A competency-based interview involves giving specific examples from your previous experience that demonstrate particular skills, which will show your interviewer how suitable you are for the job. This type of interview is not designed to explore your career history in detail, but rather focus on your abilities.
Competency-based interview questions usually start with: “Describe a situation where…” or “Give us an example of a time…” and each one will require you to demonstrate a core competency such as teamwork, managing conflict, communication skills, innovation or leadership. These are just some of the general attributes you should prepare answers for.
However, it is also advisable to go through the job description, highlight the skills and competencies they require and be prepared to demonstrate each of those skills using previous experience. The best way to prepare for this type of job interview question is by using the STAR method to structure your answers:
Situation – Briefly describe the background to the situation
Task – Specifically explain your responsibility
Action – Talk about what you did
Result – Describe the outcome of your actions.
At RECRUITERS, we suggest you add a final element to the STAR structure: learning outcome. So, after you explain your result, you would say: “If I were to do it again, I would do X differently”. The purpose of this final instalment to your story is to display self-awareness. It shows that you are always learning and developing as your career progresses and continually bringing new wisdom to your next project whether internally or in a new organisation.
For each skill, it’s a good idea to come up with two or three examples that demonstrate your abilities and make you stand out as a candidate. Practise your answer for each key competency, keeping it within the STAR structure. This will stop you from going off topic and keep your entire answer focused on the skill itself.
Here is an example of a competency-based question that is testing teamwork as a competence:
“Team work is very important in our organisation. What evidence do you have to prove that you are a good team player?”
“I have a number of examples I could share with you. In one instance, when I was working as a business analyst at ABC Company, the sales team was pulling together a bid for a large piece of work and the analyst that normally helps them out with their IT information was on leave. I put aside some extra time to help them out and ensure they had all the information they needed. They took on my suggestions regarding technology. As it turned out, we won the bid and I was promoted as a result.”
While competency interviews can seem more daunting than a standard interview with more general questions, they should actually be seen as an opportunity for candidates to shine based on skills instead of tenure. For example, someone might have three years more experience in a ‘manager’ role than you on paper. However, if you have more hands-on experience of actually managing projects, teams and situations and you’re able to effectively demonstrate this with examples, it could give you the edge.
Can you give me an example of when you had to deal with conflict?
Tell me about a time when you came up with an innovative new idea or strategy.
Describe a situation when you faced a problem at work. How did you solve it?
Can you talk about a time when you had to work on a project with a group of people?
Tell me about a time you were up against a deadline. How did you manage your time?
Have you ever been asked to do something you disagreed with? How did you deal with that?
Remember, you should still prepare for more general questions such as “Tell me about yourself” as hiring managers may still ask a few of those questions. For more interview advice and question examples check out our RECRUITERS interview guide. Want to find your dream job and ace that interview? Upload your CV here and let us help you find your next career move.
Louise O'Reilly is an associate principal for RECRUITERS
Interview photo by Charles ���� on Unsplash
