About the Program

While credit unions wanted to help develop system-wide solutions, they didn't want to re-invent the wheel. If credit unions were already doing something that could be adapted to the whole system, we should take advantage of those things. Credit unions also wanted the resulting programs to be flexible enough to allow them to choose the components that would best serve their needs. Four credit unions were already working together to develop a human resources program based on behavioural competencies. Central's Human Resources department was also working on a competency-based program. The five organizations agreed to lead the development of the system program as a group. Research had shown that other organizations were using similar competency-based programs with a great deal of success. These programs were flexible enough to allow for the changing business needs of employers and the career plans of employees. By focusing first on peoples' behaviours and how they go about doing their jobs, rather than just on technical skills, employers were better able to fit the right person in a job. Top performers could be more objectively identified and rewarded, and the behaviours that differentiated top performers could be developed in other employees.

All of these attributes addressed the needs of the system, so a decision was made to adapt this program for use by the entire system. The program would include the tools needed to recruit and manage the performance of employees, compensate them and plan for successors to those in key positions. The PDS team would also investigate the best way to deliver training to prospective and existing credit union employees.

The amount of time and resources needed by your credit union to implement behavioural competencies will depend on how many employees you have and whether you are currently using some form of performance management system. Although each credit union will proceed differently, the following steps will be needed.

• Appoint a project or team leader.
• Communicate with your employees.
• Review the behavioural competency models to ensure they reflect the work done in your credit union.
• Adapt your performance management system to accommodate these behavioural competencies.
• Train employees and supervisors.
• Begin new performance planning process.
• Begin using behavioural event interviewing techniques for selection and staffing.

The compensation tools provided by the project can be linked to behavioural competencies, or may be implemented separately. The succession planning tools will be linked to behavioural competencies.

As part of the program, a competency-based human resources system has been developed for the credit union system. It includes:

• Behavioural competency glossary
• Performance management tools
• Selection and staffing tools
• Succession planning strategies

Also included in the project are:

• Recruitment and retention strategies
• Training information
• Total rewards management processes and templates