G Behavioural competence HF-D2.5-006 transversal 6 skills

Empathy in service delivery

Recognising the situation and feeling of the client, naming it and adjusting own action accordingly without losing the professional boundary.

How hrmforce measures this

Self-report of behavioural preferences. At hrmforce the Big Fifty and the 15PF.

This is a selection criterion, not a short-term development goal. Do not put a three-month development plan on it.

Level	Behaviour at this level
N1 Guided	Names that the client is experiencing discomfort, stays calm and asks what would help most at this moment. works under supervision and follows instruction · routine, one variable at a time · own task
N3 Proficient	Puts self in the position of a client in a vulnerable situation, chooses words carefully and keeps the agreement businesslike. sets own approach and seeks input proactively · several variables, some ambiguity · own team or process
N5 Leading	Determines how the organisation deals with vulnerable clients, safeguards that standard across the chain and addresses behaviour that deviates. sets the standard and the policy · strategic, under high uncertainty · organisation, value chain or profession

N2 and N4 are deliberately not anchored. Raters place them between the anchors, following the O*NET convention.

These skills inherit the assessment route and the behavioural anchors of this construct.

T	Skill	Definition	Demand outlook 2026 to 2030
G	Naming the client's emotion Naming emotions · Emotion acknowledgement	Says out loud what the client appears to feel and asks whether that is right before turning to content.	rising
G	Taking the client's perspective Perspective taking · Client empathy	Describes the situation as the client experiences it and uses that picture when choosing a solution.	rising
G	Calming an angry client Handling angry clients · De escalation	Stays calm under verbal aggression, lets the client speak and brings the conversation back to the issue.	rising
G	Holding a boundary with understanding Empathic boundary setting · Firm and kind	Holds the boundary on an unfeasible request while showing that the interest is recognised.	rising
G	Showing concern without promising a fix Empathy without commitment	Shows concern for the client's situation without promising an outcome that is not certain.	rising
G	Recognising vulnerable client situations Vulnerable clients · Vulnerability signals	Notices that a client is extra vulnerable through debt, illness or loss and adapts the approach.	rising