Competencies are more than knowledge or isolated skills – they describe the ability to apply knowledge and skill successfully in concrete situations. Common models distinguish professional, methodological, social and personal competencies, which together form action competence.
In personnel selection, competency models have become a central tool. Rather than defining job postings through long requirement lists, organisations describe key competencies such as "conflict handling", "strategic thinking" or "change orientation" and assess them in structured interviews and assessment exercises. Many German public-sector role descriptions are anchored in such models.
For candidates, it pays to reflect on their competencies along concrete examples. The STAR method helps: which Situation, which Task, which Action, which Result? This approach makes competencies tangible and testable – both in the cover letter and in the interview.
Lunigi uses competency descriptions in candidate profile and job posting as a central matching signal – complementing classic keywords and hard-skill lists.