The Competence Profile (KSAO)

Required knowledge, skills and aptitudes

Successful job performance depends on the fit between the requirements of the position and the profile of the individual, often summarized in the acronym KSAO (knowledge, skills, aptitudes and other qualities).

Organizations look for candidates who possess this set of attributes to ensure that organizational objectives are achieved in a productive manner.

These elements are defined as the evaluative standards that serve as a measure of whether an employee is succeeding or failing in his or her daily tasks.

The competency profile acts as a guide for the selection department, allowing to predict the applicant's future behavior based on his current skills, formal education and previous demonstrable experience.

Technical (Hard) vs. Soft (Human) Competencies

Within the organizational environment, competencies are classified into two main categories: hard and soft.

Technical or "hard" competencies include knowing how to act and being able to act, referring to the formal knowledge acquired in universities or technical schools and the ability to apply these tools through specific methodologies and equipment.

On the other hand, soft or human competencies are associated with "wanting to act".

These are subjective in nature and are based on values, emotions and the personality of the individual, manifesting themselves in the way of communicating, empathy and the passion that the worker puts into his or her daily work.

Although an academic degree certifies technical competence, it is human competence that determines whether the individual will integrate well into the social climate of the office.

Summary

Job success depends on the fit between the requirements of the position and the individual's profile, summarized in knowledge, skills, abilities, aptitudes and other qualities referred to as the KSAO model.

These competencies act as evaluative standards to measure the daily success or failure of the worker. They allow predicting future behavior based on skills, education and demonstrable experience.

Competencies are divided into technical or "hard" and soft or "human" competencies. While a degree certifies the technical, the human determines the integration to the social climate.