A new skills roadmap for human factors
Human factors professionals can now access the latest, practical guidance to sharpen their skills, monitor their strength and gain recognition. A decade on since its initial introduction, the CIEHF has revised the Professional Competency Checklist (PCC) to ensure its comprehensive, relevant and fully equipped to meet today’s challenges and tomorrow’s needs.
The PCC is a guide available to everyone, regardless of whether you’re just starting out or looking to gauge your existing expertise against professional standards.
Featured in the September 2025 edition of the Ergonomist, the PCC sets out five core competencies in which every human factors practitioner should have some capability.
These five competencies are:
- Using a human-centred approach to design and development of systems: recognising that people are at the heart of any system. Optimising safety, health, comfort and performance.
- Focusing on human characteristics, capabilities and limitations: understanding the physical, cognitive and emotional elements that shape people.
- Recognising how other system components and performance-influencing factors affect people: from equipment to environments to organisational culture.
- Applying relevant methods, tools and techniques: gathering, analysing and interpreting data. Designing and evaluating solutions.
- Adopting professional skills and behaviours: communicating effectively, working ethically and committing to lifelong learning.
It’s a versatile resource that adapts to different needs. For example, it can be an aid for mentoring and job development, for developing course content and simply for understanding the breadth of the discipline.