Competency framework examples: four roles, ready to adapt

Fewer than half of employees clearly know what is expected of them at work.

Closing that gap starts with defining what ‘good’ looks like.

That’s the job of a competency framework. When it’s written well, nobody has to guess. The four competency framework examples below show what that looks like in practice.

If you’re familiar with competency frameworks already, you might have hit upon this issue: the frameworks describe roles with terms like ‘strong communicator.’ The problem is there’s no objective definition of that term, because every manager will interpret it slightly differently. How do you measure something formless and definitionless?

You can’t. The terms need to be defined by competency framework examples, and real behaviours that people can see.

In our guide to skills intelligence for AI readiness, we asked whether you have role-level definitions or just generic frameworks. This blog serves as a practical follow-up, with four worked competency framework examples that set out the role competencies, levels and behaviours for each job.

What is a competency framework?

A competency framework is a structured description of what good performance looks like in each role. It sets out the skills, knowledge and behaviours a role needs, and describes how each one looks at different levels, so employees, managers and L&D teams all work to the same standard. Some organisations call this a competency model, and the two terms are used interchangeably.

What should a competency framework include?

Every example in this guide follows the same structure. Once you know what each part does, you can read any framework quickly and spot where one falls short.

1. The competency
This is the capability being described, named in a few plain words, such as “stakeholder communication”. A good competency name is specific enough to mean something in that role. “Communication” on its own is too broad; “stakeholder communication” tells you who the communication is with and why it matters.

2. A one-line definition
The definition says what the competency covers in that role, so everyone reads the name the same way. For example: “Keeps stakeholders informed, involved and aligned on decisions that affect them.” If the definition takes more than a sentence, the competency is probably split into two competencies.

3. Proficiency levels
Levels show how the competency develops as someone grows in a role. Together, these competency levels form a proficiency scale that managers and employees both rate against. The examples in this guide use three:

• Foundation: applies the competency with guidance in familiar situations.
• Proficient: applies it independently and consistently.
• Advanced: applies it in complex situations and helps others build it.

Levels give managers a shared scale for reviews and give employees a clear picture of what the next step up looks like. That shared scale is what makes competency-based performance management work.

4. Behavioural indicators
These are the observable actions that show someone is working at a given level, and they make a framework usable. For stakeholder communication at proficient level, an indicator might be: “Shares progress updates before stakeholders have to ask, and flags risks early with a proposed next step.” A manager can see that happen, or see it not happen, which is what makes ratings fair and feedback specific. When you write behavioural indicators, start each one with an action verb and describe something a manager could observe in a normal working week.

Core competencies versus role-specific competencies

What’s the difference between a ‘core competency’ and a ‘role-specific competency’?

Core competencies apply to everyone in the organisation, regardless of their role. They’re the core values or ways of working that everyone is expected to adhere to – for example: collaboration, customer focus, or acting with integrity. Other common core competencies examples include communication, teamwork, problem solving and adaptability.

Role-specific competencies, sometimes called job competencies, apply only to a job ‘family’ – that is, a specific role or department. This could look like negotiation skills for the sales department, or risk management for project managers. They arguably carry the most weight within the framework, because they describe what makes someone good at this specific job, not just generally a good colleague.

Skills versus competencies: how the two frameworks differ

People often use these two terms interchangeably, but despite sitting alongside one another, they cover distinctly different areas. The difference between skills and competencies comes down to what each one measures.

A skills framework lists capabilities, usually technical or transferable, such as data analysis, Excel or a coding language. It answers “can this person do X?” and is often assessed through tests or certification.

A competency framework combines skills with knowledge and behaviour, and describes how someone applies them in a specific role. It answers “how well does this person perform, in this role, in context?” and is assessed by observing behaviour.

The two areas are complementary rather than competing. Skills sit inside competencies. “Negotiation” as a competency draws on skills like pricing knowledge and active listening, but it also covers judgement – such as knowing when to walk away.

With definitions out of the way, here are 4 examples of competency frameworks that you can adapt for your organisation.

Sales competency framework: account manager example

A sales account manager grows revenue from existing customers by understanding their needs, building long-term relationships and finding new ways the product can help them succeed. The sales competencies below focus on existing accounts, and most transfer to new-business roles with small changes.

Competencies

• Account planning (role-specific): Sets clear goals for each account and plans how to reach them over the year.
• Discovery and needs analysis (role-specific): Uncovers what the customer is trying to achieve, and what’s in the way, before proposing anything.
• Negotiation (role-specific): Reaches agreements that work for the customer and protect the value of the deal.
• Forecasting accuracy (role-specific): Predicts renewals and growth reliably, based on evidence rather than optimism.
• Relationship building (core): Builds trust with contacts at every level of the customer’s organisation, beyond the main buyer.
• Using AI for account research (role-specific): Uses AI tools to prepare for customer conversations, and checks the output before it shapes anything the customer sees.

Discovery and needs analysis across levels

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What good looks like with AI

A strong account manager uses AI to summarise account history, news and annual reports before a meeting, then checks names, figures and claims against the original source. They only use tools their organisation has approved, and they never paste confidential customer information into them.

Where this often goes wrong

Many sales frameworks judge the role on revenue alone. Targets matter, but a number on its own doesn’t tell anyone how to reach it. When the framework describes the behaviours behind good results, such as thorough discovery, honest forecasting and relationships beyond one contact, managers can coach those behaviours and spot problems before they show up in the figures.

Management competencies: first-line people manager example

A first-line people manager gets work done through a small team, setting clear priorities, developing each person and keeping performance on track.

Competencies

• Giving feedback (role-specific): Gives specific, timely feedback that helps people understand what to keep doing and what to change.
• Coaching and development (role-specific): Helps each team member grow through regular conversations, stretch work and the right learning.
• Setting goals and priorities (role-specific): Agrees clear goals with each person and keeps the team focused on what matters most.
• Managing performance (role-specific): Spots performance issues early and addresses them fairly and consistently.
• Relationship building (core): Builds trust and works well with the people the role depends on, inside and outside the organisation.
• Using AI responsibly in the team (role-specific): Sets clear expectations for how the team uses AI tools, and keeps decisions about people in human hands.

Giving feedback across levels

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What good looks like with AI

A strong first-line manager makes clear how the team should use AI: which tools are approved, what needs a human check, and what should never go into them. They use AI to save time on admin, such as drafting meeting notes or summarising updates, but keep feedback, performance conversations and judgements about people in their own hands.

Where this often goes wrong

New managers are often given the same leadership competencies as senior leaders: setting vision, leading change, shaping strategy. Those matter later in a career, but they don’t describe the day-to-day work of a first-line manager. A framework built for this role focuses on the habits that make a team work well: regular feedback, clear priorities and steady coaching.

Project manager competencies: a worked example

A project manager delivers projects on time, on budget and to the agreed scope, keeping stakeholders aligned and risks under control along the way.

Competencies

• Scoping and planning (role-specific): Agrees what the project will deliver and builds a realistic plan to get there.
• Risk management (role-specific): Identifies what could go wrong and acts before it does.
• Budget control (role-specific): Tracks spend against plan and raises variances early, with options to fix them.
• Stakeholder communication (role-specific): Keeps stakeholders informed, involved and aligned on decisions that affect them.
• Relationship building (core): Builds trust and works well with the people the role depends on, inside and outside the organisation.
• Using AI for planning and reporting (role-specific): Uses AI to speed up plans and status updates, while keeping judgement on risks and trade-offs.

Risk management across levels

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What good looks like with AI

A strong project manager uses AI to draft plans, status reports and meeting summaries, then checks dates, dependencies and figures before anything is shared. They treat AI suggestions about risks as prompts for their own thinking, and leave decisions on trade-offs with the people accountable for them.

Where this often goes wrong

Project management frameworks often measure process: templates completed, meetings held, documents signed off. Process matters, but a project can tick every box and still fail. When the framework describes the judgement behind good delivery, such as spotting risks early and making clear trade-offs, it starts to separate strong project managers from compliant ones.

L&D competencies: learning and development specialist example

A learning and development specialist finds the capability gaps that matter most to the business and designs learning that closes them.

Competencies

• Needs analysis (role-specific): Finds the performance problem behind a learning request before deciding what to build.
• Learning design (role-specific): Designs learning that fits the audience, the problem and the way people work.
• Stakeholder consulting (role-specific): Works with business leaders as a partner, and challenges requests where learning isn’t the right answer.
• Evaluation (role-specific): Measures whether learning changed what people do, as well as whether they completed it.
• Relationship building (core): Builds trust and works well with the people the role depends on, inside and outside the organisation.
• Using AI in content creation (role-specific): Uses AI to speed up content creation, and reviews everything before it reaches learners.

Needs analysis across levels

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What good looks like with AI

A strong L&D specialist uses AI to speed up first drafts of content, quiz questions and scenarios, then reviews everything for accuracy, tone and relevance before it reaches learners. They check AI-generated facts against trusted sources, and make sure content reflects the organisation’s own policies and language.

Where this often goes wrong

L&D roles are often judged on output: courses built, hours delivered, completion rates. None of these show whether the learning solved a real problem. A framework that puts needs analysis and evaluation at the centre rewards the specialists who ask why before they build, and who check afterwards whether anything changed.

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How to create a competency framework from these examples

The examples above are starting points. Turning them into a framework your organisation will use comes down to a few decisions.

Start with your priority roles

Build the roles with the highest headcount, highest turnover or biggest impact on the business first. A small framework that managers use every week does more for your organisation than a large one that sits unopened in a shared drive.

Map competencies to your strategy

Run a short competency mapping exercise before you write anything. List the outcomes each role owns, then match them to the competencies that drive those outcomes. Keep the competencies that connect to a business priority and cut the rest. If you’ve already mapped skills across your organisation, use that as your starting point.

Rewrite behaviours in your own language

Swap our wording for the terms your people already use. A behavioural indicator only works if a manager recognises the behaviour when they see it.

Keep it short enough to use

Aim for six to twelve competencies per role and three to five proficiency levels. Fewer levels are easier to rate consistently, while more levels show finer steps in progression. If managers can’t hold the list in their heads during a review, it needs cutting.

Test it before you launch

Ask two managers to rate the same person against your draft. Where their ratings differ, the wording is too vague, so tighten it and test again. Running this kind of informal competency assessment before launch catches unclear behaviours while they’re still easy to fix.

Give every job family an owner

Name an owner for each job family and review the framework at least once a year, or sooner if a role changes significantly. AI tools are reshaping many roles faster than an annual cycle allows for, so check the AI-related competencies more often.

Clear behavioural indicators also make the next step possible: gathering evidence of what people can do. Observable behaviours give managers something concrete to validate skill levels against, which we cover in more depth in our guide to skills intelligence for AI readiness.

Where competency frameworks lead next

A competency framework is the foundation for two further pieces of work. Once roles and levels are defined, the routes between roles become visible, giving you the beginnings of a career progression framework. Once you know the target level for each competency, comparing it with where people are today becomes a skill gap analysis.

Thrive’s new Competency Framework feature, coming in our winter release, gives you one place to define what good looks like for every role. Career path mapping and skill gap analysis are where we plan to take it next.

In the meantime, Thrive’s Skills and Performance tools connect competencies with learning and reviews. Book a demo to see them in action.

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Frequently asked questions about competency frameworks

What is a competency framework?

A competency framework is a structured description of what good performance looks like in each role. It sets out the skills, knowledge and behaviours a role needs, and describes how each one looks at different levels of proficiency, so employees, managers and L&D teams all work to the same standard.

Can you provide an example of a competency framework?

Yes. A sales account manager framework might include account planning, discovery and needs analysis, negotiation, forecasting accuracy, relationship building and using AI for account research. Each competency has a one-line definition and behavioural indicators at foundation, proficient and advanced level. This article includes four complete examples, covering sales, people management, project management and L&D roles.

Can you give me an example of a core competency?

A core competency applies to everyone in an organisation, whatever their role. Relationship building is a common example: “Builds trust and works well with the people the role depends on, inside and outside the organisation.” Other common core competencies include communication, teamwork, problem solving, adaptability, customer focus and integrity.

What is a list of competencies?

There’s no single universal list of competencies, which is why published lists range from five to ten or more. Most organisations combine a small set of core competencies that apply to everyone, such as communication and teamwork, with role-specific competencies like negotiation for sales or risk management for project managers.

What are the levels of competency?

Competency levels describe how well someone performs a competency, from first steps to expert. Most frameworks use three to five proficiency levels, such as foundation, proficient and advanced. Each level has its own behavioural indicators, so managers rate people against observable actions instead of a general impression.

How many competencies should a role have?

Most roles need between six and twelve competencies, usually one to four core competencies plus a larger set of role-specific ones. Fewer is easier to use in reviews. If managers can’t keep the list in mind during a performance conversation, the framework is too long and some competencies need merging or cutting.

How does a competency framework relate to skills intelligence?

A competency framework defines what good looks like in each role. Skills intelligence shows, with evidence, how close people are to that standard, using manager-validated skill levels and observed assessments instead of self-ratings. In Thrive, managers set current and target skill levels for their teams, so gaps become visible and can be linked to learning.

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