This resource provides an example of how the Core Skills for Work Developmental Framework (CSfW) can be
used as a theoretical underpinning from which resources and tools can be developed. This resource should
be read in conjunction with the CSfW.
USING THE CORE SKILLS FOR WORK DEVELOPMENTAL
FRAMEWORK - TWO SCENARIOS FROM THE EMPLOYMENT
SERVICES SECTOR
INTRODUCTION
Employment services consultants are highly skilled in assisting a range of clients seeking work. Initial testing
of the Core Skills for Work Developmental Framework (CSfW) with providers suggest that it has the
potential to inform their professional judgment, by providing a systematic way of focusing, and sometimes
challenging perceptions of individuals’ capabilities in these Skill Areas. As one employment services
consultant commented, “I have all this in my head, but I’ve never seen it written down before!”
The CSfW can be used in a variety of ways in its own right, or as the basis for the development of specific
tools, such as self-assessment questionnaires.
It can assist when working with a client to:




identify the non-technical skill requirements of a specific job role
develop a non-technical skills profile as part of identifying possible career or work options, developing a
resume and preparing for interviews
identify areas where current non-technical skill and/or Influencing Factors may be acting as drivers or
barriers to seeking, gaining or retaining employment
identify the support/training that may help ‘fill in the gaps’.
It could also help to facilitate objective discussions with employers to:


clarify the needs and expectations of particular job roles in regard to non-technical skills
identify the supports, opportunities and formal training that may be most appropriate to facilitate an
employee’s skills development in priority Skill Areas.
WHAT IS IN THIS RESOURCE
This resource contains two scenarios demonstrating how the CSfW might be used in different ways within
the employment services sector.
The first scenario illustrates how the CSfW might be used to develop a core skills for work profile for a
client, which then provides a basis for working with them.
The second scenario illustrates how the CSfW can be used to assist both a client and their employer within
a work placement situation.
March 2013
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USING THE CORE SKILLS FOR WORK DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORK IN THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SECTOR |
SCENARIO 1. DEVELOPING A CORE SKILLS FOR WORK
PROFILE
The following case study shows how the CSfW might be used when working with a client – in this case
Maurie, in order to build a skills profile and identify areas for development. The case study has two parts.



Part 1 is Maurie’s story. After twenty years of work for the same car parts manufacturer he has been
retrenched and faces an uncertain future. The narrative provides a glimpse inside Maurie’s reality and
hints at some of the factors that are making an impact upon his core skills for work.
Part 2 outlines that way in which an employment services consultant might work with Maurie to gather
a clear indication of his existing core skills and areas to be considered in the future.
Table 1 in this section maps Maurie’s existing core skills for work. Table 2 outlines reflection on the way
forward and areas for action.
PART 1. MAURIE’S STORY
He was about to do his block. He could feel it like tiny pin pricks under his skin. It reminded him of the time
he’d lost it at the soccer club meeting about the damage to the clubrooms and Jack had to take him aside
and read him the riot act. As the Secretary of the club he wasn’t going to sit and watch their meager profits
get swallowed up. That was one of the times he’d had to admit that he lost his temper when under stress.
As he sat in the car in the driveway trying to cool off he couldn’t get the image of that young HR bloke out
of his head. Twenty years of loyalty and hard work. So easy for him to just wipe that away with a few ticks
on a chart.
“So Mr Freeland, I see here that you did not take up the opportunity of IT training as part of the severance
package?”
Well no he hadn’t - he’d bluffed his way through a lot of that IT stuff over the years. A bit of basic Excel was
one thing, but it would have been really bloody stressful to get his head around new stuff right in front of
his workmates. It was fine for the younger types who grew up around computers. They found it easy but he
couldn’t see what was in it really. Surely if you hold the information in your head or put it down on paper
there’s is no need to stick it in a ‘knowledge management’ system.
“and Maurie have you considered what other work you might pursue in future?”
“Well yeah, I have’’, he felt like saying, ‘‘a top-notch exec job in part of the manufacturing industry that’ll
never face a threat! And pigs might fly!” But instead, he just shook his head.
Maurie turned off the ignition and took a deep breath. The kids between ’em had six more years at school
and what about the mortgage? What was he going to tell his wife? She had these expectations that he
could get another job close to home and that she could have the main access to the car to take Jarrod to
school in his wheelchair.
He didn’t have long to try to get a CV together – but he needed to get right onto it. He couldn’t even
remember where his Tech school papers would be or the results from that Frontline Manager course he’d
done with TAFE in the 90s. What else needed to go in a CV? What could he say about himself after all this
time? The thought of it made him feel sick.
“Let’s face it- it’s just not gunna happen. Not unless I can get some real help,” he thought.
He glanced at the dashboard and picked up the card to some employment services mob that looked like
they could be OK.
“Snap out of it Maurie- snap out of it,” he said out loud.
That’s what he’d say to someone else in his shoes.
March 2013
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USING THE CORE SKILLS FOR WORK DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORK IN THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SECTOR |
PART 2. ANALYSING MAURIE’S CORE SKILLS FOR WORK
Maurie has arrived at the employment services office. He is still anxious and angry that he should have
been put in this position through no fault of his own. He knows he needs help, and has taken steps to get it,
but he has little idea of what that help might look like.
The consultant takes time to establish a rapport, gradually drawing out the events that have brought
Maurie to her office. She helps him identify some immediate and longer term goals and the most critical
issues he is facing. Together, they begin to identify possible ways of moving forward. Maurie begins to see
a glimmer of hope, but is still unsure about his ability to get a job. Maybe he doesn’t have the skills people
are looking for anymore...
When she judges the time to be right, the consultant suggests that Maurie fills in a questionnaire that will
help him to identify his strengths and areas of interest. The questionnaire was developed by her
organisation based on elements of the CSfW. Although it is available online, Maurie elects to complete a
hard copy, and brings it to their next meeting. This provides the basis for further discussion.
Using the CSfW as a reference point, the consultant records initial thoughts about Maurie’s performance in
his work experiences to date (see Table 1). She updates these notes and adds further observations after
their next meeting. This initial mapping helps the consultant focus her discussions with Maurie and identify
further action to be taken (see Table 2). As she continues to build rapport, and assists Maurie to move past
his initial anger and panic, they will jointly build a more comprehensive picture of Maurie’s current
technical and non- technical skill sets. This information could be used to identify possible job opportunities,
develop a CV, identify activities that could build his skills and experience, including further formal training if
applicable.
March 2013
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USING THE CORE SKILLS FOR WORK DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORK IN THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SECTOR |
TABLE 1: CORE SKILLS FOR WORK OVERVIEW – INITIAL THOUGHTS ABOUT MAURIE’S CURRENT SITUATION
Stage 1:
Novice
Stage 2:
Adv
Beginner
Stage 3:
Capable
Skill Cluster
Skill Area
Focus Areas
1. Navigate the
world of work
1a. Manage career and work
life
Identify work options;
Gain work;
Develop relevant skills and knowledge
1b. Work with roles, rights and
protocols
Work with roles and responsibilities;
Operate within legal rights and responsibilities;
Recognise and respond to protocols
2a. Communicate for work
Respond to communication systems, practices and protocols;
Speak and listen;
Understand, interpret and act;
Get the message across
2b. Connect and work with
others
Understand self;
Build rapport;
Cooperate and collaborate
2c. Recognise and utilise
diverse perspectives
Recognise different perspectives;
Respond to and utilise diverse perspectives;
Manage conflict
3a. Plan and organise
Plan and organise workload and commitments;
Plan and implement tasks
X
X
3b. Make decisions
Establish decision making scope;
Apply decision-making processes;
Review impact
X
X
X
3c. Identify and solve problems
Identify problems;
Apply problem-solving processes;
Review outcomes
X
X
X
3d. Create and innovate
Recognise opportunities to develop and apply new ideas;
Generate ideas;
Select ideas for implementation
X
X
X
3e. Work in a digital world
Use digitally based technologies and systems;
Connect with others;
Access, organise, and present information;
Manage risk
X
X
X
X
2. Interact with
others
3. Get the
work done
Influencing
Factors
March 2013



existing skills & knowledge
context familiarity
task complexity



Stage 4:
Proficient
Stage 5:
Expert
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
degree of autonomy
nature & degree of support
degree of motivation*
X
X
X



self-belief and resilience*
cultural and value-based factors
external factors*
(N.B. The factors marked with an asterisk above
are the ones currently having a significant
impact)
USING THE CORE SKILLS FOR WORK DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORK IN THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SECTOR | 4
TABLE 2: FURTHER OBSERVATIONS AND AREAS FOR ACTION FOR MAURIE
Skill Area
Focus Areas
Observations
Stage
Possible action
1a. Manage
career and
work life
Identify work options
Gain work
Develop relevant skills and
knowledge
Has gained work in the past, but no recent experience - same
organisation 20 years, same job 12 years (N.B. Shows strong
commitment to company). Never written a CV, few formal interviews
Adv beginner
High priority
Will need support-e.g. more work to identify possible jobsprepared to take any job in short term but need to look at
where current skills most applicable and identify interest
areas etc.
Template & step by step guidelines, help to tailor to job ad,
identify best examples of past experience, practice
interviews
CapableMaybe
Proficient?
Strong examples of strengths in this area
Do these suggest operating at ‘proficient’ stage?
Use examples in job applications and interviews
Has updated formal qualifications- but not recently
Limited formal PD in work context, but examples of active learning on
the job – e.g. has asked for opportunities, taken on extra duties
Financial & governance training in volunteer position – certificates
available
1b. Work with
roles, rights and
protocols
Work with roles and
responsibilities
Operate within legal rights and
responsibilities
Recognise and respond to
protocols
Long standing employee. Knows how to fulfill job requirements, follow
protocols etc- never any issues (references support this)
2a.
Communicate
for work
Respond to communication
systems, practices and protocols
Speak and listen
Understand, interpret, act
Get the message across
Limited information to date
Unable to
ascertain
Need to identify what forms of communication involved in
former job/volunteer position.
Do not appear to be any LLN issues
2b. Connect
and work with
others
Understand self
Build rapport
Cooperate and collaborate
Some self insight- e.g. Initially said ‘I always get on well with everyone’
but then said he snapped at people when stressed
Capable?
Needs to build self-belief & recognise value of some of the
skills he has taken for granted, especially in volunteering
sphere–Go into this in more detail next time
2c. Recognise
and utilise
diverse
perspective
Recognise different perspectives
Respond to and utilise diverse
perspectives
Manage conflict
Acknowledged can be short tempered with people who don’t agree
with own views (i.e. not just because he’s stressed). Acknowledges a
tendency to fly off the handle. Concerned he’s likely to do this at the
moment because of his situation. Wants to address this.
Adv beginner
Recommend counselling/training sessions on understanding
others/dealing with difficult people/conflict management
3a. Plan and
organise
Plan and organise workload and
commitments
Plan and implement tasks
Work & volunteer examples available
Capable
Document examples for use in applications and interviews
March 2013
Experience of formal responsibility as supervisor (12 years) and in the
club (3 years)
He was also able to give examples of working effectively with others,
leadership, mentoring (Questionnaire worked well here- helped him
focus on positives!)
USING THE CORE SKILLS FOR WORK DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORK IN THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SECTOR | 5
TABLE 2 (Continued): FURTHER OBSERVATIONS AND AREAS FOR ACTION FOR MAURIE
Skill Area
Focus Areas
Observations
Stage
Possible action
3b. Make
decisions
Establish decision making scope
Apply decision-making processes
Review impact
Has experience and demonstrated capacity in two different
contexts - work & volunteer - examples available
Capable
Document examples for use in applications and interviews
3c. Identify and
solve problems
Identify problems
Apply problem-solving processes
Review outcomes
Experience/demonstrated capacity in two different contexts work & volunteer - examples available
Capable
Document examples for use in applications and interviews
3d. Create and
innovate
Recognise opportunities to
develop and apply new ideas
Generate ideas
Select ideas for implementation
Although was in a position with some autonomy, not able to
think of examples of changes he initiated or supported. Said
couldn’t see the need for change – ‘all been done before and
didn’t work then’, and didn’t support ‘change for change sake’
Novice – Adv
beginner?
Capacity to adapt to new ways of doing things is now
critical for Maurie. May need assistance to recognise and
value the ways in which he has done this in the past, and
prepare for the challenges that will face him in a new
employment context
Adv beginner
Needs to develop skills in this area - but they need to be
relevant to the type of job role he is interested in. Hold off
on formal training until better idea of jobs/industry?
Is flexible in other situations- has made many successful
adaptions to suit family circumstances, support others – but
doesn’t recognise the strength of this
3e. Work in a
digital world
Use digitally based technologies
and systems
Connect with others
Access, organise, and present
information
Manage risk
Can ‘operate’ relevant technology to a point but needs to build
appreciation of role of digital technologies, understand potential
to use as integral part of role - especially if wants any sort of
supervisory/managerial job
Influencing
factors
(those that are
currently most
relevant)
Motivation
Highly motivated to find a stable job
Motivation to support his family is a driving factor that
should help Maurie overcome fears, learn new skills
Self Belief
Low self belief and confidence, but some signs of resilience
Everything we do must help Maurie build self belief – he
must ‘see’ himself in new role, must start to feel that he
has some control over his future
External factors
Family circumstances important - could impact on job options
Familiarity with context
Limited practical experience of what’s involved in moving into a
new context – hasn’t demonstrated high degree of adaptability in
work role in past
March 2013
n/a
Job must be accessible by public transport, not involve
extended travel time. This doesn’t appear to be
negotiable at the moment
Could benefit from some discussion of what’s involved in
moving to a new job and some ongoing support once in a
new role. (Sessions focusing on thinking for innovation
and change may also help raise awareness of strategies
USING THE CORE SKILLS FOR WORK DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORK IN THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SECTOR | 6
SCENARIO 2. ALIGNING WORKPLACE EXPECTATIONS
Employment services consultants often need to visit clients in the workplace to conduct a review. It is not
unusual to find that there are some differences between the client’s and the employer’s view of ‘how
things are going’.
The CSfW can be used in several ways as part of the support process. For example:




to identify and align the core skills for work requirements and expectations of a specific role
to establish a snapshot of a client’s strengths and weaknesses
to identify areas where current non-technical skill levels and/or Influencing Factors may be affecting
performance
to identify the types of support or training that may help address immediate issues and facilitate ongoing skills development.
The following case study shows how the CSfW might be used to explore the perspectives of a manager, a
new employee and an employment services consultant and demonstrates how the CSfW can be used to
clarify and align expectations and provide a basis for agreement on priority areas for development.
The case study has a number of parts:




Part 1a. is Wu Lin’s story. She is a newly appointed worker in an aged care facility awaiting her first job
placement review. The narrative provides a glimpse inside her reality and hints at some of the factors
impacting upon her core skills for work.
Part 1b. is Elena’s story. Elena is Wu Lin’s employer. This narrative outlines some of the factors that are
at play within the organisation and Elena’s own views about new recruits that will impact on her
assessment of Wu Lin’s skills.
Part 2 outlines that way in which an employment services consultant might work with Elena to establish
a clear indication of the Skill Areas required for Wu Lin’s job and a set of realistic expectations of
current job performance.
Part 3 outlines the steps Elena took after using the CSfW to reflect on Wu Lin’s performance.
March 2013
USING THE CORE SKILLS FOR WORK DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORK IN THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SECTOR | 7
PART 1A. WU LIN’S STORY
She was running late. The child care centre was worried about her son’s shyness and had kept her talking and
now she had missed the bus. The boss would not be happy.
But then, the boss, Elena, never seemed happy. She was always busy, and even though she said she had ‘an
open door policy’, her door was often closed. When it was open, you could see she had a scowl on her face
and Wu Lin did not feel welcome.
In Wu Lin’s first week, Elena had run several induction sessions for the three new workers. Some of it was
familiar from things Wu Lin had covered in her aged care course and work placement, but it seemed that
they did some things differently at this centre. Once they started work, Elena had told them to ‘feel free’ to
ask questions whenever they were not sure of anything, but Wu Lin did not feel very free – when she had
tried to ask, everyone seemed too busy to stop and explain, and sometimes they acted as if she was stupid
not to know in the first place.
She had decided it was easier to watch the more experienced workers and try to work out how they did
things. But it could take time to watch someone going right through a process, and this meant she did not
always finish her work in good time. Once, she did not get the patients back in from the day room in time for
their lunch because she was trying to work out how to extend the sling on the hydraulic patient lift. The lift
was different to the one she had used in her course placement. When she asked Mark what to do, he had
just given her the instruction manual, but that was very hard to follow. She’d got into trouble about the
patients being late, and she still hadn’t learnt how to use the lift properly. But she had learnt there was no
point in asking anyone for help.
Despite the difficulties, Wu Lin knew this was the type of work she wanted to do in Australia, even though it
was very different from her role as a bookkeeper in China. When she and her husband had first come to
Australia they had worked together in a cleaning business, but this new job was more interesting and better
paid. The only real problem was that it was a long way from home and the detour to drop the children made
the mornings very difficult. She often felt exhausted before she even arrived.
Still, she was glad she had chosen a job where she could help people. Even though she did not always have
the right English words quickly available, she found that a smile connected her to her clients and the words
were starting to come more easily. She could tell they appreciated the time she spent with them and the
care she took, especially with the ones who never had any visitors. She didn’t understand how their families
could abandon them like this, and always made a special effort so they would know that someone cared.
This week was very important. It frightened her to think about it. Her review session was coming up with
Elena and her employment services consultant. She needed to do well. Being late again was not going to
help, but there was no way round it. She began to dial Elena’s number to let her know…
PART 1B. ELENA’S STORY
The paperwork was piling up. With the reaccreditation audit only 3 weeks away Elena was snowed under.
Equipment breakdowns, new staff and the training manager still off sick… she could feel her blood pressure
rising. She was beginning to wonder if the success of the place was really worth it.
Adding the new wing had taken so much work, and she felt guilty because some things were suffering. The
recent staff induction had been a rushed affair. With Julie away, she’d had to do it herself, and it had been a
bit of an eye opener. Why hadn’t she realised that the documentation of some of the procedures was so
sketchy? Why hadn’t Julie said something? But she didn’t have time to think about it right now. The new
workers would just have to show some initiative to fill in the gaps.
That didn’t always happen mind you – every now and then you got a worker with all the right qualifications
but no real grip on how things were done. She feared that Wu Lin was a bit like that. She was nice enough,
and the clients certainly seemed to like her, but several times now she had been late for work and then Elena
had caught her standing back and watching other people working when she needed to be getting on with it.
March 2013
USING THE CORE SKILLS FOR WORK DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORK IN THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SECTOR | 8
She also seemed to spend ages worrying over small details when there was so much else to be done. She
didn’t seem to realise that when one process fell behind it threw the whole place out of kilter, and she
wasn’t prepared to ask for help, although she obviously needed it.
Taking on new staff was such a hassle. If only you could find people with the right experience who’d just get
on with the job, but they were in short supply. Was it worth persevering with Wu Lin?
Elena sighed and picked up her coffee mug. Maybe she would feel clearer on the paper work after a dose of
caffeine. And then the phone rang…
PART 2. USING THE CSFW TO ALIGN EXPECTATIONS
The employment services consultant initially met with Elena and listened to her concerns about Wu Lin’s
performance. She suggested that they use the CSfW as a basis for identifying a way forward, explaining that
Elena might also be interested in using the CSfW when discussing work performance with other staff.
With Elena’s agreement, the employment services consultant gave a quick introduction to the Skill Areas
using the Framework Overview (see Table 1 below) and briefly explained the progression from Stage 1 to 5
(from Novice to Expert).
They used the one page overview in conjunction with the detailed descriptors of the critical Skill Areas as the
basis for a four-step process in which they:
1. Identified the most critical Skill Areas - i.e. those that Elena perceives to be most important in this
particular care worker role (these are bold and italicised in Table 1)
2. Established the stage of performance that Elena expected of someone in this role in each of the
critical Skill Areas (these are marked with an E in Table 1)
3. Identified the Performance Features that best described Wu Lin’s current performance in these Skill
Areas, (these are marked with a C in Table 1) and recorded evidence of her strengths and issues and
where more information was needed (this further information is recorded in Table 2)
4. Considered the potential impact of the Influencing factors (these are recorded in Table 3)
OUTCOMES OF THE PROCESS
While recognising that all ten Skill Areas were important, Elena identified four that she saw as critical to an
aged care worker’s role in her organisation:




Work with roles, rights and protocols
Communicate for work
Connect with others
Plan and organise
The employment services consultant helped Elena reflect further on her expectations and requirements,
asking Elena: “What should a newcomer to the industry and the organisation be able to do on day 1? In the
first week? In the first month?”
Although Elena initially felt carers should be operating at the proficient stage in each of the Skill Areas, once
she focused on the Performance Features themselves, she decided that the Capable descriptors best
described what someone with a Cert III in Aged Care should be able to do within her organisation. She
commented that there were several skilled care workers who were operating at the proficient stage. She
wondered if she had been measuring everyone against them and if this might be unrealistic.
Although she realised she did not have enough evidence to comment on some aspects, Elena found it
relatively easy to use the CSfW to identify Wu Lin’s stages of performance, and reported that it helped her to
focus on Wu Lin’s strengths as well as areas of immediate need.
When Elena compared Wu Lin’s stages of performance with her expectations she commented that perhaps it
had been a little unfair to expect someone new to the industry to be operating at the Capable stage
immediately. “But it would be so good if they did,” she said, “because that’s what we really need! Maybe I
March 2013
USING THE CORE SKILLS FOR WORK DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORK IN THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SECTOR | 9
need to work out how we could get Wu Lin – and the other newcomers- to that stage more quickly?”
When Elena and the employment services consultant considered the Influencing Factors, two things became
clear:


They needed a better understanding of Wu Lin’s situation and of her perspectives on what was
happening
There were areas where Elena’s expectations may have been unduly high
Arriving late could be an example of a ‘bad’ attitude, lack of motivation to be at work or poor time
management- or was there another reason? Wu Lin had not provided any clues on this, and Elena
acknowledged that she had not asked. Perhaps it was time to get a better understanding of the situation.
Elena recognised that Wu Lin’s lack of speed and apparent lack of appreciation of how her responsibilities
meshed with, and affected those of others, might not be Wu Lin’s habitual way of working. It might actually
be an example of how Wu Lin operated when she was in the Novice stage of working with roles, rights and
protocols. Once Wu Lin became more familiar with the context, she might behave very differently. Now that
she thought about it, Elena observed that it did seem to be a common issue with newcomers. Perhaps the
induction procedures needed an overhaul and that other processes were needed for supporting new staff.
Perhaps some work-shadowing, or assigning a buddy or mentor? Maybe there were some areas in which Wu
Lin and other staff needed some more specific training.
The main issue was that it was really important for Wu Lin to work more quickly, so something would have to
be done to improve the situation. It would certainly help if Wu Lin asked for assistance when she didn’t
understand. Why wouldn’t she? Elena thought of several possible explanations, e.g.



It could be a language issue – Did Wu Lin have the vocabulary to ask questions?
It could be a cultural issue. Did Wu Lin come from a culture where subordinates were not supposed to
ask questions?
It could be an organisational issue. Did Wu Lin know who to ask? Was anyone taking official responsibility
for answering her questions? Did people here provide assistance when asked? Did they offer it before
someone had to ask?
The best way to find out was to ask Wu Lin.
March 2013
USING THE CORE SKILLS FOR WORK DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORK IN THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SECTOR | 10
TABLE 1: INITIAL MAPPING OF WU LIN’S PERFORMANCE AGAINST THE CORE SKILLS FOR WORK
DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORK
Stage 2:
Stage 3:
Stage 4:
Stage 5:
Novice
Adv Beg
Capable
Proficient
Expert
Skill Area
1. Navigate
the world of
work
1a. Manage career and
work life
Identify work options;
Gain work;
Develop relevant skills and knowledge
1b. Work with roles,
rights and protocols
Work with roles and responsibilities;
Operate within legal rights and responsibilities;
Recognise and respond to protocols
C
C
E
E
E
Respond to communication systems, practices and
protocols;
Speak and listen;
Understand, interpret and act;
Get the message across
C
E
2. Interact
with others
3. Get the
work done
2a. Communicate for
work
Focus Areas
Stage 1:
Skill Cluster
2b. Connect and work
with others
Understand self;
Build rapport;
Cooperate and collaborate
2c. Recognise and
utilise diverse
perspectives
Recognise different perspectives;
Respond to and utilise diverse perspectives;
Manage conflict
3a. Plan and organise
Plan and organise workload and commitments;
Plan and implement tasks
3b. Make decisions
Establish decision making scope;
Apply decision-making processes;
Review impact
3c. Identify and solve
problems
Identify problems;
Apply problem-solving processes;
Review outcomes
3d. Create and
innovate
Recognise opportunities to develop and apply new
ideas;
Generate ideas;
Select ideas for implementation
3e. Work in a digital
world
Use digitally based technologies and systems;
Connect with others;
Access, organise, and present information;
Manage risk
C
C
C
C
C
C
E
E
E
C
C
C
E
E
E
C
C
E
E
Key: Priority Skill Areas associated with role (bold and italicised)
E = Expected stage of performance
C = Elena’s perception of Wu Lin’s current stage of performance
Further comments on Wu Lin’s performance in each of the priority skill areas can be found in table 2.
March 2013
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TABLE 2: OBSERVATIONS ABOUT WU LIN’S PERFORMANCE IN THE CRITICAL SKILL AREAS
Critical Skill
Area
Stage of performance –
expectation
Stage of performance –
current
Current strengths and issues
Questions, areas for development
1b. Work with
roles, rights and
protocols
Stage 3: Capable
Stage 1 - Novice
Understands need to phone if running late- but should not be late!
Focusing on meeting a limited range of protocols. Quite slow
Late several times. Does Wu Lin understand what
she is supposed to do?
Not coordinating with others and meeting important deadlines – this
impacts on clients as well as colleagues
Would it help to highlight priorities ( ie things that
must happen no matter what) ?
2a.
Communicate
for work
Stage 3: Capable
With clients – Stage 2
Advanced beginner
Identifies and responds to some relevant information and attempts to
follow instructions but is not asking for clarification or assistance
Needs to ask questions. Does Wu Lin know the
right questions to ask/know who to ask?
With colleagues - Stage 1
Novice
Generally uses appropriate language, tone and non-verbal behaviours
with clients. Observes, but does not often contribute to conversations
with other colleagues
Is it a confidence issue? Are there English language
issues?
Is connecting with clients, mostly through body language, but becoming
more confident to make conversation. Clients like her – several have
commented. Can also observe from their interactions- they’re happy to
talk to her, don’t get cross when she is slow. (No-one complained about
being late for lunch)
Has potential to interact effectively with clientssee how she progresses as gets more familiar with
workplace generally. May be some language
assistance could be beneficial.
2b. Connect and
work with
others
Stage 3: Capable
With clients –Stage 2 Adv
beginner
With colleagues/
manager – Stage 1
Novice
3a. Plan and
organise
March 2013
Stage 3: Capable
Stage 1 - Novice
Responds to clear requests from manager/colleagues but does not ask
for guidance
Are there things the organisation could be doing to
better support Wu Lin so that she know what to
do?
Does she understand how her work fits with that
of others and how what she does affects
everyone?
Made one or two early attempts to establish connection with some
colleagues but seems to have stopped trying
Needs to find a way to cooperate with peers. What
are peers doing? Are they making this easier or
harder?
Follows clear, simple instructions
Alerts others when unable to meet commitments
Needs to plan tasks so can be finished in time –
Help with sequencing and identifying priorities?
Focuses on small details, having difficulty managing a number of tasks
within timeframe
Help with understanding how own tasks affect
others’ work loads & take this into account?
USING THE CORE SKILLS FOR WORK DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORK IN THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SECTOR | 12
TABLE 3: OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF INFLUENCING FACTORS ON WU LIN’S PERFORMANCE
Influencing factors
Employment services consultant’s
observations
New oganisation, relatively new industry
Familiarity with context
Limited experience of Australian culture, or
of institutionalised aged area
Most tasks of limited complexity in their
own right, but some unfamiliar
Task complexity
Elena’s observations
Even if Wu Lin has highly developed Core skills
for work in other contexts, lack of practical
experience in this context will impact on her
performance for a period of time
Unfamiliarity and sequencing issues may affect
time taken to complete
Need to sequence a number of tasks within
a timeframe, and coordinate with others increases complexity factor
No choice of tasks, limited control over
order of completion
A novice by definition doesn’t have enough
experience to identify priorities or appreciate
how individual tasks contribute to the bigger
picture. What does this mean about my
expectations? Should Wu Lin be able to do this
immediately? If not, what does she need to
make it easier?
Autonomy
Expected to take responsibility for outcomes
of own task list from day 1
Why isn’t she asking for help?
Support
Wu Lin has access to support -has been told
several times that she can ask anybody for
help, (even had a formal invitation to come
and see manager at any time
Difficult to gauge - did mention that
husband had hurt himself, and she is main
breadwinner, but keeps coming late
Why is she late? Does she really want this job?
Motivation
How do people in China interact with
superiors and co-workers? Is it important to
be on time?
Need to find out
Cultural beliefs and values
External factors
What are Wu Lin’s family commitments?
Transport arrangements?
Need to find out.
W A confidence issue or a language issue or
both?
LLN
Wu Lin speaks hesitantly, has some obvious
issues with grammar, but appears to
understand clients and to be understood by
them. However, doesn’t ask questions or
share information with coworkers
March 2013
Is this the right kind of help?
Would she benefit from additional language
support?
USING THE CORE SKILLS FOR WORK DEVELOPMENTAL FRAMEWORK IN THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SECTOR | 13
PART 3 – WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
Despite the demands on her from all sides, Elena set aside an hour to meet with Wu Lin, with the intention
of finding a way of helping her to settle in and develop the skills and knowledge she would need.
Elena commended Wu Lin on how well she was working with her clients, and stressed that this was very
important, and a sign of someone who was going to make a good aged care worker. She realised that things
had been very busy and that there had not been a lot of time to help Wu Lin settle in, but that they were
now in a position to give her some further training and support.
Elena asked about Wu Lin’s experience to date, with explicit questions about how Wu Lin felt about
working with the clients, and peers, what she felt she was doing well and where she would like more
assistance. Wu Lin thought carefully about what to say. She did not want to complain or lose her job. She
spoke positively about her work with her clients, and acknowledged, and apologised, for taking so long to
do some things. With gentle questioning, Elena was able to establish that Wu Lin was trying to work things
out for herself, and that she was doing this because she did not want to interrupt very busy people.
Together they worked through the morning tasks, highlighted those that were causing Wu Lin trouble and
developed plans to tackle them. During the process, Elena gradually established a degree of rapport that
gave Wu Lin the confidence to reveal the problems she was having with transport and child care. Although
Elena could not vary the morning shift starting time, she and Wu Lin explored some alternative options for
rosters and child care locations.
Elena asked Wu Lin what would most help her to do her job. After some thought, Wu Lin indicated that she
felt comfortable watching and taking direction from a co-worker, Michael but that she was often anxious
about interrupting him with too many questions.
Elena liked Wu Lin’s idea of watching someone, and spoke to Michael about work-shadowing. Michael
agreed and also volunteered to be the person Wu Lin would go to ask for information and advice. “If you’re
happy with this, we can trial it for two weeks and then come back together to see how things are going”.
Wu Lin nodded her approval.
“But one thing I can’t do much about is the start time,” Elena said, “we really do have to get our residents
up and dressed and I need to be able to rely on you. This is our busiest time. It isn’t fair on the residents or
the other staff if you aren’t here. I understand a little better why you’ve been late, but you’re going to have
a find a way to be here on time. Could you talk about it with your husband tonight and see if you can come
up with a plan? Come and see me tomorrow at lunchtime and we’ll talk more about it then.”
March 2013
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