Competency is checked once and then forgotten.


 Competency is checked once and then forgotten.

Competency is often evaluated just once and then ignored. Most organizations check off training in the first year, file the certificate, and rarely revisit it. Then they run annual online training and call it "competency," but clicking through a module isn't the same as watching someone do the work today. 

The problem is clear: skills decline over time, systems and regulations change, and individuals may shift roles. A person deemed competent on day one might not be competent by day three hundred, and paperwork won’t indicate this.

Competency should not be a one-time event; it requires ongoing assessment. It should reflect actual performance and be re-evaluated as work evolves.

Compliance failures are subtle; they happen when everyone assumes the last check still counts.

So, if you pulled the competency records for a critical role in your organization today, how old would the most recent one be? 

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