COMPETENCY-BASED INTERVIEWS

"Competency" is a concept linking three parameters - Knowledge, Skills and

Attitude. For example - you might have good interpersonal skills (skills), but will not be
competent to join a company as Project Manager unless you possess adequate
education/experience (knowledge) and the right temperament/behavior
(attitude).Competency-based interviews (also called structured interviews) are
interviews where each question is designed to test one or more specific skills. The
answer is then matched against pre-decided criteria and marked accordingly. For
example, the interviewers may want to test the candidate's ability to deal with stress by
asking first how the candidate generally handles stress and then asking the candidate to
provide an example of a situation where he worked under pressure.

But, the question ari ses - ‘How to measure the comp etenci es?’

Recruiters can easi l y gauge a person’s traits using com petenc y -bas ed
intervi ew, which is an effective wa y of st ructuring your hiring process .
Such int erviews ai m at testing individuals on one or more specifi c
behavioral t rait. A majorit y of behavioral competenci es are inherent in
ever yone, whi ch is what ai ds in personalit y building. While, some ma y be
built over time with years of experience.

“The best predi ctor of future behaviour is past behavior.”

-Mar k Twain

It is on t his princi ple that competenc y - based int ervi ews stand on. One of
the peopl e to explore this i dea in dept h , was Am eri can ps yc hologist Paul
Meehl. He wrote, “behavior science research itself shows that, b y and
large, the best wa y to predict an ybod y’s be havior is his behavior in the
past”
The crit eri a of past work performance is used b y a m ajorit y of em plo yers,
especiall y m ass cam pus recruit ers, who often use the princi ple as core of
their assessm ent centre. And you thought, your previous mess won’t affect
new prospect s? Bad News! It will.

1. How do competency-based interviews differ from normal

interviews?

Normal interviews (also called unstructured interviews) are essentially a conversation

where the interviewers ask a few questions that are relevant to what they are looking for
but without any specific aim in mind other than getting an overall impression of you as
an individual. Questions are fairly random and can sometimes be quite open. For
example, a question such as "What can you offer our company?" is meant to gather
general information about you but does not test any specific skill or competency. In an
unstructured interview, the candidate is judged on the general impression that he/she
leaves; the process is therefore likely to be more subjective.
Competency-based interviews (also called structured or behavioural interviews) are
more systematic, with each question targeting a specific skill or competency.
Candidates are asked questions relating to their behaviour in specific circumstances,
which they then need to back up with concrete examples. The interviewers will then dig
further into the examples by asking for specific explanations about the candidate's
behaviour or skills.

While intervi ewing, do you ask questions like: “ What makes you an ideal
employee?”, “ What are your strengths and weaknesses?” or “How can you
contribut e to t he organization?”? If t he answer is yes, it is time to
structure the wa y yo u take intervi ews.

Traditional st yl e of intervi ewing splurge on open -end questions where a

candi dat e can easil y befool the recruit er i f the recruit er does not have
clarit y regarding the kind of questions to be asked. The randomness of
questions and final selection based on overall impression of the candidat e
leads to wrong hiring decisi ons. Whereas, com petenc y-bas ed
intervi ew questions target behavioral traits that help i n determining i f the
candi dat e is culturall y fit. Additional l y, t he situation -based qu estions,
candi dat e’s response to them and further cross questioning to deep dive
into the candidat e’s behavior leaves no scope of bluffing. This is wh y
traditional practices need to be done away with.
 2. Which skills and competencies do competency-based
interviews test?

Many interviews now are competency-based which means that the interviewer will be
looking for you to answer questions about your abilities and experience in the context
of actual events. It is worth preparing in advance at least two examples for each
competency as it is not unheard of for the recruiter to ask for a second example,
particularly if you have already quoted one on an application form.

The list of skills and competencies that can be tested varies depending on the post that
you are applying for. For example, for a Personal Assistant post, skills and
competencies would include communication skills; ability to organise and prioritise;
and ability to work under pressure. For a senior manager, skills and competencies may
include an ability to influence and negotiate; an ability to cope with stress and pressure;
an ability to lead; and the capacity to take calculated risks.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of the more common skills and competencies that you may
be asked to demonstrate:

Skills and competencies for competency-based interviews

 Adaptability  Delegation  Leveragingdiversity
 Compliance  Externalawareness  Organisationalawareness
 Communication  Flexibility  Resilience and tenacity
 Conflictmanagement  Independence  Risk-taking
 Creativity and  Influencing  Sensitivity to others
Innovation  Integrity  Teamwork
 Decisiveness  Leadership

3. ASSESSING TALENTS AND COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS

Assessment is the application of systematic processes to understand the performance of individuals
or groups, either currently or in a predictive sense. Managers must have the knowledge and skills to
be able to apply the various competency-based assessment methodologies to arrive at valid
selection decisions. Likewise, employees must be able to participate effectively to provide an
accurate picture of the competencies they possess as according to Christopher J.L (2012) the
following are ways to assess Talents and competency requirements

Identify and describe competencies in general and practical terms (to improve the likelihood that
these definitions will apply broadly across the organization)
Keep the behavioral nature of competencies in mind (to make it easier to observe competency-
related behaviors when it is time to link a person’s competencies to performance-related outcomes)

 Limit the number of competencies to a manageable number (otherwise the resulting

model will be too unwieldy and less generalizable)
 Focus not only on competencies exhibited by current workers who are or have been
effective, but also on competencies the organization expects to need in the future
 Seriously consider utilizing a generic set of competencies across multiple job
positions, or even in the bulk of job positions (otherwise you will spend incredible
amounts of time generating models, time which could be better spent building your
organization)
 Gather data about competencies in question from those who are most likely to be
observing each competency in action (such as workers, supervisors, customers, etc.)
 Maximize return-on-investment in competency-based talent management by
aligning most talent management functions (e.g., pay systems, reward options,
development initiatives, etc.) around your core competency framework

4. How to Use Competency Based Interviewing

You can hold an effective competency based interview by following

these three key steps:

Step 1: Develop Clear Selection Criteria

It's important to be crystal clear on the skills, attributes, knowledge, and behaviorial traits
that you need a recruit to demonstrate, so that you can test and compare candidates fairly
and intelligently. So, you'll need to develop a watertight set of selection criteria.
Your organization might already have a competency framework and you'll likely have a
team skills matrix . Supplement these by researching the particular role you are intending
to fill.
For example, for an existing position, focus on the job description : does it accurately
reflect the competencies needed to perform the job? Talk to the person currently in the role
about what he does to check whether the job description needs to be updated.
You'll need to start from scratch for a new post. Think about what a new recruit's
responsibilities will be and how you'd like her to progress in the role. Consult people who
do similar work, or who will be in the same team as her. Look at similar roles being
advertised elsewhere for further tips.

Decide what skills are essential to the role, and which are merely desirable. You may find
that a candidate fulfils most but not all of your competency criteria. This doesn't mean that
you should automatically "write her off." She could still make a great addition to your team
as long as she's willing to learn and you're able to provide support and training.

Step 2: Prepare Effective Questions

Once you have decided your selection criteria, it's time to draw up some questions that
focus on each core competency. Think carefully about how you'll word each one and
structure them in a way that enables the candidate to provide specific examples of each
competency.

For instance, asking, "When was the last time you had to deal with a colleague who
struggled to organize their workload? What did you do?" is more informative than asking
the hypothetical, "What would you do if you had a team member who was disorganized?"

Similarly, a description of what the candidate did as part of a team won't tell you
what he did or what decisions he took. So, be ready to probe further with follow-up
questions.
The STAR technique can be particularly useful here. It stands for Situation, Task, Action,
and Result. It's usually used as a method for answering interview questions, but can provide
an excellent framework for structuring your competency based questions.

For instance, you could use it to frame a question about conflict resolution as follows:

 Situation: "Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a conflict on your team?"
 Task: "What did you decide to do to resolve it and why did you decide to handle it that
way?"
 Action: "What action did you take and what skills did you use?"
 Results: "What did you achieve? How did your team benefit?"
It's perfectly OK to ask for examples of when things didn't go so well. In fact, this can help
to test how well he works under pressure and whether he demonstrated resilience. But be
sure to keep a balanced and reasonable tone, and avoid concentrating on the negative. Good
candidates can be turned off by an interrogation!

You will also need to think about how you are going to test the attributes that you have
identified. Consider a range of aptitude, proficiency and personality tests as appropriate.
Tip:
If you're struggling to think up some competency based questions, see our worksheet
on Sample Interview Questions and our article Hiring People: Questions to Ask for
ideas.

Step 3: Conduct a Structured Interview

A good competency based interview should be structured and have precisely defined goals.
So, remember to be disciplined and to keep your focus. You're asking for a lot of
information from the candidate, and you need to be able to retain, manage and use the
information that she gives you, effectively.
The following points can help you to do this:
Have a set structure. Ask each candidate exactly the same initial questions. Make sure that
each interviewer on the panel understands the scoring system and how to use it, so that each
candidate is graded fairly and consistently.
Listen carefully. Active listening is particularly useful when you need to process and
understand complex information. Pay attention to the candidate and acknowledge her
responses by nodding or giving the occasional "uh-huh." However, make sure that your
actions are mindful, and not mechanical, and don't allow yourself to get bored or to lose
focus.
Allow thinking time. Don't be afraid of silence. You're asking questions that require a lot
of thought, so give the candidate the space that she needs to think about her answers. It's
also important to give yourself time to evaluate what she's telling you.
Take notes. Competency based interviews are in-depth, and interviewers sometimes
disagree on what they remember was said, so be sure to take full and accurate notes.
However, take care to avoid unconscious bias in your observations. For instance, "she
looked down a lot" is more objective than the interpretation "she was embarrassed and
nervous."
Evaluate and discuss. Spend some time afterward discussing the candidate's test
performance and looking at any examples of her work that she's brought with her. Perpare
questions for this stage, too.
Tip 1:
Don't let the interview structure become too rigid. Give each candidate space to talk about
any additional expertise, or to explain something unusual in a resumé. Otherwise, you
might both miss out in a way you could never have foreseen!
Tip 2:
No matter how well the candidate meets your selection criteria, be sure to consider wider
issues, too, when you make your final decision.
For instance, do his values align with the organization's? Will his personality fit with those
of his colleagues? Will his commute be sustainable?

5. Preparing for a competency-based interview

Preparation is key if you want to be able to answer all questions thrown at you without
having to think too much on the spot on the day of the interview; it requires several
steps:

1. Make sure that you understand which skills and competencies will be tested. It
sounds obvious, but some person specifications can be a little vague and you will
need to do some thinking in order to ensure that the examples that you will be
using hit the spot. For example, your person specification may say that you need to
have "good communication skills in dealing with third parties". For someone who
works in customer service and is expected to handle complaints all day long, this
will most likely involve a mix of empathy/understanding as well as an ability to be
assertive in a nice way whenever required; however for someone applying for a
commercial law post, this will most likely involve an ability to explain complex
matters in a simple way, and not so much empathy. Understanding the
requirements for the post, whether they are stated explicitly or not in the person
specification is therefore crucial.
2. Identify examples from your past experience which you can use to demonstrate
that you possess the skills and competencies that you are being asked to
demonstrate. You do not have to find hyper-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.
3.Learn to narrate the story 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.

6. The ‘STAR’ approach

The acronym STAR stands for\

 Situation
 Task
 Action
 Result
It is a universally-recognised communication technique designed to enable you to provide a
meaningful and complete answer to questions asking for examples. At the same time, it has
the advantage of being simple enough to be applied easily.

Many interviewers will have been trained in using the STAR structure. Even if they have
not, they will recognise its value when they see it. The information will be given to them in
a structured manner and, as a result, they will become more receptive to the messages you
are trying to communicate.

Step 1 – Situation or Task

Describe the situation that you were confronted with or the task that needed to be
accomplished. With the STAR approach you need to set the context. Make it concise
and informative, concentrating solely on what is useful to the story. For example, if the
question is asking you to describe a situation where you had to deal with a difficult
person, explain how you came to meet that person and why they were being difficult. If
the question is asking for an example of teamwork, explain the task that you had to
undertake as a team.

Step 2 – Action
This is the most important section of the STAR approach as it is where you will need to
demonstrate and highlight the skills and personal attributes that the question is testing.
Now that you have set the context of your story, you need to explain what you did. In
doing so, you will need to remember the following:

 Be personal, i.e. talk about you, not the rest of the team
 Go into some detail. Do not assume that they will guess what you mean
 Steer clear of technical information, unless it is crucial to your story
 Explain what you did, how you did it, and why you did it
What you did and how you did it
The interviewers will want to know how you reacted to the situation. This is where you
can start selling some important skills. For example, you may want to describe how you
used the team to achieve a particular objective and how you used your communication
skills to keep everyone updated on progress etc.
Why you did it
For example; when discussing a situation where you had to deal with conflict, many
candidates would simply say: “I told my colleague to calm down and explained to him
what the problem was”. However, it would not provide a good idea of what drove you
to act in this manner. How did you ask him to calm down? How did you explain the
nature of the problem? By highlighting the reasons behind your action, you would make
a greater impact. For example:
I could sense that my colleague was irritated and I asked him gently to tell me what he
felt the problem was. By allowing him to vent his feelings and his anger, I gave him the
opportunity to calm down. I then explained to him my own point of view on the matter,
emphasising how important it was that we found a solution that suited us both.

This revised answer helps the interviewers understand what drove your actions and
reinforces the feeling that you are calculating the consequences of your actions, thus
retaining full control of the situation. It provides much more information about you as
an individual and is another reason why the STAR approach is so useful.

Step 3 – Result/Reflection
Explain what happened eventually – how it all ended. Also, use the opportunity to
describe what you accomplished and what you learnt in that situation. This helps you
make the answer personal and enables you to highlight further skills.

This is probably the most crucial part of your answer. Interviewers want to know that
you are using a variety of generic skills in order to achieve your objectives. Therefore
you must be able to demonstrate in your answer that you are taking specific actions
because you are trying to achieve a specific objective and not simply by chance.

4.7 - Competency-Based Interview Questions

Competency-based interview questions vary widely between sectors and depending on

the level of responsibility to which you are applying. The type of competencies against
which you will be assessed also depends on the actual post and the company who is
interviewing you. For example, some companies view leadership as a competency on its
own whilst others prefer to split leadership between a wide range of components
(creativity, flexibility, strategic thinking, vision, etc).
You will find below a spectrum of competency-based interview questions, ordered by
competency. The list is by no means complete but will give you an idea of what you can
expect to be asked.

Adaptability
Adjusts to changing environments whilst maintaining effectiveness
 Which change of job did you find the most difficult to make?
 Tell us about the biggest change that you have had to deal with. Howdidyou cope
withit?

Compliance
Conforms to company policies and procedures

 How do you ensure compliance with policies in your area of responsibility?

 Tell us about a time when you went against company policy. Why did you do it
and how did you handle it?

Communication
Communicates effectively, listens sensitively, adapts communication to audience and
fosters effective communication with others
Verbal

 Tell us about a situation where your communication skills made a difference to a

situation.
 Describe a time when you had to win someone over, who was reluctant or
unresponsive.
 Describe a situation where you had to explain something complex to a colleague
or a client. Which problems did you encounter and how did you deal with them?
 What is the worst communication situation that you have experienced?
 How do you prepare for an important meeting?
 Tell us about a situation when you failed to communicate appropriately.
 Demonstrate how you vary your communication approach according to the
audience that you are addressing.
 Describe a situation when you had to communicate a message to someone,
knowing that you were right and that they were wrong and reluctant to accept your
point of view.
Listening

 Give us an example where your listening skills proved crucial to an outcome.

 Tell us about a time when you were asked to summarise complex points.
 Tell us about a time when you had trouble remaining focused on your audience.
Howdidyouhandlethis?
 What place does empathy play in your work? Give an example where you needed
to show empathy.
 Describe a situation where you had to deal with an angry customer.
Written

 What type of writing have you done? Give examples. What makes you think that
you are good at it?
 How do you feel writing a report differs from preparing an oral presentation?
 What positive and negative feedback have you received about your writing skills?
Give an example where one of your reports was criticised.
 How do you plan the writing of a report?

Conflict management
Encourages creative tension and differences of opinions. Anticipates and takes steps to
prevent counter-productive confrontations. Manages and resolves conflicts and
disagreements in a constructive manner.
 Tell us about a time when you felt that conflict or differences were a positive
driving force in your organisation. Howdidhandletheconflict to optimiseitsbenefit?
 Tell us about a time when you had to deal with a conflict within your team.
 Tell us about a situation where conflict led to a negative outcome. How did you
handle the situation and what did you learn from it?
 Give us an example where you were unable to deal with a difficult member of
your team.

Creativity and Innovation

Develops new insights into situations; questions conventional approaches; encourages
new ideas and innovations; designs and implements new or cutting edge
programs/processes.

 Tell us about a project or situation where you felt that the conventional approach
would not be suitable. How did you derive and manage a new approach? Which
challenges did you face and how did you address them?
 Tell us about a situation where you trusted your team to derive a new approach to
an old problem. Howdidyoumanagetheprocess?
 Tell us about a time when you had to convince a senior colleague that change was
necessary. What made you think that your new approach would be better suited?

Decisiveness
Makes well-informed, effective, and timely decisions, even when data are limited or
solutions produce unpleasant consequences; perceives the impact and implications of
decisions.

 What big decision did you make recently. How did you go about it?
 How did you reach the decision that you wanted to change your job?
 Give an example of a time when you had to delay a decision to reflect on the
situation.
 What is the decision that you have put off the longest? Why?
 When is the last time that you have refused to make a decision?
 Give us an example of a situation where you had to make a decision without the
input of key players, but knowing that these key players would judge you on that
decision (i.e. superior unavailable at the time).
 Tell us about a time when you had to make a decision without knowledge of the
full facts.
 Tell us about a situation where you made a decision that involuntarily impacted
negatively on others. How did you make that decision and how did you handle its
consequences?
  Tell us about a decision that you made, which you knew would be unpopular with
a group of people. How did you handle the decision-making process and how did
you manage expectations?
 Tell us about a situation where you made a decision too quickly and got it wrong.
Whymadeyoutakethatdecision?

Delegation
Able to make full and best use of subordinate, providing appropriate support.

 What type of responsibilities do you delegate? Give examples of projects where

you made best use of delegation.
 Give an example of a project or task that you felt compelled to complete on your
own. Whatstoppedyoufromdelegating?
 Give an example of a situation where you reluctantly delegated to a colleague.
Howdidyoufeelaboutit?
 Give an example where you delegated a task to the wrong person? How did you
make that decision at the time, what happened and what did you learn from it?
 How do you cope with having to go away from the office for long periods of time
(i.e. holidays). Explain how you would delegate responsibilities based on you
current situation.

External Awareness
Understands and keeps up-to-date on local, national, and international policies and
trends that affect the organization and shape stakeholders' views; is aware of the
organisation's impact on the external environment.

 Describe through examples drawn from your experience how you measure and
take account of the impact of your decisions on external parties.
 Give an example where you underestimated the impact of your decisions on
stakeholders external to your organisation.

Flexibility
Modifies his or her approach to achieve a goal. Is open to change and new information;
rapidly adapts to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles.

 Describe a situation where you had to change your approach half-way through a
project or task following new input into the project.
 Describe a situation where you started off thinking that your approach was the
best, but needed to alter your course during the implementation.
 Describe a situation where one of your projects suffered a setback due to an
unexpected change in circumstances.
 Describe a situation where you were asked to do something that you had never
attempted previously.
 Give us an example of a situation where your initial approach failed and you had
to change tack.
  Describe your strongest and your weakest colleagues. How do you cope with such
diversity of personalities?
 If we gave you a new project to manage, how would you decide how to approach
it?

Independence
Acts based on his/her convictions and not systematically the accepted wisdom

 When did you depart from the "party line" to accomplish your goal?
 Which decisions do you feel able to make on your own and which do you require
senior support to make?
 Describe a situation where you had a disagreement or an argument with a superior.
Howdidyouhandleit?
 When do you feel that it is justified for you to go against accepted principles or
policy?
 Which constraints are imposed on you in your current job and how do you deal
with these?
 When did you make a decision that wasn't yours to make?
 Describe a project or situation where you took a project to completion despite
important opposition.
 When have you gone beyond the limits of your authority in making a decision?

Influencing
Ability to convince others to own expressed point of view, gain agreement and
acceptance of plans, activities or products.

 Describe a situation where you were able to influence others on an important

issue. Whatapproachesorstrategiesdidyou use?
 Describe a situation where you needed to influence different stakeholders who had
different agendas. Whatapproachesorstrategiesdidyou use?
 Tell us about an idea that you manage to sell to your superior, which represented a
challenge.
 What is your worst selling experience?
 Describe the project or idea that you were most satisfied to sell to your
management.
 Describe a time where you failed to sell an idea that you knew was the right one.

Integrity
Ability to maintain job related, social, organisational and ethical norms.

 When have you had to lie to achieve your aims? Why did you do so? How do you
feel you could have achieved the same aim in a different way?
 Tell me about a time when you showed integrity and professionalism.
 Tell us about a time when someone asked you something that you objected to.
Howdidyouhandlethesituation?
  Have you ever been asked to do something illegal, immoral or against your
principles? Whatdidyou do?
 What would you do if your boss asked you to do something illegal?
 Tell us about a situation where you had to remind a colleague of the meaning of
"integrity".

Leadership
Acts as a role model. Anticipates and plans for change. Communicates a vision to a
team.

 Tell us about a situation where you had to get a team to improve its performance.
What were the problems and how did you address them?
 Describe a situation where you had to drive a team through change.
Howdidyouachievethis?
 Describe a situation where you needed to inspire a team. What challenges did you
meet and how did you achieve your objectives?
 Tell us about a situation where you faced reluctance from your team to accept the
direction that you were setting.
 Describe a project or situation where you had to use different leadership styles to
reach your goal.
 Tell me about a time when you were less successful as a leader than you would
have wanted to be.

Leveraging diversity
Fosters an inclusive workplace where diversity and individual differences are valued
and leveraged to achieve the vision and mission of the organisation.

 Give an example of a situation or project where a positive outcome depended on

the work of people from a wide range of backgrounds and ideas
 Tell us about a time when you included someone in your team or a project because
you felt they would bring something different to the team.

Organisational Awareness
Demonstrates an understanding of underlying organisational issues

 Describe a project where you needed to involve input from other departments.
How did you identify that need and how did you ensure buy-in from the
appropriate leaders and managers?
 Describe a time when you failed to engage at the right level in your organisation.
Why did you do that and how did you handle the situation?

Resilience and Tenacity

Deals effectively with pressure; remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity.
Recovers quickly from setbacks. Stays with a problem/line of thinking until a solution
is reached or no longer reasonably attainable.

 Tell us about a situation where things deteriorated quickly. How did you react to
recover from that situation?
 Tell us about a project where you achieved success despite the odds being stacked
against you. Howdidyouensurethatyoupulledthrough?
 Give us an example of a situation where you knew that a project or task would
place you under great pressure. Howdidyou plan yourapproach and
remainmotivated?
 Give us an example of a situation where you worked under pressure.
 Under what conditions do you work best and worst?
 Which recent project or situation has caused you the most stress?
Howdidyoudealwithit?
 When is the last time that you were upset with yourself?
 What makes you frustrated or impatient at work?
 What is the biggest challenge that you have faced in your career.
Howdidyouovercomeit?
 Tell us about a time when you successfully pushed one of your ideas despite
strong opposition.
 Which course or topics have you found most difficult? How did you address the
challenge?

Risk-taking
Takes calculated risks, weighing up pros and cons appropriately

 Tell us about risks that you have taken in your professional or personal life.
Howdidyougoaboutmakingyourdecision?
 What is the biggest risk that you have taken? How did you handle the process?
 Describe one of your current or recently completed projects, setting out the risks
involved. How did you make decisions? How do you know that you made the
correct decisions?
 What risks do you see in moving to this new post?

Sensitivity to others/empathy
Aware of other people and environment and own impact on these.
Takesintoaccountotherpeoples’ feelings and needs.

 What problems has one of your staff or colleagues brought to you recently?
Howdidyouassistthem?
 Tell us about an unpopular decision that you made recently? What thought-process
did you follow before making it? How did your colleagues/clients react and how
did you deal with their reaction?
 When is that last time that you had an argument with a colleague?
 When did you last upset someone?
  What steps do you take to understand your colleagues' personalities? Give an
example where you found it hard to adjust to one particular colleague.

Teamwork
Contributes fully to the team effort and plays an integral part in the smooth running of
teams without necessarily taking the lead

 Describe a situation in which you were a member of team. What did you do to
positively contribute to it?
 Tell us about a situation where you played an important role in a project as a
member of the team (not as a leader).
 How do you ensure that every member of the team is allowed to participate?
 Give us an example where you worked in a dysfunctional team. Why was it
dysfunctional and how did you attempt to change things?
 Give an example of a time when you had to deal with a conflict within your team.
Whatdidyou do to helpresolvethesituation?
 How do you build relationships with other members of your team?
 How do you bring difficult colleagues on board? Give us an example where you
had to do this.

The CAR Approach

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?
Further Examples
Competency Question:
Give an example of when you've led a team.
Answer:
I have led a team on a number of occasions. For example, when I was coach of my
university football league. Not only do I believe that I am an efficient leader; I also
believe that I work well as part of a team and can take instructions and work
simultaneously with other people or colleagues.
I have the ability to communicate among different team members effectively,
ensuring that the message I am try to put across to members is done so with clarity.
This ultimately enables me to be an effective and successful team leader. Providing
direction, support and guidance is the key to success.

Competency Question:
Give an example of when you've overcome a problem at work.
Answer:
I have not really encountered many problems with work as this will be my first time
in full-time work, though I do have deadlines to meet both at work in my part-time
job and also in college. At college I have deadlines to meet and have tasks that need
to be completed; these are often challenging, so I plan my time around them and
also do what I can to deliver the best and highest quality work.

Benefits of Compet enc y Based Int ervi ews

Way Approach to Competenc y Based Intervi ews

The world is evolvi ng, and so are the business needs. To maintain pace
with the times, one needs to adopt effective, cost and t ime effici ent
techni ques to create a structured hi ring process. Traditional recruitment
process can be elimi nated b y adopting a 3 -wa y approach .

1. Define Competency Requirement

The initial st ep involves gathering relevant inform at ion regardi ng

organizational requirement. This requi res collecting job speci fic dat a
within the organization. Care must be taken not to leave aside an y job
role. This ensures t hat compet enci es are mapped not onl y as per job l evel
but as per job role also. This exercise will also unveil current skill gaps.
To test those skill gaps, you can then determine work behavior indicators
which you are looking for in a candidat e . This will give yo u a di rection i n
asking rel evant questions.
It is to be not ed t hat all the requi rem ent s should fall within the peri pher y
of your short and long -term organization’s vision. Onl y then will the new
hires could be assessed on the listed para m eters. This aids in raising the
bar of your recruit ment filter. Aft er al l, you do not want candi dat es who
leave you unawares in the midst of crisis .

2. Create Competenc y Framework

Competenc y fram ework is the building block for a recruitm ent c ycle and
the first st ep of structured hiring. Once organizations have a fram ework in
place, the y can easil y m ap and sel ect candi dat es who al ign with their
vision and mission.
No m atter how com plex your work flows are, st rive towards simplicit y.
Instead of having m ul tiple dishes on the platter, t ake one thing at a time.
If you tr y to incorporat e a lot of things in a singl e framework, the model
is bound to stumble. Too man y cooks spoil the broth, remember?
An eas y wa y t o develop a competenc y model is to divide compete nci es on
job-levels like entr y level , mid -senior level and senior level. Further, the y
can be sub -cat egorized into personali t y att ributes, anal ytical abilit y,
interpersonal skills and leadership. Additionall y, dom ain expertise stands
alone since dom ain kno wledge varies as per job rol e.

3. Implement the Competency Framework

The major chunk of research work winds up in the first t wo steps after
which com es an equall y important st ep, i.e. executing the compet enc y
fram ework effectivel y. All the backend work and tim e would become
futile if the framework does not fulfil i ts function. Even before you start
using the fram ework in intervi ews, make sure to roll out in -house surve y
at various job l evels, train Human Resources to use the informative piece
and set privac y st andards t o cont ain sensitive information. You mi ght not
hit the target in t he fi rst att empt, so have an open m ind and keep
incorporating necessar y changes in t he model as and when requi red. Your
compet enc y framework would be good to go when you start g etting
favorable outcom e t hrough HR and st aff training.

ntri gued to Know Which Skills and C ompetenci es Do Competenc y Based

Interviews Test?

Once the com pet ency fram ework is in place, HRs can now ask questions
pert aining to inherent abilities, skills and ex perience gained through
experience in t he form of contextual events. The events ma y or not be
realistic. The aim is to take candidates to a point where they put their
guard down.

Here is a non -exhaustive list of som e common competenci es:

Suggested Interview Questions:

 If you do not have access to technol ogy for a month, what activities
will you involve yoursel f in and wh y?
 Did you face an y issues transitioning from school t o college? If s o,
how did you handl e them?
 What is more important – how others value you or how yo u value
yourself?
 How do you feel if your research work of two weeks gets t rashed b y
the reporting m anager and hence you need t o work on t he project
from scratch?
 You want to watch live football mat ch on TV, whil e your parents
wish to wat ch news bulletin. What would you do be able t o wat ch
the mat ch?
 Describe when you fi gured out an area of improvement and the
measures you undert ook to tackl e it.
 How do you set your goals? Descri be your action plan to achi eve
them and strategy when failing t o do so.
  How would you feel if your boss reprimands you for coming late
almost dail y?
 Can you describe a time when your stress result ed in m aking errors
at work?
 How would you advise a t eam m ember who compl ained about a
coworker’s behavior?

Im pact of Compet enc y Based Intervi ews

Situations and questions tend to catch candidates unawares, who would

have prepared for a generi c int ervi ew. As unexpect ed questions and
hypotheti cal situations are thrown at them, candidates rem ember past
experiences or become thought ful b y imagi ning themsel ves in those
situations. Such a process increases the probabilit y of answering honestl y,
becaus e no answer would be ri ght or wrong. What matt ers is how a
candi dat e reacts when pl aced in an untoward scenario. Thus, c ompetenc y-
based interview put s the Human R esources in a position where the y can
closel y observe human behavior and it s impact on the organization as a
whole.

B y incorporating compet enc y-based intervi ew into the recruitment

process, emplo yers can identif y c andidates who possess cert ain behavioral
characteristics that will help in smooth transitioni ng and hence, be
culturall y fit. Currentl y, these i nterviews are empowering recruit ers with
the information needed to m ake smarter hiring decisi ons and would
continue to serve as a benchm ark in the hiring process.