Refers to a structured model or system that outlines the skills, knowledge, behaviors, and attributes needed to perform effectively within an organization or industry. The HCF is commonly used in talent management, recruitment, performance evaluation, and career development processes. Features of an HCF typically focus on:

• Human/talent (human capital, employees, workforce, people, competence)
• Capability/organization (the team, workplace, culture)
• Leadership (bridges talent and organization, refers to individual leaders and collective leadership)
• Human resources (HR department, practices, people)

HCFs commonly include a focus on five personality traits – the labels for these "five big factors" use the acronym "OCEAN:"

• Openness to experience (inventive/curious vs. consistent/cautious)
• Conscientiousness (efficient/organized vs. extravagant/careless)
• Extraversion (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved)
• Agreeableness (friendly/compassionate vs. critical/judgmental)
• Neuroticism (sensitive/nervous vs. resilient/confident)

Incorporating the five personality traits into an HCF allows organizations to better understand and leverage individuals' strengths, preferences, and potential areas for development— alongside the other elements of the HCF (e.g., skills, knowledge, and behaviors).