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Core competencies list: 30 behavioural competencies with 240 examples

30 core competencies grouped into leadership, communication, problem-solving, adaptability, customer focus and technical, each with a one-line definition and two behavioural indicators at each of four proficiency levels — 240 examples to use in reviews, role profiles and development plans.

By the CLEAR Talent team

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A competency is only useful in a review if two managers would recognise it the same way. “Good communicator” is not something anyone can observe; “structures emails so the main point and any action come first” is. This page is a list of core competencies written in that second way: each one defined in a sentence and broken into behaviours you could actually see someone doing, at four levels of proficiency.

Use it to pick the competencies a role needs, to write the level descriptions for a review form, or to find words for feedback when “meets expectations” says nothing. It is a reference rather than a method — if you are building a framework from scratch, start with the competency framework guide and come back here for the wording. Below the list is a role competency profile template and three profiles built from it.

The list

Core competencies list with behavioural examples

Each competency below has a one-line definition and two behavioural indicators at each of four proficiency levels. Read across a row to see how the same competency grows from someone learning it to someone others learn it from; read down a column to see what one level looks like across competencies.

The four levels are the same for every competency, so a rating means the same thing whichever row it sits in:

Level 1 — Foundational
Understands the competency and applies it to routine work with guidance and review.
Level 2 — Developing
Applies it independently in familiar situations; needs support when the work is new or ambiguous.
Level 3 — Proficient
Applies it independently and consistently, including in unfamiliar situations. Others can rely on the result.
Level 4 — Advanced
Handles complex or high-stakes cases, improves how others apply it and coaches them in it.

Leadership competencies

For anyone who leads people or leads work through others. Level 1 and 2 indicators describe the behaviours that come before a leadership role, so the same rows work for aspiring leaders.

Leadership competencies: definitions and behavioural indicators at levels 1 to 4
Competency1 · Foundational2 · Developing3 · Proficient4 · Advanced
Setting directionTurns organisational goals into clear priorities that people understand and can act on.
  • Explains how their own work connects to the team’s goals when asked.
  • Checks priorities with their manager before starting work that might conflict with them.
  • Sets clear priorities for their own work and explains them to colleagues who depend on it.
  • Flags when a new request conflicts with agreed goals instead of quietly absorbing it.
  • Translates organisational goals into team objectives each person can link to their own work.
  • Revisits priorities when circumstances change and says what is being dropped and why.
  • Sets direction across several teams so their goals reinforce rather than compete with each other.
  • Is sought out by other leaders to help frame priorities during uncertainty or change.
Coaching and developing othersHelps other people build capability through feedback, questions and stretch opportunities.
  • Shares know-how with colleagues when asked and explains how they did something.
  • Accepts feedback openly and acts on it, modelling the behaviour they will later coach.
  • Gives peers specific, timely feedback on work they have seen.
  • Helps a new colleague get up to speed on the team’s tools and ways of working.
  • Holds regular development conversations that start from the other person’s goals and evidence.
  • Delegates stretch work deliberately, with enough support for the person to succeed.
  • Builds coaching habits in other managers and reviews how well they develop their teams.
  • Develops people who go on to take bigger roles, and can show how.
Decision-makingMakes timely, well-reasoned decisions with the information available and owns the outcome.
  • Makes routine decisions within clear guidelines and escalates anything outside them.
  • Explains the reasoning behind a decision when asked.
  • Gathers the relevant facts and options before deciding matters within their own work.
  • Decides on time rather than waiting for a certainty that will not come.
  • Weighs risks, costs and the people affected, and records the reasoning for significant decisions.
  • Takes difficult decisions within their remit and revises them only when new evidence warrants it.
  • Makes high-stakes decisions affecting several teams, balancing short- and long-term consequences.
  • Sets out who decides what, so decisions are made at the right level across their area.
Delegation and empowermentHands over work and authority so others can own outcomes, with the right level of oversight.
  • Confirms what is expected when a task is delegated to them and reports back on progress.
  • Asks what authority they have when a piece of work is handed over.
  • Hands routine tasks to others with clear instructions and a deadline.
  • Checks in at agreed points rather than redoing or micromanaging the work.
  • Delegates whole outcomes rather than tasks, matching the work to each person’s development needs.
  • Agrees decision rights and checkpoints up front, then lets the person own the result.
  • Designs roles and team structures so decisions sit with the people closest to the work.
  • Coaches other managers who hold on to work they should be delegating.
Leading changeHelps people understand, accept and adopt changes to how work is done.
  • Adapts their own work to a new process once it has been explained.
  • Raises concerns about a change constructively, through the right channel.
  • Explains the reasons for a change to colleagues and helps them with the practical steps.
  • Reports what is and is not working during a rollout.
  • Plans how a change will land in their team: who is affected, what they need and when.
  • Listens to resistance and adjusts the plan where the concerns are valid.
  • Sequences organisation-wide change so teams can absorb it alongside their day-to-day work.
  • Checks whether a change has stuck and intervenes where adoption is slipping.

Communication competencies

How people share information, listen and work with each other. These are the competencies most often named as core, because every role depends on them.

Communication competencies: definitions and behavioural indicators at levels 1 to 4
Competency1 · Foundational2 · Developing3 · Proficient4 · Advanced
Written communicationWrites clearly and concisely for the reader, so the message is understood the first time.
  • Writes accurate routine messages and updates, using the team’s templates.
  • Checks written work for errors before sending it.
  • Structures emails and documents so the main point and any action come first.
  • Adapts tone and detail to the reader — a customer, a colleague, a senior manager.
  • Writes reports and proposals a busy reader can act on without a follow-up meeting.
  • Summarises complex material accurately for people outside the specialism.
  • Writes communications for the whole organisation or external stakeholders that hold up to scrutiny.
  • Sets the templates and standards others write to, and edits colleagues’ work to raise its quality.
Verbal communication and presentingExplains ideas clearly in conversation and in presentations, adjusting to the audience.
  • Gives clear updates in team meetings when asked.
  • Asks questions to check they have understood instructions.
  • Presents their own work to the team with a clear structure and within the time given.
  • Answers questions about their work directly, and says so when they do not know.
  • Presents to senior or unfamiliar audiences, shaping the content around what they need to decide.
  • Handles challenge and difficult questions calmly without losing the main message.
  • Represents the organisation to senior stakeholders or external audiences on complex topics.
  • Coaches colleagues to prepare and deliver important presentations.
Active listeningGives full attention, checks understanding and responds to what was actually said.
  • Lets others finish before responding and notes what was agreed.
  • Repeats instructions back to confirm they have understood.
  • Asks follow-up questions to understand someone’s point before offering a view.
  • Notices when someone has not been heard in a meeting and invites their input.
  • Summarises differing views fairly, including ones they disagree with, before moving a discussion on.
  • Picks up concerns that are implied rather than stated and raises them sensitively.
  • Creates forums where people at every level are heard, and acts visibly on what they hear.
  • Is trusted with sensitive conversations, such as grievances or restructures, where listening matters most.
Giving and receiving feedbackGives specific, constructive feedback and responds to feedback on their own work without defensiveness.
  • Thanks people for feedback and asks what they would do differently.
  • Acts on feedback and shows the change in later work.
  • Gives peers feedback that describes the behaviour and its effect, not the person.
  • Asks for feedback on their own work during the year, not only at review time.
  • Delivers difficult feedback promptly and privately, with examples and a clear expectation.
  • Seeks feedback from people with different perspectives, including those they manage.
  • Builds a culture in which feedback is regular, two-way and expected at every level.
  • Acknowledges critical feedback openly and says what will change as a result.
Collaboration and teamworkWorks with others towards shared goals, sharing information, effort and credit.
  • Completes their part of shared work on time and tells others when something affects them.
  • Offers help to teammates when they have capacity.
  • Shares information and resources with other teams without being asked.
  • Works through disagreements with colleagues directly and respectfully.
  • Builds working relationships across departments to deliver shared outcomes.
  • Resolves conflict within a group by returning to the shared goal and the facts.
  • Sets up cross-functional ways of working that remove silos across the organisation.
  • Brokers agreement between senior stakeholders with competing priorities.

Problem-solving competencies

How people analyse situations, make judgements and organise work to get to a result. Most roles need at least one of these at level 3.

Problem-solving competencies: definitions and behavioural indicators at levels 1 to 4
Competency1 · Foundational2 · Developing3 · Proficient4 · Advanced
Analytical thinkingBreaks problems into parts, examines the evidence and draws sound conclusions.
  • Gathers the information a routine problem needs and spots obvious errors in it.
  • Follows established methods to analyse straightforward information.
  • Finds the main cause of a problem rather than treating the symptoms.
  • Tests assumptions against evidence before drawing a conclusion.
  • Analyses problems with several interacting causes and explains the findings clearly.
  • States the limits of the evidence and how confident a conclusion is.
  • Sets the methods others use to analyse the organisation’s most complex problems.
  • Challenges flawed analysis constructively, including from senior colleagues.
Creativity and innovationGenerates new ideas and finds better ways of doing things.
  • Suggests small improvements to their own tasks.
  • Tries new approaches suggested by others with an open mind.
  • Proposes practical improvements to team processes and tests them on a small scale.
  • Builds on other people’s ideas rather than dismissing them.
  • Develops new approaches to recurring problems and makes the case for them with evidence.
  • Encourages the team to experiment and treats a failed experiment as something learned.
  • Creates the time, budget and permission for innovation across their area.
  • Turns promising ideas into changes the organisation adopts at scale.
JudgementWeighs options, risks and consequences to reach sensible conclusions when information is incomplete.
  • Recognises when a situation is outside their experience and asks for guidance.
  • Follows policy, and asks when a case does not fit it.
  • Chooses sensible options in familiar situations without checking every step.
  • Considers how an action will affect colleagues and customers before taking it.
  • Makes sound calls in ambiguous situations and explains the trade-offs.
  • Knows when to apply a rule flexibly and when to hold the line.
  • Is relied on for judgement on high-risk or precedent-setting matters.
  • Sets principles that let others make good calls without escalating.
Planning and organisingPlans work, sets priorities and manages time and resources to deliver on commitments.
  • Manages their own task list and meets agreed deadlines.
  • Tells their manager early when a deadline is at risk.
  • Plans their own workload across the week, balancing urgent and important tasks.
  • Breaks larger pieces of work into steps with dates.
  • Plans work involving several people, including dependencies, risks and contingencies.
  • Re-plans quickly when priorities change and tells everyone affected what moves.
  • Plans programmes across teams or functions, matching resources to organisational priorities.
  • Introduces planning disciplines others use, such as capacity planning or project checkpoints.
Attention to detail and qualityProduces accurate, complete work and checks it against the standard required.
  • Follows checklists and procedures accurately.
  • Corrects errors once they are pointed out and does not repeat them.
  • Checks their own work thoroughly before handing it on.
  • Spots inconsistencies in information they receive and queries them.
  • Builds checks into processes so errors are caught early.
  • Focuses the most detailed checking where the risk is highest, so deadlines are still met.
  • Sets quality standards and assurance processes across an area.
  • Traces recurring errors to their root cause in the process rather than blaming the person.

Adaptability competencies

How people respond to change, pressure and the unfamiliar. These competencies are hard to see in a calm year, so look for evidence from the busiest or least certain periods.

Adaptability competencies: definitions and behavioural indicators at levels 1 to 4
Competency1 · Foundational2 · Developing3 · Proficient4 · Advanced
FlexibilityAdjusts approach, priorities and ways of working when circumstances change.
  • Accepts changes to tasks or schedules and gets on with the new plan.
  • Learns a new procedure when asked to.
  • Adjusts their own priorities when plans change, without needing step-by-step direction.
  • Works effectively with people whose styles differ from their own.
  • Changes approach mid-course when the evidence shows the original plan is not working.
  • Helps the team adjust to shifting priorities while keeping its key commitments.
  • Anticipates changes in the organisation’s environment and adapts plans ahead of them.
  • Builds teams and processes that can absorb change without disruption.
ResilienceStays effective under pressure and recovers from setbacks.
  • Stays calm and courteous when work is busy or a customer is frustrated.
  • Asks for support when pressure becomes too much.
  • Keeps work to standard through busy periods and short-term setbacks.
  • Reflects on what went wrong after a setback, then moves on.
  • Stays effective through sustained pressure and helps others stay focused.
  • Recognises signs of strain in themselves and others and acts on them.
  • Steadies the organisation in a crisis by being visible, honest and calm.
  • Builds working practices that keep pressure sustainable over time.
Learning agilityLearns quickly from experience and applies what was learned in new situations.
  • Takes part in training and applies what was learned to their tasks.
  • Asks why things are done, not only how.
  • Seeks out learning to close gaps they have found in their own skills.
  • Applies lessons from one piece of work to a different but related one.
  • Gets up to speed quickly in unfamiliar areas and contributes early.
  • Reviews what worked and what did not after each project, and changes their approach.
  • Moves successfully between very different roles or areas and carries insight across them.
  • Shares their own lessons and mistakes openly so others learn from them too.
Handling ambiguityMakes progress when goals, information or roles are unclear.
  • Asks clarifying questions when instructions are unclear rather than guessing.
  • Gets on with the clear parts of a task while waiting for answers.
  • Makes reasonable assumptions to keep work moving, and states them.
  • Works comfortably on tasks that have no single right answer.
  • Creates structure for the team when the way forward is unclear.
  • Makes progress before all the facts are known and adjusts as they emerge.
  • Leads through prolonged uncertainty, such as a restructure, giving people enough clarity to act.
  • Frames open-ended strategic questions so they can be tested and answered.
Adopting new tools and methodsTakes up new technology, tools and ways of working, and helps others do the same.
  • Learns the tools their role needs, with training and support.
  • Uses new systems as intended rather than working around them.
  • Becomes confident with a new tool quickly and finds the features that save time.
  • Helps colleagues who are struggling with a new tool or method.
  • Evaluates new tools or methods for the team and pilots the promising ones.
  • Redesigns the team’s work to make use of a new tool, rather than copying the old process into it.
  • Leads the adoption of new technology across the organisation, including the change in working practice.
  • Judges which emerging methods are worth investing in and which are not.

Customer focus competencies

How people understand and serve the customers their work exists for. “Customer” includes internal customers: the colleagues, teams, patients or citizens who rely on the work.

Customer focus competencies: definitions and behavioural indicators at levels 1 to 4
Competency1 · Foundational2 · Developing3 · Proficient4 · Advanced
Understanding customer needsFinds out what customers need and why, not only what they ask for.
  • Listens to customer requests and records them accurately.
  • Asks questions to clarify what the customer is asking for.
  • Identifies the need behind a request as well as the request itself.
  • Uses customer feedback to understand recurring issues.
  • Anticipates customer needs and addresses them before they are raised.
  • Combines data and conversations into a clear picture of different customer groups.
  • Shapes what the organisation offers around a deep understanding of its customers.
  • Builds routes for customer insight to reach the people who design products and services.
Service deliveryDelivers a reliable, responsive service that meets agreed standards.
  • Responds to customers within agreed timescales and follows service procedures.
  • Keeps customers informed when there is a delay.
  • Resolves most customer issues at the first contact.
  • Follows up to check that a resolution worked.
  • Handles complex or escalated cases through to resolution.
  • Improves service processes in response to recurring problems and customer feedback.
  • Sets service standards across the organisation and holds teams to them.
  • Redesigns how services are delivered when customer expectations change.
Building customer relationshipsBuilds trust with customers so the relationship lasts beyond a single interaction.
  • Is courteous and professional in every customer contact.
  • Remembers relevant details from previous interactions.
  • Builds rapport with regular customers and earns their confidence.
  • Is honest about what can and cannot be done.
  • Manages important customer relationships over time, including through problems.
  • Recommends what is right for the customer even when it is not the easiest option.
  • Owns the organisation’s most strategic customer or partner relationships.
  • Sets the relationship management practices others follow.
Handling complaints and difficult situationsResolves complaints fairly and calmly, and learns from them.
  • Stays calm and polite with an upset customer and passes the issue to the right person.
  • Records the details of a complaint accurately.
  • Resolves straightforward complaints within their own authority.
  • Apologises sincerely where things went wrong without promising what they cannot deliver.
  • Handles escalated complaints and negotiates fair solutions.
  • Spots patterns in complaints and proposes fixes to the underlying cause.
  • Owns the complaints policy and decides the most serious or precedent-setting cases.
  • Uses complaint trends to drive change across the organisation.
Commercial awarenessUnderstands how the organisation creates value and how their own work contributes to it.
  • Can explain what the organisation provides and who its customers are.
  • Uses resources carefully and avoids waste.
  • Understands how their team’s work affects cost, revenue or service quality.
  • Considers value for money when choosing between options.
  • Builds costs, benefits and risks into their recommendations.
  • Spots opportunities to create more value for customers and the organisation.
  • Shapes the organisation’s commercial or funding strategy.
  • Makes strategic trade-offs between value to customers and the organisation’s sustainability.

Technical competencies

Technical and professional competencies that apply across roles. Each job family adds its own functional competencies — financial analysis, clinical practice, software engineering — written to the same four levels.

Technical competencies: definitions and behavioural indicators at levels 1 to 4
Competency1 · Foundational2 · Developing3 · Proficient4 · Advanced
Professional and technical expertiseApplies the specialist knowledge and skills the role requires to a high standard.
  • Applies core technical knowledge to routine tasks with guidance.
  • Knows where to find reference material and expert help.
  • Handles most technical tasks in the role independently.
  • Keeps up to date with changes in their specialism.
  • Solves complex technical problems and is a go-to person in the team.
  • Shares expertise through reviews, documentation and advice.
  • Is recognised as an authority on the specialism inside and outside the organisation.
  • Sets the technical standards and direction others in the specialism follow.
Digital literacyUses digital tools and information confidently and safely to get work done.
  • Uses the standard tools for the role, such as email, shared documents and core systems.
  • Follows security guidance on passwords, data handling and suspicious messages.
  • Uses more advanced features — formulas, shared workspaces, reports — to work efficiently.
  • Troubleshoots common problems before asking for help.
  • Automates repetitive tasks and helps the team use its tools well.
  • Checks the reliability of digital information and sources before relying on them.
  • Shapes how the organisation uses technology to improve its work.
  • Sets expectations for the safe, responsible use of new technology, including AI tools.
Data analysis and useCollects, interprets and uses data to inform decisions.
  • Records data accurately and consistently.
  • Reads standard reports and spots obvious anomalies.
  • Produces standard reports and explains what they show.
  • Uses data to support their own recommendations.
  • Combines data from several sources to identify trends and their causes.
  • Presents data clearly, with the caveats a reader needs.
  • Defines what data the organisation needs and how it should be used in decisions.
  • Builds data skills across teams.
Quality, safety and complianceWorks within legal, regulatory and organisational requirements and helps others do the same.
  • Follows the policies, procedures and safety rules that apply to the role.
  • Reports incidents, near misses and concerns promptly.
  • Understands the reasons behind the rules and applies them correctly in less routine cases.
  • Keeps required records complete and up to date.
  • Identifies compliance risks in the team’s work and acts to reduce them.
  • Explains requirements to colleagues and checks they are followed.
  • Sets the approach to compliance in their area and represents it to auditors or regulators.
  • Anticipates regulatory change and prepares the organisation for it.
Process improvementFinds and removes waste, delay and error in how work is done.
  • Follows the current process accurately and notes where it causes problems.
  • Suggests small fixes to the steps in their own work.
  • Maps the steps of a process they use and identifies where time is lost.
  • Tests an improvement and measures whether it worked.
  • Leads improvement work across a team, using data to show the result.
  • Involves the people who do the work in redesigning it.
  • Builds a continuous improvement approach across the organisation.
  • Directs improvement effort to where it creates the most value.

Download the full list as a spreadsheet (CSV)

Nothing here is gated: the spreadsheet holds every competency, definition and indicator shown above, one row per competency and one column per level. Edit the wording freely — the list is a starting point, not a standard.

The role competency profile template

Template

Role competency profile

Fill in the profile details once, then one row per competency the role requires. Six to eight rows cover most roles; take the competency names and indicators from the list above and rewrite them in the role’s own language.

Role competency profile template fields
FieldWhat to write
Profile details
RoleJob title, and the team or job family it sits in.
Proficiency scaleThe levels you will rate against, with what each one means. The four on this page: 1 foundational, 2 developing, 3 proficient, 4 advanced.
Assessed byWho rates the competencies — usually the manager, reconciled with a self-assessment.
Evidence sourcesWhere ratings come from: observed work, outcomes, 360° feedback, customer feedback, work samples. Two sources are better than one.
Date agreedWhen the profile was agreed, and when it will next be reviewed.
For each competency (up to 8)
CompetencyNamed as your framework names it, or taken from the list above.
CategoryLeadership, communication, problem-solving, adaptability, customer focus or technical.
Required level1 to 4: the level the role needs, set from the role rather than from whoever holds it today.
What it looks like in this roleOne or two indicators at the required level, rewritten with the role’s own situations, so a manager can recognise them.
Evidence to look forThe specific work, feedback or outcome that would show the level has been reached.

As a spreadsheet

One row per competency. Copy the grid below and paste it into the first cell of a spreadsheet, or download the CSV.

Role competency profile template as a spreadsheet grid
#CompetencyCategoryRequired levelWhat it looks like in this roleEvidence to look for
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Show the plain-text template
ROLE COMPETENCY PROFILE

Role:
Proficiency scale:
Assessed by:
Evidence sources:
Date agreed:

COMPETENCY 1
Competency:
Category:
Required level:
What it looks like in this role:
Evidence to look for:

COMPETENCY 2
Competency:
Category:
Required level:
What it looks like in this role:
Evidence to look for:

COMPETENCY 3
Competency:
Category:
Required level:
What it looks like in this role:
Evidence to look for:

COMPETENCY 4
Competency:
Category:
Required level:
What it looks like in this role:
Evidence to look for:

COMPETENCY 5
Competency:
Category:
Required level:
What it looks like in this role:
Evidence to look for:

COMPETENCY 6
Competency:
Category:
Required level:
What it looks like in this role:
Evidence to look for:

COMPETENCY 7
Competency:
Category:
Required level:
What it looks like in this role:
Evidence to look for:

COMPETENCY 8
Competency:
Category:
Required level:
What it looks like in this role:
Evidence to look for:

Nothing here is gated: the spreadsheet and the text file hold exactly the fields shown above, with eight blank competency rows.

How to build a role competency profile from this list

The list is deliberately longer than any one role needs. These five steps turn it into a short profile a manager can assess against and an employee can act on.

  1. Start from the role, not the list

    Write down the three or four outcomes the role exists to deliver and the situations that make it hard. Then read the list looking for the competencies those outcomes depend on. Starting from the list instead tends to produce a profile that asks for everything and distinguishes nothing.

  2. Pick six to eight competencies across the categories

    Most roles need something from communication and problem-solving, and leadership roles need two or three leadership competencies. Keep the total to a number a manager can assess with evidence in one review — usually six to eight. If two competencies would always be rated the same for this role, keep one.

  3. Set the required level for each

    Use the four levels on this page. Most experienced roles need level 3, proficient, in their most important competencies; level 4 belongs where the role is expected to raise how others work. Set the level from what the role needs, not from what the current holder can already do.

  4. Rewrite the indicators in the role’s language

    The indicators here are generic on purpose. For each competency, rewrite one or two at the required level using the role’s own situations — “resolves most issues at the first contact” becomes “resolves most billing queries on the first call”. That is what lets two managers rate the same behaviour the same way.

  5. Name the evidence, then use the same profile everywhere

    For each row, say what evidence would show the level: an outcome, a piece of work, feedback from colleagues or customers. Then use the same profile for the review form, 360° questions and the development plan, so a gap found in one shows up in the others.

Competency examples for performance reviews: three role profiles

Three profiles built from the list, each with its required levels and the indicators rewritten for the role. Notice how few competencies each one uses, and that the required level is not the same everywhere.

These profiles were written for this page to show a workable level of detail. They do not describe real employees, roles at a real organisation or any CLEAR Talent customer.

Customer service team leader

Example 1: a customer service team leader

Leads a team of eight advisers handling phone and email queries. The role is measured on resolution and customer satisfaction, and the leader spends a large part of the week coaching advisers on live cases.

Proficiency scale
The four levels on this page
Assessed by
Contact centre manager, reconciled with a self-assessment
Evidence sources
Call reviews, quality scores, customer feedback and upward feedback from the team
Example 1: a customer service team leader
CompetencyCategoryRequired levelWhat it looks like in this roleEvidence to look for
Coaching and developing othersLeadership3Reviews a sample of each adviser’s calls every month and agrees one thing to work on, starting from the adviser’s own view of the call.Monthly call-review notes; improvement in each adviser’s quality scores over the period; upward feedback.
Handling complaints and difficult situationsCustomer focus3Takes escalated calls, agrees a fair outcome within policy, and logs the cause so repeat complaints can be traced.Escalation log; complaint outcomes upheld on review; repeat complaints referred for a process fix.
ResilienceAdaptability3Keeps the team focused and the queue moving during peak periods, and notices when an adviser needs a break after a difficult call.Performance during the two busiest weeks of the period; team feedback; absence and well-being conversations recorded.
Planning and organisingProblem-solving2Plans the weekly rota against forecast demand and adjusts it when demand changes.Service levels against forecast; rota changes made ahead of known peaks.
Data analysis and useTechnical2Reads the weekly queue and satisfaction reports and explains to the team what changed and why.Weekly team briefings that refer to the data; one improvement suggested from it.

Software engineer

Example 2: a mid-level software engineer

A software engineer on a product team, working mostly independently on features and taking part in design and code review. The profile is weighted towards technical and problem-solving competencies, with collaboration at the level the team relies on.

Proficiency scale
The four levels on this page
Assessed by
Engineering manager, with input from the tech lead
Evidence sources
Delivered work, design documents, code reviews and peer feedback
Example 2: a mid-level software engineer
CompetencyCategoryRequired levelWhat it looks like in this roleEvidence to look for
Professional and technical expertiseTechnical3Delivers features end to end without close review, and is the person the team asks about the parts of the system they own.Features shipped in the period; questions routed to them; quality of their code-review comments.
Analytical thinkingProblem-solving3Investigates production issues to the root cause and writes up what happened, why and what will stop it happening again.Incident write-ups; repeat incidents in their area.
Collaboration and teamworkCommunication3Works with product and design on the shape of a feature before building it, and resolves disagreements by going back to the user problem.Peer feedback from product and design; design documents with agreed decisions recorded.
Written communicationCommunication2Writes design documents and pull-request descriptions that state the decision and the reason first.Two design documents reviewed by the tech lead.
Adopting new tools and methodsAdaptability3Evaluates a new library or tool for the team, pilots it on one feature and recommends whether to adopt it.Pilot write-up and the team’s decision.

HR adviser

Example 3: an HR adviser

An HR adviser supporting managers in two business areas with policy questions, employee relations cases and people reporting. Accuracy and judgement matter more than speed, so compliance and judgement carry the highest required levels.

Proficiency scale
The four levels on this page
Assessed by
HR manager, reconciled with a self-assessment
Evidence sources
Case files, manager feedback, report accuracy and audit findings
Example 3: an HR adviser
CompetencyCategoryRequired levelWhat it looks like in this roleEvidence to look for
Quality, safety and complianceTechnical3Advises managers on policy and employment law requirements correctly, and checks that each case follows the procedure.Case audits with no procedural issues; manager feedback on the advice.
JudgementProblem-solving3Knows when a case can be resolved informally and when it needs a formal process, and explains the trade-off to the manager.Case outcomes; cases escalated at the right point.
Active listeningCommunication3In difficult conversations, summarises what the employee has said fairly before responding, and picks up concerns that were not stated directly.Meeting notes reviewed by the HR manager; employee feedback where it is gathered.
Data analysis and useTechnical2Produces the quarterly absence and turnover reports for both areas and explains the main movements to each management team.Report accuracy; questions from managers answered without rework.
Understanding customer needsCustomer focus2Identifies what a manager is trying to achieve behind a policy question, and answers that as well as the question asked.Manager feedback; repeat questions on the same issue falling.

From list to library

Using a competency library consistently in CLEAR Talent

A list like this helps you write a profile. Applying it the same way across every team and every review cycle is the harder part, and it is what competency management software is for. In CLEAR Talent you define each competency once in a central library — with behavioural anchors at each proficiency level and the evidence a rating needs — and reuse it across reviews, 360° feedback and development plans. Scales are configurable from three to seven levels, and technical, leadership and individual-contributor roles can each have their own.

Each role profile carries its required competencies and target levels. Starter libraries are provided and fully editable, and Ava, the platform’s AI assistant, can draft a role-specific framework from your role and organisation context; your team edits and approves it before it is used, every AI output is labelled and editable, and every edit is logged.

Ratings are evidence-based, so gaps come from the assessments themselves rather than from impressions. Dashboards show capability coverage by individual, team, department and competency, and each assessment drafts an individual development plan from the competencies that matter most for the role, ranked by the size of the gap.

See competency management softwareBuild the framework: guide and competency matrix template

Frequently asked questions

What are core competencies?
Core competencies are the small set of behaviours an organisation expects of every employee, whatever their role — typically communication, collaboration, problem-solving, adaptability and customer focus. They sit alongside functional competencies for each job family and leadership competencies for people who lead others. Most organisations keep their core set to four to six, so each one can be assessed properly.
What are behavioural competencies?
Behavioural competencies describe how someone works — how they communicate, decide, adapt and treat customers — as opposed to technical competencies, which describe specialist knowledge. They are written as behavioural indicators: things a person can be seen doing at each level, such as “summarises differing views fairly before moving a discussion on”. That is what makes them assessable rather than a matter of opinion.
How do you use competency examples in a performance review?
Agree the role’s competencies and required levels before the review period starts. At review time, rate each competency against the indicators for its level and back every rating with evidence from the period — a piece of work, an outcome or feedback from others. Where the rating falls below the required level, the indicators at that level become the development goal.
How many competencies should a role have?
Usually six to eight, and rarely more than ten to twelve. A manager has to assess each one with evidence, and a long list produces ratings that all drift towards the middle. Pick the competencies the role’s outcomes depend on, and leave out the ones every candidate for the role would meet anyway.
What is the difference between a competency and a skill?
A skill is a specific ability, such as using a spreadsheet or speaking a language. A competency is broader: the combination of knowledge, skills and behaviours someone applies to do the work well, described at levels. “Data analysis and use” on this list is a competency; building a pivot table is one of the skills inside it.
Can I use this list as our competency framework?
As a starting point, yes — copy it, download it and edit it freely. A framework also needs decisions this list cannot make for you: which competencies each role requires, at what level, and how ratings are evidenced. The competency framework guide on this site walks through those steps and includes a competency matrix template.

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