To ensure a successful job search outcome, you should be aware of the latest techniques hiring specialists are using in the interviewing process. One of the examples is competency-based or behavioural interviews. If this term doesn’t ring any bell from your past interview experiences, our article will help you arm yourself with the necessary knowledge for the upcoming interviews.
Understanding Competency-Based Interviews
Competency-based interviews were introduced as an alternative to traditional strength-based interviews. Whereas the latter reveals the candidate’s future potential, competency-based interviewing is about discovering what you have achieved work-wise in the past. This knowledge can give the interviewer an insight into your key skills and potential to handle the job.
Furthermore, competency-based interviews test both hard and soft skills. The way you reacted or behaved in particular situations gives the interviewer an idea of your personality traits and personal attributes.
Why Do Employers Use Competency-Based Interviews?
First and foremost, competency-based interviews provide time- and money-saving opportunities. Interviewers can drastically facilitate and improve the selection process by aiming the questions at the particular competencies crucial for the position’s success. Therefore, they also cut expenses and save the company money.
Second, it’s not a secret that companies tend to emphasise creating powerful and nourishing company cultures as they contribute immensely to a company’s success. One of the main elements needed for this is people whose values align with the company’s values. Competency questions are a great tool to identify such people during the interviewing process and minimise the risk of a bad hire.
Preparing for a Competency-Based Interview
We have found out what a competency-based interview is, you can get going on preparation.
- Identify key competencies in the job description. You don’t need to be an outstanding candidate with a bunch of accomplishments. Your accomplishments must be relevant to a particular role and show you can solve the company’s problems. For that, pick the critical competency requirements from the job description and prepare illustrative examples of their application in your previous experience.
- Research the company and its values. Company culture mismatch may well cost you the job offer. Research the company’s values and mention participating in activities or having past experiences that align with these values. For instance, if a company regularly contributes to climate rescue projects, say that you are a member of a local volunteering group that helps homeless animals or that you take part in weekend litter cleansing.
- Analyse past interview questions. One of the highly effective ways to improve is learning from your own mistakes. Try to recall your failures during past interviews and analyse what you did wrong. Think about how you could do better and use these ideas when facing the same scenario during your following interview.
- Practice the STAR technique. The STAR approach comprises: SHARING a specific challenge you’ve faced at work, explaining your TASK, outlining the ACTIONS you took, and summarising the story with the RESULTS you received. Using this framework when describing your competencies helps you sound clear, understandable, and professional to your interviewer.
- Use situations from different settings (work, volunteering, academics). This tip is for those who are just starting their professional way and have no hands-on experience or for those who have decided to switch industries. Feel free to describe any experience that you have had. Examples from your studies (partaking in specific projects, doing research, or having managerial experience) and volunteering will work very well as long as they are relevant to the role you’re pursuing.
Common Competency-Based Interview Questions
It’s a good idea to have a closer look at what competency-based interview questions look like and what kind of skills they are expected to reveal.
Communication Skills: Demonstrating Effective Communication
- Give an example of a project you led from start to finish. Describe your approaches to setting objectives, delegating tasks, and ensuring effective collaboration.
- Describe a situation when you had to deal with an upset customer.
- Tell me about your experience of providing negative feedback to your colleague or team member.
Leadership: Showcasing Your Ability to Lead and Motivate
- Give an example of a project you led from start to finish. Describe your approaches to setting objectives, delegating tasks, and ensuring effective collaboration.
- What was a tough decision you had to make as a leader? What helped you with the decision-making process?
- Problem-Solving: Handling Challenging Situations.
- Describe a situation where you had to address an unexpected problem.
- Have you ever had a project that didn’t go as planned? How did you address the issue?
- What are your approaches to solving a complex problem?
Problem-Solving: Handling Challenging Situations
- Describe a situation where you had to address an unexpected problem.
- Have you ever had a project that didn’t go as planned? How did you address the issue?
- What are your approaches to solving a complex problem?
Teamwork: Illustrating Collaborative Skills
- Describe a situation when you solved a problem through teamwork. What helped you reach a resolution?
- Have you ever had to resolve a conflict within a team so that it didn’t affect the outcome of the task? How did you do it?
- Describe a time when you had to collaborate remotely.
Adaptability: Displaying Flexibility and Resilience
- Share your experience of adapting to a significant change in your work environment or role.
- Describe a situation where you worked with a difficult colleague or supervisor. How did you maintain collaboration?
- Have you ever agreed to work on a task requiring new responsibilities or acquiring new skills? How did you manage?
Time Management: Describing Your Organisational Skills
- How do you manage multiple tasks or projects with competing priorities or deadlines?
- Describe a situation where you had to handle unexpected interruptions or changes to your regular schedule.
- Share your experience of using technology or tools to enhance your time management and organisation.
Decision-Making: Explaining How You Make Sound Decisions
- Tell me about a time when you had to admit to making a mistake and reverse your decision.
- What are your approaches to choosing between multiple options, each with its advantages and disadvantages?
- Describe a situation where you faced making a decision that required some ethical considerations.
Handling Challenging Competency-Based Questions
Everybody comes across ups and down professionally, and there is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s crucial to show the interviewer that making a mistake isn’t the end of the world for you but an integral part of learning and development. Frankly speaking, the candidates’ self-confidence significantly affects recruiters’ decisions, such as whether to hire them, consider them suitable for a position, or give them another chance.
Addressing Weaknesses and Mistakes Positively
If the interviewer asks you to describe a situation when you had a slip-up, don’t panic. It’s not because they want to remind you of your incompetence. Such questions are aimed at revealing how you react to your weaknesses and mistakes and how you address them. Staying calm and grounded would be the best option in this situation.
Responding to Situations with No Apparent Positive Outcomes
Like the previous issue, the interviewer wants to know how you handle failures. In a healthy work environment, failure is not the reason for punishment but the opportunity to upskill and progress. Don’t fret; the case of your failure may describe your problem-solving skills, stress resilience, and even crisis management skills. Answer competency questions about your mishaps openly and confidently.
Dealing with Ethical Dilemmas and Conflict Situations
As we’ve mentioned, cultural fit plays a major role when making the final decision regarding the candidate. If you’re applying for a managerial position, such questions are a must as they give lots of insights into the candidate’s leadership skills and conflict management skills. It’s also relevant for those who pursue customer service roles. This field is fraught with conflict situations a hundred times more than any other, and interviewers just need to ensure that the candidate can provide excellent customer service.
Post-Interview Follow-Up
The most stressful (or exciting) part is over, but you, as a candidate, shouldn’t shift to a passive mode. Try to keep in touch with the company representatives, but don’t make yourself too intrusive. Here is how you can do it.
Sending a Thank-You Email
Of course, you expressed your appreciation for their time and attention at the end of the interview. However, sending a thank-you email won’t hurt the situation either. Besides expressing gratitude one more time, your letter can include follow-up questions.
Inquiring About the Hiring Timeline
Don’t be shy to clarify the timelines of the hiring process. On the one hand, you give the interviewer a clear understanding that you value your time. On the other, it shows your professionalism and serious intentions toward the job opportunity as you show that you care and look forward to their answer.
Following Up on Any Additional Information
If some questions weren’t covered during the interview or some documents were missing, you may add them to your thank-you email. It’s also an excellent chance to ask something you didn’t do during the interview. It’s always a green flag for a recruiter when the candidate expresses genuine interest in their company, position, or job opportunity by asking follow-up questions.
