, performance conversations, and documented evidence rather than relying on a single interaction.
Using the Tool
- Fill in the subject name, role and your name at the top.
- Select a competency from the dropdown. The definition, key elements and all three behavioral levels will appear for reference.
- Click the level that best reflects what you have observed. Level 1 is Developing, Level 2 is Proficient and Level 3 is Advanced.
- Add specific observations or direct quotes in the text box to support your rating.
- Click "Add to Assessment" and repeat for each competency you are evaluating.
- Once complete, click "Generate Report." If you have assessed three or more competencies, a visual competency profile chart will also appear.
- Use "Print / Save PDF" to share the report with relevant stakeholders.
How to Read the Results
- Overall Profile is a simple average of all competency scores. Strong Fit indicates an average above 2.5, Moderate Fit between 1.8 and 2.5, and Developing below 1.8.
- Competency Results show each assessed competency with the observed level and any behavioral notes you recorded. Core and leadership competencies are presented separately for clarity.
- Competency Profile Chart provides a visual snapshot of strengths and gaps across all assessed competencies. Each colored dot represents the observed level for that competency.
- Development Priorities are ranked by urgency. Level 1 gaps appear first as High Priority, Level 2 as Medium Priority, and Level 3 competencies are flagged as Leverage Strengths with suggestions on how to utilize them further.
- Results should always be read alongside other evidence such as references, performance history and role requirements. No single assessment should be the sole basis for a hiring or development decision.
Disclaimer: This tool is intended to support structured talent assessment and does not replace the professional judgment of a qualified HR professional.
Why Organizations Manage Talent Through Competencies?
The Benefit to Individuals:
- To establish individual competency based on the vision and talent of the industry and company
- To provide direction for ‘individual’ development and quality
- To present individual competency from the viewpoint of unit and organization
- To specify individual developmental objectives for better results in the future
The Benefit to Organization:
- To train and develop employees
- To encourage improvement - oriented activities
- To motivate through regular feedback
- To support career development needs from employees
- To understand performance and competency of high performers & potentials
What do the proficiency levels mean?
Developing (Level 1)
- New to role or does not consistently demonstrate expected behaviors, knowledge and skills for the role
- Minimal level of experience or upskilling to full role of competency
Proficient (Level 2)
- Consistently demonstrates expected behaviors, knowledge and skills for the role - a solid contributor to achieving the organization's goals
- Will typically have mastered a technical area
Advanced (Level 3)
- Consistently demonstrates outstanding observable behavior, knowledge and skills in the role that are clear role model behaviors and strengthen the contribution of the individual in the organization
- Will typically have exceptional technical know-how
Recommended Resources
- Identify your most critical positions and mitigate long-term risk with our Succession Planning & Financial Risk Calculator.
- Explore our Competency-Based Probing Guide: A structured assessment tool for a more conceptual interview framework.
- Explore our Focused Interview Guide: Expert techniques, response coding, and ready-to-use exercises.
- Access our Free Competency Dictionary, a comprehensive library of behaviors to supplement your talent profiling process.