The relative contribution of personality, cognitive ability and the density of work experience in predicting human resource competencies

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to conceptually define and empirically investigate the density of work experience along with individual characteristics (cognitive ability, conscientiousness and openness to experience) and examine their influence on human resource (HR) competencies. Design/methodology/approach: Regression analysis was used to analyze the data. In total, 140 HR professionals from service industry background and their supervisors participated in the data collection efforts. Findings: Data analyses revealed three key findings. Employees’ density of work experience positively relates to HR competencies. Cognitive ability is the strongest predictor of the positive relationship to HR competencies, and density of work experience. Research limitations/implications: The author did not assess learning from each role (individual contributor, team lead and manager). Another limitation stems from the measure of density of work experience. The author did not consider the feedback that each incumbent might have received while dealing with challenging activities and the course corrections that may have been made. Practical implications: Using an approach of gradually increasing the level of responsibility and involvement in challenging tasks may also help incumbents develop who may not be intellectually gifted. In the process of gradually increasing the level of involvement in challenging tasks, incumbents could develop a nuanced view of the field expertise required to deal with challenges, gain an in-depth understanding of the business, and acquire change management skills. Originality/value: The author attempts to know which aspects of personality influence density of work experience the most. In addition, which personality characteristic predicts HR competencies more strongly?