Table of contents
1. Competency-based interviews
2. Definition
3. How to measure the competencies
4. How do competency-based interviews differ from normal interviews?
5. Which skills and competencies do competency-based interviews test?
6. Assessing talents and competency requirements
7. How to Use Competency Based Interviewing
8. Benefits of Competency Based Interviews
9. Benefits of Competency Based Recruitment and Selection
10. Disadvantages of Competency-Based Interviews
11.
COMPETENCY-
BASED INTERVIEWS
Competency - Definition
• "Competency" is a concept linking three parameters -
Knowledge, Skills and 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.
But, the question arises- ‘How
to measure the competencies?’
“Behavior science research itself
shows that, by and large, the best
way to predict anybody’s
behavior is his behavior in the
past”.
• Recruiters can easily gauge a person’s
traits using competency-based interview,
which is an effective way of structuring
your hiring process.
• Such interviews aim at testing individuals
on one or more specific behavioral trait.
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.
Competency-based interviews (also called
structured or behavioral interviews) are
more systematic, with each question
targeting a specific skill or competency.
Candidates are asked questions relating to
their behavior in specific circumstances,
which they then need to back up with
concrete examples.
Which skills and competencies do
competency-based interviews
test?
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
organize and prioritize; and ability to
work under pressure
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
How to Use Competency
Based Interviewing
Step 1: Develop Clear Selection
Criteria
Focus on:
• Skills,
• Attributes,
• Knowledge,
• Behaviorial.
Step 2: Prepare Effective Questions
• Draw up some questions that focus on
each core competency.
• STAR approach
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCZemJj1pRM
STAR
• 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?"
Step 3: Conduct a Structured
Interview
A good competency based interview
should be structured and have precisely
defined goals.
The following points will help to
achieve this:
• Have a set structure.
• Active listening.
• Allow thinking time.
• Take notes.
• Evaluate and discuss.
Benefits of Competency Based
Interviews
Benefits of Competency Based
Recruitment and Selection
1. Provide a Consistent Hiring Process
• structured interviews are 81% more accurate than
unstructured one
• a competency-based interview question bank can make the
interviewing process easier the next time a position needs to
be filled
2. Provide Clear Candidate Feedback
• Providing candidate feedback = best practice to
improve the candidate experience (employed/rejected)
• By having the competencies criteria on hand, hiring
managers are able to formulate clear, justifiable
responses to the candidate to support their decision
• 94% of the rejected candidates want feedback after
the interview.
• only 41% of candidates have actually received that
feedback after a rejection.
3. Eliminates Bias
• 57% of employees wish their companies were more diverse
What stops them from adopting diversity?
• fear that introducing people whom may not agree with each
other will hamper productivity
• competency based interviewing allows recruiters and hiring
managers to focus on finding similar behaviours deemed
to make the candidate successful in the role regardless of
knowledge, skills and demographics
6. Lower Employee Turnover
•A competency-based hiring tool allows employers to
cast a wider net, take more applicants from more
sources, and still spend less time evaluating them.
• Employees are hired for positions they are equipped to
handle
Disadvantages of Competency-
Based Interviews
1. Time consuming
• It takes a long time to gather the data needed to decide
which competencies are relevant for the job profile.
2. Costs
• This process can also be very costly and not all businesse
may have the funds available to carry out the competency
analysis.
• The competency-based interview will last approximately 60
minutes but the interviewer will have decided whether he
likes you or not within the first 60 seconds.
• Competency-based questions let you talk; they are open and
invite a response that tells the employer about a real-life
challenge that you have faced
• Make no mistake: your competency interview answers will be
key to whether or not you get the job.
• The competency-based interviews gets you the chance to
prepare for the interview and to feel that you have the power
to pass the interview, or not. It’s all in your hands.
Bibliography
• BOOKS:
• https://epdf.tips/competency-based-human-resource-management.html
• https://books.google.ro/books?id=937PxbuNcecC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Competency+based+recruit
ment+and+hiring+pdf&hl=ro&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjO7a-
jjLzhAhXusYsKHXCWAmwQ6AEIMDAB#v=onepage&q&f=false
• https://books.google.ro/books?id=OpfH51nhGaQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Competency+based+recrui
tment+and+hiring+pdf&hl=ro&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjO7a-
jjLzhAhXusYsKHXCWAmwQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
• ARTICLES:
• https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/human-resources/article/introduction-competency-based-hiring
• https://flylib.com/books/en/2.309.1/competency_based_employee_recruitment_and_selection.html
• https://jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(14)01105-8/abstract
• Internet :
• https://blog.clearcompany.com/5-unique-benefits-of-competency-based-recruitment-and-selection
• http://recruitingtrends.com/how-successful-companies-are-hiring-for-
competencies/?fbclid=IwAR1bglBzahJP-IBYNpTxHwoU1ue0zZTPMEAuWBi68srqbrjuZgHg1sB5mYI
• http://recruitingtrends.com/how-successful-companies-are-hiring-for-
competencies/?fbclid=IwAR1bglBzahJP-IBYNpTxHwoU1ue0zZTPMEAuWBi68srqbrjuZgHg1sB5mYI
• https://www.interview-skills.co.uk/free-information/interview-guide/competency-based-interviews
• https://www.totaljobs.com/insidejob/most-common-competency-based-interview-questions/
