Competency Frameworks Made Simple: Clearer Paths, Stronger Teams

Building capabilities for today and tomorrow

Helping people grow in a clear and meaningful way is at the heart of what we do at GFB. This year many of our clients - from large online retailers to international medical diagnostic providers - have asked us to design competency frameworks that not only define what success looks like in a role, but also connect individual growth to the bigger picture of the business.

We love helping organisations shape competency frameworks so that they are practical, simple, and most importantly actually used in everyday conversations about talent and development.

Beyond the internal clarity they bring, competency frameworks also provide external validation. By drawing on the well-validated Schroder framework, we give organisations the confidence that their approach is grounded in proven research and best practice - not just internal opinion.

Why competency frameworks?

When done right, competency frameworks give people clarity and confidence. They make it easier for everyone to understand what “good” looks like and how to grow into future roles. If implemented correctly, they:

• Give clear guidelines on skills, behaviours and mindsets that are expected

• Create a shared language for performance and development

• Help individuals recognise their strengths and focus on growth areas

• Provide a foundation for career pathways and succession planning

Our approach

GFB’s approach is simple: keep frameworks clear, engaging, and ingrained in your culture. A framework only adds value if people use it every day. Whether that’s a manager having a development conversation or an employee thinking about their next step.

1.Understanding what matters most

We begin by listening. It's important for us to understand your organisation’s strategy, values and future capability needs. Information gathering through interviews and reviewing any existing competency frameworks, allows us to recognise what great performance looks like for your organisation. 

2.Shaping the framework

Next we bring together our expertise in organisational behaviour with the insights gathered, working in partnership with you to design a framework that:

• Defines clear, behaviour-based competencies

• Connects behaviours directly to employees’ roles

• Groups competencies into meaningful clusters (e.g. Grows Capability, Collaboration, Innovation)

• Shows how expectations evolve at different levels, giving employees a clear view of progression

• Brings in external expertise and validation by drawing on our proven model, the Schroder HPMC framework, and our experience across industries - ensuring the framework is both credible and benchmarked beyond your organisation

The difference it makes

The benefit of a well designed competency framework and what our clients value most from them are:

• Clarity and consistency: everyone shares the same understanding of success

• Ownership of growth: employees feel more in control of their development

• Better decisions: leaders make fairer, more confident talent choices

• Future readiness: organisations know the skills and behaviours they need for the future

Clients also tell us that they value the reassurance of external expertise. By combining our experience with the Schroder framework, we provide not just a bespoke solution, but one that is validated against wider industry standards, helping leaders and employees trust in it's credibility.

When a well designed framework is in place we can also provide expertise to embed and develop against it. By supporting with the design and delivery of tools like 360° feedback surveys we can support individuals and organisations to evaluate behaviours against the framework, drive meaningful development conversations and help both individuals and organisations build meaningful action plans.

Our consultants work closely with organisations to embed the framework into daily operations, ensuring it becomes a living part of the culture—not just a document on a shelf.

Contact us

If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you design and embed competency frameworks that bring clarity, fairness and future-readiness to your organisation, please get in touch. Email info@gfbgroup.com or call us on +44 (0) 333 090 2580.