What is Competency-Based Interviewing?
A competency interview, also called behavioral interview, is one in which the interviewer asks the candidate to demonstrate their capacity for working by describing and sharing real-life situations that they have already experienced. Competency interviews are an excellent way for employers to get to know candidates differently – from a behavioral perspective. Knowing how to succeed in a competency interview will help you get a job fast.
Hiring managers prefer competency-based questions when selecting a candidate because they can see how you will behave in a real situation. Behavioral questions during an interview are prevalent, and when you are interviewing, you might not even realize that you are participating in this kind of interview.
Although the competency interview is not exactly a novelty, the trend is that its use will continue to increase in the next years. Managers have learned over the years that anyone can say what they want during an interview, and it doesn’t always lead to the most effective hiring practices. Instead, they understand that genuinely getting to know a candidate from a behavioral perspective leads to more reliable candidates. Not sure how to get a job near you? Try JobGet, and read on for more information on how to ace your next interview.
How Do I Answer These Questions?
As stated above, in the competency interview, the interviewer asks the candidate to describe some situations they have been through that demonstrate how they behave at certain times.
An interview is always a two-way street. The interviewer is trying to get to know who you are, and you should also try to understand the company better and how they operate. For instance, let’s say you are looking for a restaurant job near you in Boston, MA. You find a few open positions to apply for, and are selected for an interview.
During the interview, the hiring manager knows just what kind of candidate they are looking for. The first thing you need to do is fully comprehend the job description, so you can also understand what they are looking for. By doing so, you’ll be able to pre-emptively plan for the interviewer’s line of questioning. What kind of employee do they want? Listed in the job description, you will find key phrases like ‘customer service-oriented’ and ‘works well with a team.’ Now you know that they need someone patient, hard-working, a strong team player.
Reflect on Past Jobs
For this type of interview, you can prepare yourself by recalling fresh examples of different situations in which you needed to demonstrate some of your most persuasive skills. Think back to the key phrases first – patient, hard-working, team player. Now, think about some situations when you exemplified these kinds of traits. Was there a situation in which you had to remain calm dealing with a challenging customer? Have you been put on a team that didn’t work as hard as you did? Think through these situations carefully, and get ready to bring them up during your interview.
Demonstrate, Don’t Deflect
It can be easy to describe conditions that make you look like the hero, whether or not that was the reality. Instead of deflecting blame onto others, try to simply highlight the actions that you took to help a negative situation, and how it demonstrates your high-quality skills. By doing so, you will not only show how you have strong skills that the employer is looking for, but you will also demonstrate your maturity and professionalism.
Summarize the Positives
When you are done explaining a situation that demonstrates the qualities an employer is looking for, be sure to summarize with the key phrases you initially brainstormed. For example, if you are talking about that time, you dealt with a demanding customer, explain what you learned from the situation, and what skills it truly highlights. You can say something along the lines of “I had to remain calm and keep a customer-oriented attitude during this situation. I learned that I have a lot more patience than I thought, which is an essential quality for working at a restaurant.”
If you can follow these tips, you’ll be on your way to getting hired, fast! Need some more advice? Follow our blog and find jobs with JobGet!
Author: Caroline Forrest, Director, JobGet, Inc. [www.jobget.com]
