What is the Difference Between Competencies and Skills

The main difference between competencies and skills is that skills are the talents and abilities you need in order to complete a specific task, whereas competencies are the skills, knowledge, and abilities that make you successful in a job.

Skills and competencies are two terms we commonly come across when searching for a job. Although these terms seem like synonyms, there is a distinct difference between competencies and skills. 

Key Areas Covered

1. What are Competencies 
   – Definition, Features, Examples
2. What are Skills
     – Definition, Features, Examples
3. Relationship Between Competencies and Skills
     – Outline of Common Characteristics
4. Difference Between Competencies and Skills
    – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Competencies, Skills, Abilities

What are Skills

Skills are the talents or expertise you need in order to complete a specific task. We can also describe them as proficiencies you develop through training or experience. There are different types of skills, such as social skills, leadership skills, analytical skills, and organizational skills. Different types of skills help us in different situations. When talking about employment, we categorize skills into two types as soft skills and hard skills. Hard skills are skills relating to technical knowledge and training, whereas soft skills are personality traits or behavioural attitudes that are required in the workplace.

It’s always important to know that you cannot develop skills without practice. For example, you cannot develop your social skills without interacting with people – by speaking, listening, and observing people. We can only master skills through trial and error. For instance, suppose that you are learning to swim. The first time you try it, you will have no skills, but you may know how to swim (in theory). Most of us can’t master a skill the first time we try it – it will take hours or even days of practice to master it.

What are Competencies

Competency can be simply defined as the ability to perform a task effectively and successfully. It’s a much broader concept than skills. Competencies involve skills, knowledge, and abilities and incorporate them into behaviours that demonstrate the ability to fulfil a job requirement competently. In other words, they explain how an individual effectively perform the duties of his or her job or achieve the desired goals.

Competencies are the combination of skills, knowledge, and abilities. There are different types of competencies, such as leadership competencies, technical competencies, and behavioural competencies. Core competencies are those competencies any successful employee needs to rise through an organization. 

Relationship Between Competencies and Skills

• Competencies are a much broader concept than skills. They are a combination of skills, knowledge, and abilities

Difference Between Competencies and Skills

Definition

Skills are the learned abilities you need in order to complete a specific task, whereas competencies are the skills, knowledge, and abilities that make you successful in a job.

Nature

Skills indicate what type of talents or abilities an individual needs in order to complete a specific task, whereas competencies indicate how a task is performed effectively and successfully.

Examples

Handling accounts, computer programming, and writing tenders are skills you can learn in a job, whereas problem-solving, negotiating, and strategic planning are some examples of competencies.

Conclusion

The main difference between competencies and skills is that skills are the talents and abilities you need in order to complete a specific task whereas competencies refer to the ability to perform a task effectively and successfully. In brief, competencies refer to the combination of skills, abilities, and knowledge.

Reference:

1. “Definition of Competency – What Are Competencies ?” MSG Management Study Guide.
2. “Examples of Skills.” Example Articles & Resources.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Life Skills” By Sharkey134~enwiki – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Skills-can-startup-start-up-3371153” (CC0) via Pixabay