Employability Skills
What is a Competency-Based interview?
- What...? -
Competency-based interviews feature questions designed to gauge your ability to handle the job and specific situations which might arise. Questions in this type of interview generally require you to demonstrate that you have the skills the employer is looking for by providing examples of situations you’ve faced in the past and what you did in those situations.
For example, you may be asked to discuss past projects that have succeeded and failed, how you’ve dealt with challenging co-workers or clients, or a time when you took a risk. Answering these questions gives the interviewer an idea of how you will fit into their business environment, whether it's an office, shop, warehouse, etc., and how you will cope with your job's duties.
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- Why...? -
In general, when interviewers ask competency-based questions, they are looking for answers that demonstrate that you can deal with the challenges of the job, work well with others, and use your skills and experience effectively.
The competency questions are likely to relate directly to the job - for example, someone interviewing for a customer service position may have to answer questions about how they handled especially difficult customers or their definition of excellent customer service. In some cases, the interviewer will ask follow-up questions to probe further and get a complete picture of your background.
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- How...? -
To prepare for a competency-based interview, reread the job description and requirements to determine exactly what the company is looking for in an employee. Chances are that the interviewer will ask questions designed to prove that you have those qualities.
Use this course to help you think about examples from your experience that demonstrate you have those qualities, and prepare anecdotes about those examples. Explain the situation, your role, what you did and the final outcome (see the next chapter on the STAR model for help with this). You don’t need to prepare exactly what you’re going to say - you do not want to sound rehearsed and robotic - but anticipating the questions you’ll be asked and how you’ll answer can help you nail the interview and get the job.
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As with any interview question, be sure to answer honestly when faced with a competency type question. Never make up a situation or embellish a story and present your role as larger than it was. There’s always a chance that the interviewer will follow up with your current or previous boss and confirm the information you provided.
Be specific and succinct with your answers. Even if the question deals with something you deal with on a regular basis, such as juggling multiple priorities, give a specific example. Simply answering “I deal with that every day,” does not provide the insight into your skills and behavior that the interviewer seeks.
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The information on this page is adapted from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/competencybased-interview-24649.html