What is competency based interviewing?

It's a style of interviewing used so that a candidate can best show how they would demonstrate certain behaviours/skills in the work place; by answering questions about how you have reacted to and dealt with previous work place situations. By using past experience a potential employer can predict future behaviour by:

Eliminating misunderstandings Preventing personal impressions Reducing the candidate's ability to "fake"

You will be asked to give an example of a situation or task which led you to take a certain course of action. Probing questions will then be used to determine the course of action you took and what changes were created by those actions and the effects of those actions on others. Traditional job descriptions are now quite out-dated. Most organisations will analyse a role by breaking it down into key competencies. For example the competencies of a lawyer may be planning and organising, innovation, personal drive, problem analysis and decision making. If an organisation uses this type of interviewing, it is very likely that your job will be defined on this basis and your performance in it will be managed through competencies. For example your appraisal may well be linked to evidence and real-life examples of having demonstrated these competencies. 2 How can I prepare for this type of interview? The simple answer is you can't. You can prepare for the interview in the normal way by researching the company, making sure you

are able to talk through the work and skills that you have described on your CV. You will be given the opportunity to market yourself for the role in the normal way. However, most candidates will find this type of interviewing much more interactive and enjoyable and it is likely that the interviewer will be able to encourage you to be much more open than in a traditional interview.

How will I be measured?

Usually the interviewer will have a number of pre-planned questions to ask you. For each of these questions they will ask for real-life evidence where you have demonstrated the behaviour or skills. They will know what the desired behaviours are and will look for positive and negative indicators. Examples of competencies and related questions are as follows: 3 Example one - Planning and Organising

competency & definition Planning & Organising: prioritises; sets stretching but realistic targets and deadlines; plans ahead and has a structured approach to the work

Suggested Questions Describe a project you have managed/been responsible for: How did you plan your time? (& others time?) How did you deal with obstacles? Have you ever managed a project which you knew would run over the timescale? What did you do? What could you do differently next time?

Desired Behaviours Prioritising Working in a structured and methodical way Maintaining candidate details Planning ahead to ensure timely delivery of results Managing time effectivelyMaintaining accurate management information, administrative records etc