How to conduct a competency-based interview

Competency-based interviews are useful in two key ways. One, they can provide employers with detailed insight into how a candidate might perform certain tasks. Two, they will help determine if the candidate has the background and skills you’re looking for.

Framing competency-based questions – relevant to a role or organisation – will allow you to assess whether candidates come up to scratch on any number of skills such as: leadership, communication, decisiveness, delegation, risk taking, team work etc.

While employers will no doubt have a clear idea of the type of candidate they’re looking for, the process of scoring candidates by their answers to competency-based questions can prove an ultimate deciding factor.

For example, with a fairly straight forward question such as: “Tell me about a time when you identified a new approach to a problem”, you should be able to gauge on a scale of one to five, whether a candidate has no skill/experience or has excellent skill/experience in the relevant area.

It is also possible to gauge a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses through their answers by assessing whether they demonstrate a willingness to learn, an ability to perform or, if they show a negative approach towards a task.

With more than 35 years of recruitment experience, we know the value of competency-based interviews and have worked out a list of key competency questions, grouping them into five bite-size areas, illustrating a wide range of skills.

• Individual competencies

These refer to a candidate’s: flexibility, decisiveness, tenacity, knowledge, independence, risk taking and personal integrity.

A typical question might be: “Tell me about a time when your work or an idea was challenged.”

• Managerial competencies

These refer to a candidate’s: ability to take charge of other people; leadership, empowerment, strategic thinking, corporate sensitivity, project management and managerial control.

A typical question might be: “Tell me about a time you led a group to achieve an objective.”

• Analytical competencies

These refer to a candidate’s: decision making abilities, innovation, analytical skills, problem solving, practical learning and attention to detail.

A typical question might be: “Tell me about a time when you identified a new approach to a problem.”

• Interpersonal competencies

These refer to a candidate’s: social competencies, leadership and ability to work as part of a team.

A typical question might be: “Describe a situation where you got people to work together.”

• Motivational competencies

These refer to a candidate’s: drive, resilience, energy, motivation, result orientation, initiative and quality focus.

A typical question might be: “When did you work the hardest and feel the greatest sense of achievement?”

When conducting a competency-based interview, employers should be looking for authentic answers where candidates are being themselves by providing real life examples which relate to their actual life and work experiences. Remember, these are not trick questions; they are designed to create the best match between an individual and an organisation.