EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This competency model was developed for The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) staff employees. According to Competencies at Work: Providing a Common Language for Talent Management by Bruce Griffiths and Enrique Washington, competency is defined as, “A cluster of behaviors representing one facet of what is needed to perform a job,” (Griffiths & Washington, 2015).
Founded in 1910, USM is a “dual-campus” public institution with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and its Gulf Park campus located along the Mississippi Gulf Coast in Long Beach, Mississippi. In addition to its two campuses, USM also has a presence at five different teaching and research sites in Mississippi including but not limited to: Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, John C. Stennis Space Center, and the Port of Gulfport (The University of Southern Mississippi, 2018). As of Fall 2017, USM had over 14,478 enrolled students with a student-faculty ratio of 17:1. The number of enrolled students consisted of high school dual-enrolled students, undergraduate students, and graduate students (The University of Southern Mississippi, 2017).
Included in this project is the design, development, and plan for the implementation and evaluation of a competency model for staff positions at USM. According to Business Dictionary, staff is defined as, “A job position within a chain of command of an organization that has the responsibility of providing information and advice to personnel in the line of position,” (Business Dictionary, 2018). For the entirety of this project, we will strictly be dealing with staff positions versus faculty positons at USM.
This project includes a project contract, project definition document, work breakdown structure (WBS), a competency model designed for staff positions at USM, a list of defined competencies and behaviors, a return on investment (ROI) data collection and analysis plan template, an implementation and evaluation plan for the competency model, and a lessons learned paper.
According to authors Bruce Griffiths and Enrique Washington, “Competencies provide a strong, objective foundation for an unbiased recruitment and selection process. Competencies are blind to race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. Instead, they provide the structure to fight bias and ensure fair treatment. To succeed, it is important to create and implement specific talent acquisition practices that will help drive desired diversity hiring outcomes,” (Griffiths & Washington, 2015).
This competency model was developed through communication and research. The competencies and behaviors that are included in this model will benefit and support the recruiting, selection, and training of all USM staff employees in order to maintain the organization's mission and increase the organization’s overall success. The competencies will ensure that all staff employees are ultimately aiding USM’s mission and vision by providing each and every staff employee with a general structured plan regarding their duties as a USM employee and for his/her continued professional success.
REFERENCES
Business Dictionary. (2018). Staff Position. Retrieved from www.businessdictionary.com
Griffiths, B., & Washington, E. (2015). Competencies at Work: Providing a Common Language for Talent Management. New York, NY: Business Expert Press, LLC.
The University of Southern Mississippi. (2017). About Southern Miss. Retrieved from www.usm.edu
The University of Southern Mississippi. (2018). Southern Miss Locations. Retrieved from www.home.usm.edu
U.S. News. (2018). University of Southern Mississippi. Retrieved from www.usnews.com