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How to Answer Competency Based Interview Questions

By Annette Lewis

Competency Based Interviewing is an increasing popular tool used in large organisations such as Banks and Government departments with interviewers now being trained in competency based systems as standard.

This format is used in an effort to make the interview process as standard and as fair as possible. It is being adopted increasingly where many managers are interviewing for the same type of position at the same time.

Studies have shown Competency Based Interviewing to be about 5 times more accurate than traditional interviewing in assessing and choosing the right applicant.

Questions asked in Competency Based Interviews

This article deals with how to answer questions asked in Competency Based Interviews. These are commonly Behavioural Based in nature and are used to assess how a candidates past actions can be used as a predictor of future performance.

Behavioural interview questions require you to provide specific examples and usually take the form of:

- Tell me about a time when you....
- Give an example of a situation where....
- Describe a scenario....

Answering Competency Based Interview Questions

When answering competency based interview questions, I suggest choosing examples based on real experiences you have had. Avoid the temptation to invent or embellish.

Your response needs to be relevant and sufficiently detailed to show that you understand what is required, that you possess the relevant core competency and can use it effectively.

Your answers will be scored and the quality will depend on the extent of your preparation. Use the job description or advertisement to get an idea of the essential competencies required and prepare example of situations where you used these skills to achieve a successful outcome.

Most Competency Based and Behavioural Questions require you to give an example of a situation you have been involved in. This sounds straightforward however it is very easy to give a long rambling answer resulting in a low score. The key to an effective and top scoring answer lies in it's structure and there are two standard formulas we recommend:

1. The STAR technique = This technique is often referred to as the SAR and PAR technique and gives a logical process to create and deliver your answer as follows:

S or T =	Situation or Task Start by describing the SITUATION you were involved in or the TASK that you were asked to complete. This situation can be from a previous job, from a personal experience or from any relevant event. Give enough detail for the interviewer to understand what was involved.
A =	Action Describe the action you took, the process you followed and the steps you completed. Even if you are discussing a group project or task, describe what you did rather than the achievements of the team.
R =	Result This is the most important part of the answer and you will need to show that your actions resulted in a successful outcome. Talk about what you accomplished, what you delivered in terms of benefit and what you learned.

2. The iPAR technique = Similar to the STAR technique and is favoured by us:

i =	Always use I and give an Introduction Always answer in the first person using 'I' rather than 'we' even if your example refers to a team effort. The interviewers want to hear about what you did and if you constantly use 'we' it could weaken your answer. Give an INTRODUCTION consisting a single sentence summarising your achievement for example: "I recently introduced a new system which reduced the time it takes to deal with customer complaints from 4 days to 4 hours." This has the effect of informing the interviewer and heightening their interest as well as being a powerful sales statement for yourself.
P =	Problem Detail the PROBLEM (situation or task) in no more than 2 sentences but giving sufficient details so that the interviewer can get a full grasp of the challenge involved. If you can also show that you identified the problem and initiated the action this will stand in your favour however it is not essential.
A =	Action As with the STAR technique, describe the ACTION you took, the process you followed and the steps you completed being clear about the part you played.
R =	Result As mentioned above the RESULT is the most important part of your answer as a successful outcome proves that your actions were effective. If possible, detail statistics or figures which highlight the magnitude of your success, mention positive feedback you received and talk about what you learned and how this learning will help you in the job being recruited.

While we favour the iPAR technique, feel free to use whichever you are most familiar and comfortable with.

Tell it like a story as this will better engage the interviewer.

We advise preparing answers in advance relating to all the achievements on your resume/cv. By doing so, you will find that you have a sufficient stock of information which will help you answer any competency based interview question irrespective of the style used.

How to Succeed in Competency Based Interviews

The key to success in Competency Based Interviews is to prepare properly and with InterviewGOLD™ your interview preparation is done for you.

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About the Author

Annette Lewis is an accredited interviewer and has recruited for many organisations within Healthcare, Education, Customer Services and Banking.

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