Competency-based Interviews: The FAQs

Nov 16

As an interview coach, I often get quizzed by candidates who are anxious at the thought of competency-based or behavioural interviews. “Why are competency-based interviews important?” “How do you prepare for them?” “How do you answer competency-based questions?” “What competencies might I get asked?” The questions go on and on!

The easiest way to master this style of interview is to firstly, understand it! If you can get more comfortable with the rationale for interviewers using this style of questioning, you will be far more likely to answer successfully.

So, let’s dive in and get you ready to ace that interview! 💫

What is a competency-based Interview?

A Competency-based Interview can also be known as a Behavioural Interview. It focusses on the required behaviours or skills that the organisation has identified as necessary, to predict successful job performance.

E.g. The candidate must have good ‘planning and organising’ to perform well in a Project Manager role. Or the candidate must have excellent ‘customer focus’ to be successful in a retail role.

What is a competency-based interview question?

This is a question which will ask you to describe an actual past experience of when you demonstrated a specific behaviour.

E.g. "Describe a time when you had a difficult customer?" or "Give an example of when you had a tight deadline?"

Why do interviewers ask competency-based questions?

These questions are based on the rationale that past behaviour predicts future behaviour.

In other words, interviewers need actual evidence that you can do what you say. Anyone can talk about what they ‘could’ or ‘would’ do in a situation. They want to know about specific experiences you have had, to know they can be repeated.

What competencies or behaviours are interviewers interested in?

This will be different for each role. The organisation will have considered the role they are recruiting for and what key skills are required in order to be successful in it.

🌟 Top tip: Pay close attention to the job advert for hints or details on this.

What are common competencies or behaviours?

Some of the most common competencies that are asked about in interviews are:

Planning and Organising, Teamwork, Customer Focus, Problem Solving, Initiative, Leadership, Target Driven, Relationship Building.

The list goes on and on!

How do I prepare for competency-based interviews?

Review the job advert and identify the duties, responsibilities and key competencies required for the job. Take some time and note down several previous situations where you have had to demonstrate the behaviours and competencies.

🌟 Top tip: Good sources of examples are challenging tasks you’ve completed, high profile projects, times when you made a real positive impact to the business.

How should I answer a competency-based interview question?

The most effective way of answering these questions fully and effectively is to structure your answer using the STAR method:

Situation – Set the scene and give context

Task – Explain what needed to be done

Action – Walk through what you did

Result – Explain what the outcome was

🌟 Top tip: Be specific, be clear about your own role and actions, provide tangible positive outcomes!

What are the benefits of competency-based interviews to the candidates?

Competencies and behaviours are transferable, so you don't have to demonstrate you've done the exact job you've applied for. Instead, you can demonstrate you’ve got the required behaviours, by talking through how you’ve used them within your own experience.

If you have limited work experience, you can still show off your behaviours using examples from when you were in education or from an extra-curricular activity or hobby.

You only need to talk about your own past experiences - There is no better expert than you! 🤩

Now that we have demystified competency-based interviews, you are all set to start your preparation! Good Luck!

For additional help you can download my free “Interview Prep Checklist and Top Tips”: https://mailchi.mp/1560c287b802/interview-prep-checklist

Should you want more support preparing for an upcoming competency-based interview, please check out my "Competency Ready" coaching package, or any of my other fantastic range of interview coaching packages. I am here to help! https://www.stellarimpact.co.uk/coaching

If you’d like to discuss or have any questions you can get in touch here: https://www.stellarimpact.co.uk/contact

If you’d like more interview techniques, you can also follow me at:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-quinn-a2200241/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stellar.impact/