Competency-based interviews are common and provide an excellent opportunity to showcase your experience and skills. Yes, they can be daunting, but preparation and practice will ensure that you succeed.
What Are Competencies?
| Competencies refer to the skills, qualities, and behaviours that drive success in a particular role. Employers typically outline the competencies they value the most, usually in the job description or listed under the company’s values section on their website. Taking the time to understand these can help you tailor your responses and show you’re a strong fit for the role. Some typical competencies are shown to the right. |
| Prepare, Prepare, Prepare! Thorough preparation is essential for success in competency-based interviews. |
Reviewing the job description is the key starting point, particularly the person specification and key skills, to really understand what the employer is looking for and to anticipate the type of questions you may be asked.
Top Tip: Think of 4 or 5 examples of achievements or challenges you’ve handled in the workplace. These can be where you met or exceeded targets, solved problems, worked under pressure, had a difficult conversation or dealt with a tricky situation. Anything! Once you have these lodged in your head, you’ll be amazed at how you can use them to answer most questions.
What Do Competency Based Questions Look Like?
Competency-based interview questions typically follow these formats:
- “Can you talk me through an example of when you…”
- “Describe a time when you…”
- “How would you go about…”
They are usually “open” questions, that is questions which don’t allow you to just answer “yes” or “no”. They are looking for you to elaborate. See the end of this document for some good example competency-based questions.
Rehearse and Structure Your Answers
Competency-based questions require more detailed, structured, and articulate responses than normal interview questions. Practice talking through your examples step by step, clearly explaining the process you used to address challenges or achieve goals.
| Situation: Describe the context or challenge you facedTask: Outline your responsibilities or objectives in that situationAction: Explain the specific actions you took to address the challengeResult: What happened in the end – the one that everyone forgets! |
Rehearse using the STAR technique to structure your answers:
Highlight the positive outcome and what you achieved. Remember – you are telling a story. And don’t forget to finish the story!
Most of your response should focus on the Action part, showcasing your initiative, problem-solving abilities, and results-driven approach.
Be Yourself!
While it’s important to showcase your strengths, staying genuine and honest goes a long way. Interviewers can usually sense when someone is giving overly rehearsed or “perfect” answers.
Don’t be afraid to share a time when things didn’t go as expected – if you handled it well and turned it into a positive outcome, that can be a powerful example. Keep in mind, no one’s perfect, and authenticity often leaves the best impression.
Our Final Advice
By preparing thoroughly (and making sure you’ve got your 4-5 examples ready to go), rehearsing your responses, and staying true to yourself, you can approach competency-based interviews with confidence and leave a lasting impression on your potential employer.
- Provide relevant, honest answers that reflect your experience and personality.
- Avoid word-for word memorised responses; instead, talk naturally and adapt your examples to the conversation.
- Let your individuality shine while demonstrating professionalism and confidence.
Remember that you are a brilliant candidate. We thought so and so did the employer, so have confidence in yourself and go and smash it!
| Competency: Personal Strength | Can you describe a time when you had to make a quick decision? What was the result?Tell me about a situation where you had to handle a difficult conversation Share an example of a decision you made that didn’t go as planned. What would you do differently now?Describe a time when a poor decision affected a client. How did you address the impact?Tell me about a situation where you exceeded someone’s expectations?Give an example of a mistake you made and how you resolved it.Share a time when you handled a challenging team situation. What was your approach? |
| Competency: Result Focus | Tell me about a time when you worked to meet a challenging target. What happened?Have you ever exceeded your performance targets? What strategies helped you do that?Describe a time you missed a deadline. What did you learn and what would you do differently?Give an example of a goal you set for yourself and how you achieved it.Share a time when you struggled to meet a target. What steps did you take?Tell me about a situation where you had to use a backup or alternative plan. |
| Competency: Planning & Organisation | How did you manage your daily responsibilities in your previous role?What strategies do you use to complete your daily tasks? What happens when things don’t go as planned?Describe a time your workload had an impact on your team. What did you do?In your current role, what ongoing goals do you work towards and how do you achieve them?Tell me about a particularly busy period at work and how you ensured deadlines were met. |
| Competency: Teamwork | Tell me about a time you supported someone in reaching a goal.Share an example of leading or managing a team project. How did you allocate the work?How have you helped ensure your team understood its objectives?Describe a time you had to reach a compromise with your team. What was the outcome?How do you contribute to your current team’s success?Give an example of working with a team to achieve a shared goal.What have you done to keep your colleagues informed of important updates relevant to your role? |
| Competency: Comms | Tell me about a time you resolved a difficult situation with a client. What was your approach?Give an example of when you influenced someone to see things your way.Share an experience of delivering difficult news to someone. How did you approach it?Describe a time when you provided constructive feedback. How was it received? |
| Competency: Influencing & negotiating | Tell me about a time you persuaded someone to do something they were reluctant to do.Share an example of a successful negotiation you were part of.Describe a time when you gained buy-in from your peers on an idea.Give an example of involving others in solving a problem. What was the result? |
| Competency: Decisioning | Describe a time when you were solely responsible for a key decision.Tell me about a time you challenged someone’s decision. What was the result?Share an example of someone questioning your decision. How did you respond?Give an example of a decision that didn’t go well. How did you address it?What led to your decision to leave your current or most recent job? |
