Candidates should explain why they made certain decisions, how they implemented these decisions and why certain outcomes took place.
What Is a Competency Based Interview?
Competency-based interview questions (also referred to as situational, behavioural or competency questions) are a style of interviewing often used to evaluate a candidate’s key competencies, particularly when it is hard to select on the basis of technical merit. For example, for a particular graduate scheme, or a graduate job where relevant experience is less important or not required. A competency is a particular quality that a company’s recruiters have decided is desirable for employees to possess. During interviews and assessment processes, competencies are used as benchmarks that assessors use to rate and evaluate candidates. Competency interviews can give valuable insights into an individual’s preferred style of working and help to predict behaviours in future situations. Questions about industry experience will not be part of a competency interview. Instead interviewers will ask questions that require candidates to demonstrate that they have a particular skill or a core competency the firm is looking for. Candidates will be asked to do this using situational examples from their life experiences, to illustrate their personality, skill set and individual competencies to the interviewer. Candidates will need to give examples of times in the past when they have performed particular tasks or achieved particular outcomes using certain skills. Competency interviews may also feature questions that probe candidates on their knowledge of the company and industry they have applied to. This type of interview question tests candidates on their career motivation and commitment to career. A typical competency-based interview will last for one hour. At most major firms competency interviews will also be standardised. Consequently, all applicants can expect to be asked identical questions.
Who Uses Competency Interviews?
Estimates indicate that a third to a half of all employers are using competency interviews as part of their recruitment process. Large graduate employers are especially likely to use competency interviews as part of their graduate recruitment procedure, in particular as part of an assessment centre. However, graduate candidates don’t usually have any experience of the industry to which they are applying. Consequently, it is impossible for interviewers to discuss previous job roles. Instead, interviewers use competency questions to have candidates show how they have performed in various situations in the past, revealing individual personality traits. These are a great help for interviewers interested in finding out exactly who a candidate is and how they may act if employed. Question format can vary. Sometimes the interviewer will be looking to gather non-specific information, rather than evaluating any particular competency or skill. More normally, interviewers will isolate key competencies that they believe suitable employees should possess, and tailor questions to focus on those skills. When considering how to answer competency questions, candidates should not talk in broad terms, be too general or use their imagination when replying to interviewers. Instead, candidates should use specific situations from real life scenarios.
1. Communication
Regardless of the position or industry, the way we interact with others is crucial and you need to be able to build and maintain excellent relationships with clients and colleagues. Example question: “Tell us about a time you had to adjust your communication approach to suit a particular audience.”
2. Decision Making
Good decision making will help you solve problems, devise solutions and make efficiencies. Example question: “Give an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision.”
3. Leadership
Valuable for many reasons such as showing that you can coordinate, motivate and lead a successful team. Example question: “Describe a situation when you assumed the role of leader. Were there any challenges, and how did you address them?”
4. Results Orientation
Being focused on results is a skill that will help you excel in your career. It can be anything from improving a system or process through to hitting targets. Example question: “Give me an example of a time when you believe you were successful.”
5. Teamwork
Businesses don’t work properly without good teamwork. Collaborative working can achieve results, improve productivity and boost performance. Example question: “Describe a situation in which you were working as part of a team. How did you make a contribution?”
6. Trustworthiness
Good employees can be trusted to get things done. Example question: “Would you report on a colleague who you knew was taking money from the company illegally?”
7. Responsibility
Employees who take responsibility for and pride in their work are highly valued. Example question: “Describe a situation when you were responsible for the completion of a task.”
8. Commercial Awareness
A skill that illustrates intelligence, professionalism and commitment to the firm. Example question: “Describe a situation when you have had to use commercial awareness.”
9. Professional Development
Being open to enhancing your skills will always help you succeed at work. Example question: “Describe a period where you enhanced your skills effectively.”
10. Technical Skills
Ever more important, technical (and particularly digital) skills are highly sought after because so many businesses are using them to grow. Example question: “Describe a situation where you have used technical skills in your work.” Take note if you find any questions on your application that ask you to give situational examples. These may be a strong indicator of what is in store at interview.
Typical Competency-Based Interview Structure
Questions in competency-based interviews will usually refer to activities a candidate has participated in at school, college or university, or any other activities that can be used to effectively display evidence of particular competencies or a particular competency. A typical competency question could be: When asked a question like this, you should be able to talk for several minutes about your participation in a particularly strong team you have been part of in the past and how your sense of teamwork helped lead a task or project to successful completion. You should have an idea before the interview of the experiences from your life that you could use as examples to demonstrate the key competencies of the firm to which you are applying. You are likely to have to provide at least two examples for each competency during your interview. It is quite acceptable to ask for and to use a few moments of thinking time before answering competency questions. If necessary, simply notify your interviewer by explaining you “may need to think about this for a few moments”. Once you have thought of a good example to use, continue with your answer.
How to Prepare for Competency Questions
Preparation for any type of interview will help increase your chances of success, but with competency interviews it’s especially crucial. You must be able to recall scenarios that demonstrate your key competencies, when asked to do so by an interviewer. To adequately prepare, you should:
Explore the Skills and Competencies That You Will Be Asked About
Although this sounds obvious, it’s surprising how many people fail to carry out the correct research to ensure the answers they provide are strong enough. As an example, if the person specification states that you require good communication skills when dealing with customers, the role is likely to involve complaints handling – so you will need to highlight skills such as empathy and understanding while being assertive. Alternatively, if you’re applying to a consultancy, they may look for evidence of communicating complex issues in a simple manner (without as much empathy).
Prepare Your Answers Based Around Solid Examples From Your Work, Volunteering or Academic Studies
The most common competencies that are asked for include problem-solving, team working and being results-driven. Identify examples from your past experience which demonstrate that you possess those skills. You do not have to find overly-complicated examples. In particular, the outcome of the story does not have to be extraordinary; what matters most is that the role you played in reaching the outcome was substantial.
Learn to Narrate Using the Star Method
This means setting the scene, explaining how you handled the situation by placing the emphasis on your role and detailing the outcome/result. If you’re soon to have a competency-based interview, you may want to check out this interview training course, with access to competency questions and expert answers.
How to Answer Competency Questions
Interviewers using behaviour-based interviewing techniques such as competency questions are likely to probe for additional details during your responses. Always make sure you provide concise, highly specific answers that are well explained, thought-out and detailed. Questions can relate to past failures as well as to past achievements. You must adequately explain why you failed to complete tasks; when such questions are posed, don’t avoid mention of past failures altogether, but demonstrate what you have learnt from them. If you find yourself struggling to think of any prior experiences which are relevant to the question asked, give a hypothetical answer and describe what you would do if a similar situation were to occur in the future. A classic question is: “Tell me about a time when you failed to complete a task or project on time, despite intending to do so.” Your interviewer will want to find out how you manage your time during difficult tasks and the reason why you failed to meet your deadline on this occasion. An effective answer would develop a positive justification for a past failure, as with the following example: Weaker answers rely on negative justifications: Considering this was my final piece of academic work, I wanted to ensure it was based on the most accurate and up-to-date sources of information available, even if this meant a delay in production. To ensure no marks were deducted from my dissertation, I contacted my course director and personal tutor two weeks before my dissertation due date to discuss my particular situation. I argued my case, and was consequently allowed an extra two weeks to produce my work. Although my work was delayed, I feel that this delay was justified in that the work was of the highest quality it could be. Furthermore, I organised myself so that all relevant people were aware of a possible delay in the production of my dissertation.
Aim for positive justifications rather than negative ones.
Key Competency: Motivation and Commitment to Career
It is likely you will be asked why you wish to work for this company in particular, and what distinguishes this company, for you, from its competitors. This question requires you to discuss your knowledge of the firm in detail and prove to your interviewer your desire for a job. To answer this question you should describe:
The key strengths this firm has over its competitors in the industry (for example, more specialised in certain niche areas, more international scope, more respected). What appeals to you personally about the firm (for example, your interests in the firm’s niche areas, your relevant study at university). Other relevant factors you find interesting (for example, the impression you have of the working style at the firm, the social side of the company, the type of corporate social responsibility the firm is involved in).
You may also be asked what you believe you will be doing during your first year on the graduate scheme. You should be particularly clear about exactly what it is you will be doing. If you cannot answer this question, you are unlikely to be successful. If you are currently unsure, it is perfectly acceptable to contact the firm’s graduate recruitment departments before applying to discuss anything you do not already know about the job.
Tips For Answering Competency-Based Interview Questions
To give clear, effective and varied answers, consider the following pointers:
When answering competency questions, you can give examples from work, study or personal life, but make sure you give a wide variety of examples and a different example to answer each question. Don’t go into too much background detail when answering competency questions. Your interviewer only wants to know about your past behaviours. Further detail is redundant. Make sure your answers and examples you use are the most relevant to the questions asked, rather than the most impressive or elaborate. Carefully evaluate the person specification. One of the most important elements in a competency interview is assessing your suitability in terms of core competencies. Take time to read and understand the spec, highlighting skills, experience and knowledge that’s important. Explore the company’s website. Understand what the company does and what attributes current employees might possess. Evaluate industry intelligence. Find out everything you can about the industry the company exists in and the types of people in that industry who are influential. STAR technique. Think: Situation, Task, Action, Result. This will help you to tell a story in a clear and concise manner while showing evidence to support your answers. See below for more detail. Don’t make your answers up. Your interviewer will find this very easy to spot.
Competency-Based Interview: The first 60 seconds
Although competency-based interviews are standardised, a typical interviewer will decide within minutes whether they like you or not, and this is likely to affect the outcome of the interview. It is very important to give a good impression to your interviewer from the very first moment you meet. Shake hands confidently, smile, introduce yourself, and be generally convivial to the occasion. Sitting quietly and communicating poorly will not help you, and neither will boisterous or arrogant behaviour. You should be polite but outgoing, assertive but not aggressive and aim to be every bit as professional as the interviewer who is assessing you.
The STAR Technique
This is also sometimes known as SOAR, where ‘Task’ is replaced by ‘Objective’.
Situation: Describe the situation Task: Describe what task was required of you Action: Tell the interviewer what action you took Result: Conclude by describing the result of that action
Be positive about your actions throughout your response and do not make up an example, as you will not come across as believable. If you cannot think of good examples instantly, ask the interviewer for a moment or two to think about the question and then give your answer. Read our full article on how best to use the STAR technique.
The CAR Technique
One way of dealing with this type of question is to use the CAR approach. ‘CAR’ stands for Context, Action, Result. It helps you to structure your answer like a mini-essay. Context is your introduction, where you describe the scenario you faced, the date and the place. The Action forms the main body and should be the longest part of your answer. The Result is the conclusion and, like the introduction, should be quite short.
Context: Describe the situation and the task you were faced with. When, where, with whom? Action: How? What action did you take? Sometimes people focus on what the group did without mentioning their individual contribution. Result: What results did you achieve/conclusions did you reach/what did you learn from the experience?
Four Example Competency Questions
These four questions are all ones you can expect to come across in a competency-based interview.
1. “Describe a Situation When You Had to Complete a Piece of Work to a High Standard While Meeting a Strict Deadline.”
Structured Answer:
Situation: Task: I worked with a creative agency who sponsored my project to allow me to gather the information I needed. Action: Result: I also managed to complete this project while fulfilling my other volunteering commitments and assignments for other courses.
2. “Provide an Example of When You Used Effective Time Management and Achieved Success.”
Structured Answer:
Situation: The agency who sponsored the research also published the findings of their project, and I secured an internship with them over the summer. Task: Action: Result: I reviewed the work schedules, allocated new responsibilities and worked two hours longer each day unpaid.
3. “Describe a Situation When the Cause of a Problem Was Not Immediately Apparent.”
Structured Answer:
Situation: Task: Analytics also showed that a lot of customers were abandoning the shopping cart before completing the purchase, and the bounce rate on the landing page was increasing. Action: Result:
4. “Describe a Situation Which Required the Use of Your Creativity.”
Structured Answer:
Situation: Task: Action: Result: A key finding was that many felt that their training and development wasn’t taken seriously. Furthermore, staff felt that it was difficult to speak to management about change. These suggestions were passed onto the management team, who made improvements to training and development, established more effective channels of communication and began an open-door policy. Turnover in the next six months showed a marked decrease.
