Aptitude—the third element in the SKA triad—is a composite of skills, knowledge and motivation. It is evident in the particularly creative or energetic engagement of an employee in a specific task. Aptitude is being displayed when an employee has prepared a particularly tasteful display ad or when an executive has made a particularly impressive presentation at the annual shareholder meeting. As members of an organization face increasingly complex, unpredictable and turbulent conditions, we will find greater emphasis being placed on aptitude and less emphasis being placed on skill. In the future we will rarely find a skill set that exists independent of a knowledge set and will rarely find that either skills or knowledge can be effectively used without an accompanying motivation for the employee to succeed in the job she is doing.
Any organizational client who would like her organization to be more appreciative in nature must identify and engage the diverse skills, knowledge and aptitudes of those who work in her organization. A human resource bank specifically addresses this appreciative function, providing information about the skills, knowledge and aptitudes now being used or potentially being used in the organization. In building an inventory of skills, knowledge and aptitudes rather than just equipment and supplies, leaders of an organization are demonstrating, in a concrete manner, that they consider the people working in their organization to be assets rather than either expenses or liabilities.
In keeping with the appreciative perspective, the human resource bank focuses not on the deficits that exist in an organization, but rather on its strengths. A leader in virtually any contemporary organization would be considered ineffective if he failed to make use of the space and equipment made available for his use in the organization. Similarly, leaders in an appreciative organization should be held accountable for keeping track of and making use of the human resources (SKAs) that exist in this organization.
The Nature of a Human Resource Bank
The HR Bank typically consists of a set of computerized records that list SKA areas and that link specific employees in the organization with each of these areas. The HR data bank is typically updated on a regular basis. It is usually made available to everyone in the organization, or at least to all employees at a supervisory level or above. Resumes can be summarized and entered onto a computer-based list. Alternatively, the resume can be directly scanned into the computer.
Similarly, performance reviews can be manually entered, or they can be prepared electronically in the first place and then transferred to the HR Bank. Information sent by e-mail, computer conferencing, or other forms of digital communication can also be readily transferred directly to the bank. Members of a technical support or MIS department can prepare simple list structures or search routines that make use of key word indicators (“tags”). These structures enable one to easily access information in the HR Bank. Standard software programs designed to track employee records can also be used.
