What is the ASK model? How to effectively evaluate human resources capacity

Currently, the ASK model is a solution applied by many businesses in human resource management, helping to determine individual capacity in a transparent and fair manner, thereby making effective assessments and decisions. In this article, 1C Vietnam will share important knowledge about the ASK model and how to apply it effectively.

1. What is the ASK model?

Short for Attitude - Skill - Knowledge, ASK is the most widely used career standard model in the world. This is a competency assessment model developed by Benjamin Bloom in 1956, ASK is made up of 3 main groups:

• Knowledge: Belongs to the category of thinking ability, is the understanding gained after being educated - trained, reading, analyzing as well as applying daily. For example: Foreign language proficiency, specialized knowledge...
• Skill: Belongs to the category of operational skills. This is the ability to turn knowledge into practical behavior during the work process. For example: Risk management skills, closing skills...
• Attitude: Belongs to the emotional category. This is how an individual perceives and reacts to reality, expressing attitudes and motivations towards work. For example: Teamwork, honesty, eagerness to learn, etc.

Normally, businesses will build a competency dictionary based on the ASK model with common competency standards. Then, depending on each job position, businesses will choose related knowledge - skills - attitudes to build a specific competency framework.

For example: When recruiting for the position of Business Consultant for ABC software, the business will rely on the factors in the ASK model. Specifically:

• Knowledge: Case studies on consulting and implementing digital transformation, customer experience, business management knowledge...
• Skills: Exploiting customer needs, consulting and introducing software products, negotiating - cooperating - implementing for customers.
• Attitude: Working style is sharp, proactive, eager to learn, hard-working and constantly self-improving.

2. The importance of the ASK model in human resource management

The ASK model plays an important role in assessing the capabilities of human resources through clear orientation and criteria, helping businesses easily implement human resource management processes. Below are the specific benefits that the ASK model brings:

2.1 Screening candidates during the recruitment process

It is necessary to have an agreement between the HR department and the recruitment department to build a competency framework for each recruitment position. At the same time, clearly mention the recruitment notices to limit unsuitable candidates. Thus, the business will shorten the time and interview process in the next rounds, and at the same time limit missing out on potential candidates who meet the job requirements.

The ASK model is especially useful in recruitment, where HR departments need to rely on this reference to determine which candidates are suitable to approach, and can classify candidates into talent pools corresponding to each knowledge/skill/attitude and easily export data at any time.

2.2 Accurately evaluate candidates through interviews

Once the ASK model is in place, businesses can use it as a criterion for evaluation in the interview round, which helps businesses evaluate candidates in the most transparent and objective way. In this process, businesses need to clarify the behavior and scoring level of each knowledge/skill/attitude in the competency framework of each position. Each competency will have 5 levels of behavioral understanding, from 1 - 5 corresponding to the levels: Basic, average, good, good and very good.

Therefore, the more the Recruitment - Human Resources department focuses on each of these levels, the more realistic and fair the candidate will be evaluated. In general, this evaluation process helps businesses standardize recruitment, especially those that are growing rapidly or want to approach foreign candidates.

2.3 Evaluate candidate's working capacity

Based on the elements of the ASK model, businesses will easily create an effective internal human resource assessment framework and make appropriate decisions on assignment, appointment, and reward. In addition, employees also know the expectations from the business to have more motivation to develop and improve work performance. A human resource assessment process will usually take place periodically or at the end of the probationary period, contract expiration, etc.

2.4 Orientation of human resource training activities

In addition to group lectures and applied tests, the HR - recruitment department will draw up an effective onboarding roadmap for employees through the ASK model. At this time, all employees will easily grasp the job requirements if the business takes advantage of that knowledge/skills/attitudes as the content of the curriculum to guide activities.

2.5 Promote and improve the organizational apparatus

In today's era, many businesses are developing at a rapid pace. However, the skills of employees are still outdated and no longer suitable for current trends. Therefore, awareness of new trends and information capture skills are very important. The ASK model will be a tool to help businesses assess what factors employees are lacking in order to solve them. From there, businesses will promote employee capacity, creating a continuous evaluation and development cycle.

3. How to apply the ASK model in practice

Businesses have seen the importance of the ASK model when applying it to the process of managing and evaluating candidate capacity. This is considered a measure that employees need to pay attention to in order to promote their qualities and capacities. So how to apply the ASK model? There are two secrets as follows:

3.1 Develop a set of criteria for evaluating personnel

About attitude:

• Disinterested: Employees work superficially, do not follow rules, and work performance is slow.
• Normal: Employees are not interested in working, thinking only about getting it done.
• Interest: Employees try their best to improve work performance.
• Determination: Employees are determined to hone their skills and focus on striving to improve every day.
• Fully engaged: Employees are engaged in their work and are willing to learn to expand their knowledge.

About skills – Skills:

• Beginning: Employees have not yet gone through the stage of getting acquainted with the job and do not have skills.
• In Progress: Employees begin to gain knowledge and practice skills.
• Practice: Employees rely on learned knowledge to complete work.
• Proficiency: Employees work smoothly and complete job requirements well.
• Highly skilled: Employees have excellent skills, make few mistakes, and can perform tasks quickly, without thinking.

About knowledge – Knowledge:

• Lack of knowledge: Employees do not have understanding of technical knowledge.
• Basic understanding: Staff can answer basic technical questions but lacks a deep understanding of the subject matter.
• Good knowledge: Staff can give complete answers on professional knowledge.
• Thorough understanding: Employees thoroughly understand specialized knowledge and can train others.

3.2 Applying 1C:Company Management solution to effectively manage human resources

In addition to building a set of appropriate human resource evaluation criteria, businesses can apply solutions to help save time in recruiting and managing human resources. 1C:Company Management is one of the comprehensive and effective business management solutions today, in which the most prominent is the human resource management subsystem with the following features:

• Integrate flexible features to automate business administration in all different business models.
• Build a quick and effective recruitment plan and process.
• Update assessments, notes on attitudes, knowledge, and skills of each candidate.
• Features can be customized according to specific business requirements, ensuring convenience for users.
• The solution helps connect business departments and CRM on the business's software system, helping to save time, costs and improve operational efficiency.
• Allows businesses to manage according to multiple company and corporation models... helping to unify data on a software basis.

Thus, the ASK model is a method that helps the human resources - recruitment department evaluate employee capacity accurately and fairly according to international standards. In addition, when applied in parallel with the features in the human resources management subsystem of the 1C:Company Management software, businesses will easily build and develop an effective and successful ASK model. Hopefully, the above sharing about the ASK model will bring your business knowledge on this topic. If you need further advice on the 1C:Company Management solution, please contact the hotline: 0247.108.8887.