1 A pply the competencies approach to the person specifi cation of a lobbyist provided above.

Increasingly organisations are considering competencies as an important feature of recruitment and selection, because of their association with good performance in an organisational role. The Training Agency (1989) defined competence as the ability to perform the activities within an occupation or function to the standards expected in employment. The emphasis is on performing with the necessary level of skill to a desired standard, and national qualifications

(e. g. Certificate in Management) can act as a means of verification and endorsement to ensure that the standard is achieved. This can be of assistance to selectors. For example, a person with a Certificate in Management is deemed to possess a range of specified competencies in a number of areas

(e. g. HRM, financial decision-
making and information technology).
Of course, there will be certain elements of competence not assessed by national awards, and organisations are expected to compensate for this omission when they analyse jobs.
For example, London Transport carried out a competency-
based analysis of the position of supervisor, and now bases recruitment and selection around such criteria as written and oral communication, planning and organising, customer awareness, quality consciousness and attention to detail. Within these general headings, more specific criteria are identified.
For instance, a person competent in oral communication is able to convey information and instructions that can be easily understood, and a person competent in planning and organising has the ability to prioritise work and plan or schedule it. The above competencies must be kept firmly in mind when assessment of skills is made during the formal selection process.
It is considered prudent to identify the competencies that are likely to contribute to future organisational performance rather than having significance in a historical sense. The large pharmaceutical company Astra Zeneca at one time identified seven core competencies (IRS, 2002):
● provides clarity about strategic direction;
● builds relationships;
● ensures commitment;
● develops people;
● focuses on delivery;
● develops self-
awareness;
● demonstrates personal conviction.