Competency isn’t one thing — it’s a complete picture of what people need to know and be able to do to perform safely, consistently, and at a high level. CABEM’s 5 Categories of Competency provide a clear, practical way to define, assess, and sustain workforce readiness across roles and departments.
In this category, we break down each competency area and show how they work together to strengthen performance and compliance. You’ll find real-world guidance for building role-based expectations, identifying gaps early, and creating measurable pathways from training to true capability. We also explore how organizations use these categories to standardize quality, reduce risk, and stay audit-ready without overwhelming managers or frontline teams.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining an existing program, these insights will help you build a competency framework that’s simple to manage, meaningful to your workforce, and defensible when regulators or auditors ask for proof.
A Structured and Proactive Approach to Managing a Workforce In the modern workplace, staying competent, compliant, and competitive requires more than just checking boxes. It demands a structured, proactive approach to managing workforce development, starting with...
Abilities Are the Bedrock of Competency Management We live in a competency-driven economy, and organizations can no longer afford to guess what their workforce is capable of. That’s where competency management comes in—a structured approach to defining, assessing, and...
The Backbone of Decision-making and Problem-solving Competency management is essential for organizations that cultivate a skilled and adaptable workforce. It encompasses five key categories: knowledge, skills, abilities, behavior, and personal characteristics. Today,...
Competency Management: A Focus on Skills In today's technology-driven world, the success of any organization hinges on its ability to cultivate, manage, and leverage the skills of its workforce. Competency management—an organized approach to aligning employee skills,...
A Close Look at Overt, Covert, and Social Behavior The behavior category of competency management is crucial because it directly influences how skills and knowledge are applied in real-world scenarios. While technical competencies define what an individual can do,...
A Guide to Leading Teams to Success with 5 Competency Categories Effective management in today's business environment requires more than overseeing daily operations. It demands various core competencies that enable managers to lead their teams successfully and drive...
3 Critical Components of Your Competency Management Organizations are tasked with the challenge of retaining highly skilled employees in a rapidly growing and competitive market. They seek to improve performance and develop leaders within their business. Competency...