Competency Based Interviews

Evidence of job interviews being conducted by employers dates back as far as the late 16th century. Traditionally professionals were hired on the basis of their technical expertise but today's increasingly competitive environment demands further skill-sets in additional to their technical ability.

Success in the workplace is no longer measured solely by performance in professional examinations; it is also determined by the candidate's ability to demonstrate 'core competencies' relevant to the position for which they are applying. Because of this, competency based interviews were introduced to focus on the candidate’s past performance in the workplace as a way of predicting likely future performance.

Competency based interviewing originated in US Multinationals in the late 1990’s and in recent years has gained popularity in Ireland and globally. A competency interview or ‘behavioural interview’ is a style of interviewing often used to evaluate a candidate's competence but it can also provide valuable insights into an individual's preferred style of working and help predict behaviour in future situations. Interviewers will pose questions that ask candidates to demonstrate that they have a particular skill or a "key competency" the firm is looking for. Candidates are graded in terms of each competency based upon their answers to competency based questions.

It is estimated that over a third of all employers in the U.S. are using competency interviews as part of their recruitment process today. To date the technique has typically been used by large organisations such as AT&T and Accenture, but it is also permeating smaller organisations intent on keeping up to date with current trends. Typically large international corporates and banks use this style of interviewing and are setting the trend for years to come. In Ireland companies such as Microsoft, Diageo, Meteor, ESB, RTE, Hibernian, GE Money, Uniphar, Britvic, BOI and AIB have been using this style in recent years. As a rule of thumb; if the company is a large graduate employer they are more likely to use competency interviews as part of their graduate recruitment procedure.

How to approach a competency based interview

Because competency based interviews are not as common in Ireland as the traditional interview, people shy away from this method and anticipate the worst when approaching an interview conducted in this manner. This need not be the case and certain measures and steps can be taken to ensure you are well prepared and confident entering this type of scenario; in summary preparation is the key.

How do you know if you are going to have a competency based interview? Firstly you need to enquire before the interview as to the structure and type of interview you will undertake. Secondly the job-specification provided will usually list competencies required for the position and this is a sure indicator that a competency interview will be conducted. If it is still not possible to determine this in advance of the interview you will recognise this type of interview by the style of questioning. Questions are likely to start with: “Please give me an example when…” or “Tell me about a time when…” or “Please describe an occasion when…”

A typical competency question could be: "Describe a situation in which you were a member of a team and conflict arose within the team. What did you do?" When asked a question like this, you should be able to talk in detail about the specific circumstances of the situation, the action you took to deal with the situation and the result of your action. Always use the best example relevant to the question and do not just blurt out the first answer that comes to mind. Feel free to pause and reflect on the best example to respond with. 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.

You should have an idea before the interview of the experiences from your life and career 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. Candidates are initially asked to provide examples of why they made certain decisions or took certain courses of action in relation to their past employment. This line of questioning is followed by probing questions which provide an opportunity to demonstrate whether the action taken was appropriate, the effect it had on others and what lessons were learnt from the experience. It is common for the interviewer to ask ‘In hindsight would you have done anything differently?’ this is to probe what lessons you have learnt from the experience.

Some of the competencies used by employers are; Teamwork, Deadline/Time Management, Responsibility, Commercial awareness, Career motivation, Decision making, Communication and Leadership.

Here are some further sample questions that you would find in a competency based interview:

Communication

Describe a situation you were involved in recently that required you to communicate with people at a senior level?

Deadline / Time Management

When was the last time you had to work to a particular deadline; how did you go about it?
When was the last time you had to take on extra work at short notice?

Coaching / Leadership

Describe a situation where you had to lead by example?

Tell me about a time when you had to take the lead role in a group so that it achieved it’s objective?

Problem Solving / Decision Making

Tell me about a problem that you have recently encountered?
Tell me about the last problem you could not resolve?

Job specifications will often list a number of major competencies which should be mastered in order to perform the task in hand effectively. If candidates have prepared adequately for the interview process, this will become evident from their responses. Someone who demonstrates an ability to relate specific examples of occasions when they have performed the task being measured is more likely to suit the position being offered than another candidate who can think of no such example and does not appear to have the relevant experience.

It is harder to “wing it” in a competency-based interview and, therefore, analysis of your background and ability are essential for preparing for a competency-based interview.

The Benefits of Competency Based Interviews?

Whether you are approaching a competency based interview from an employee’s or an employer’s perspective the pros definitelyoutweigh the cons. At most major companies, competency interviews will be standardised; as a result all applicants can expect to be asked identical questions. This works favourably for both the employee and employer ensuring that a consistent style of interviewing is used for all potential employees thus offering a fairer way to assess employees. Each competency is carefully measured and definable, thus providing a means to 'weigh up' one candidate against another.

In years gone by the standard job interview was considered one of the most useful tools for evaluating potential employees. It also demands significant resources from the employer, yet has been demonstrated to be untrustworthy in identifying the most favourable candidate for the job. Competency based interviews reduce the potential for bias or discrimination.

Competency based HR procedures assure that the successful candidate will have the potential to succeed. It has been estimated that the wrong hire costs 1.5 times the person’s annual salary. Anything that can be done to prevent company losses such as these will be of benefit. As well as preventing losses, this style of interview can be completed quickly and can almost double the information collected in a traditional style of interview.

Competency Based interviews also provide a very suitable framework when panel interviews are being held because the competencies to be examined are assigned to each member of the panel in advance of interviews. It is the most efficient way of extracting the most relevant information without cross-over or duplication. In essence this method of selection provides a solid structure for the panel which arguably was lacking in traditional interview methodology.

Competency Based Interviewing focuses the mind of the interviewer on the task in hand prior to the selection process. It is most successful when the interviewer assigns time to questions and has a clear idea of those attributes which the successful candidate should possess in order to perform the job effectively. If the candidate manages to secure the job, future appraisals may be linked to whether or not they have put the necessary 'core competencies' as discussed at interview stage into practice.

The aim of Competency Based Interview is to focus on the candidate's past performance in the workplace as a basis for predicting likely future performance. In fact, behavioural interviewing is deemed to be 55% predictive, as opposed to traditional interviewing which is said to be only 10% predictive. Further advantages of using Competency Based Interviewing are that it eliminates misunderstandings, prevents personal bias and reduces the candidate's ability to 'concoct' stories. This style of interview is more structured than the traditional interview and will keep both the interviewer and interviewee on track.

The benefits for the employee are similar to those just mentioned for the employer; namely non-biased, non discriminatory, efficient and meritocratic. Furthermore, competency based methodology can enhance performance management internally in organisations and be deployed to select and develop leaders creating career paths and career mobility for employees within the organisation. This means that career opportunities are focused more on the competencies required for the job rather than the educational degrees an applicant holds.

In addition to the obvious advantages in terms of measuring performance, Competency Based Interviewing may provide a quantifiable response in the event of queries under the Freedom of Information Act. The latter Act established certain statutory rights which stipulate that each person may have access to information held by public organisations concerning them, and the right to obtain reasons for decisions affecting them. The Competency Based Interviewing model is understood to be an objective rather than a subjective form of measuring candidates against their peers, thus resulting in a more unbiased interview process.

Competency based interviewing is an emerging reality and will eventually supersede the standard more traditional style of interview. Competency based interviews do not have to be something of an enigma if the appropriate steps are taken to prepare. The key to a successful behavioural interview is preparation and as the old adage goes ‘fail to plan; plan to fail’. Candidates should remember to research the company and job extensively and study the job-specification and competencies carefully. When approaching competency style interview questions think Circumstance, Action & Result and you are guaranteed a more successful outcome.

Nikki Rooney is an Associate at Accreate Executive Search & Interim and can be contacted at nrooney@accreate.com