Competency-based interview questions can reveal a lot about a candidate. But unless you know what to ask and what to look for in a response, you'll struggle to uncover the interview insights you need to make an informed offer. Our recruitment experts share examples of competency-based questions and answers and how to leverage them as part of your interview process.
In recruitment, a 'competency' is an ability or characteristic that affects a person's work performance. Competencies differ from skills in that a skill is a learned ability needed to perform a task.
Conversely, a competency is much more in-depth and focuses on knowledge and behaviour. An individual's competencies will influence how effective they are in their role and their impact on future outcomes.
Examples of competencies are:
Problem-solvingAdaptabilityCommunicationNegotiationCollaborationStrategic planningInitiativeTeamworkDecision makingConflict resolution
By asking candidates carefully tailored competency-based questions, you can uncover more detail about the way they work. These questions reveal a person's suitability for a role and how well their characteristics and working style would fit with a team and within the company.
Competency-based questions can help you distinguish between a successful hire or a quick employee turnover. They also ensure a faster integration for the new hire and more successful business outcomes in the long term.
Read more: Interview evaluation: how to analyse interview answers
Here’s a brief, non-exhaustive list of competencies and the kinds of interview questions you might use to uncover valuable insights. Each question sets the scene, asks for the approach used, and probes into the outcome.
Adaptability
Adaptability is vital for almost every role in the current hiring landscape, owing to the rapid pace of commerce and technological change. Questions like those shown below can help you delve deeper into a candidate's ability to learn, evolve, and grow while providing insight into how they did this.
1. Tell me about a situation in which you needed to learn a new technology or skill in a short amount of time. What strategies did you use to learn more quickly, and how did you apply them?
2. Give an example of a time you received negative feedback on your work. How did you adapt your approach, and what was the result?
3. Could you share an instance when you had to work with a team member or stakeholder whose working style was very different from yours? What specific tactics did you employ to adapt to their style, and how did this impact your collaboration?
Communication
Excellent communication is an evergreen and vital competency for any worker, regardless of seniority. Asking a competency-based interview question that explores a candidate's communication style can reveal a lot about how they'll fit in a team and how smooth the exchange of information is likely to be.
1. Describe a situation in which you delivered difficult news or feedback to a colleague, superior, or client. How did you approach the conversation, what techniques did you employ, and what was the outcome?
2. Give an example of a project that required you to communicate effectively with multiple stakeholders who had conflicting priorities. How did you tailor your communication to each stakeholder, and what was the result?
3. Have you ever experienced a significant miscommunication between your team or with a client? How did you identify the issue, what steps did you take to clarify and resolve it, and what measures did you use to prevent similar issues in the future?
Problem-solving
Although problem-solving is helpful in most professional settings, workers in specific technical roles will need a more robust level of competence than others. This is particularly true for IT and tech roles, which require troubleshooting or finding new ways to achieve an outcome.
1. Describe a complex problem you encountered that required an innovative solution. What steps did you take to analyse the issue, generate potential solutions, and implement the best one? What was the outcome?
2. Tell me about a time you had to solve a problem with limited resources or information. What strategies did you use to gather intel, and how did you approach finding a solution? What was the result?
3. Give an example of a situation where you needed to solve an unexpected problem quickly. How did you troubleshoot the issue? Were there any specific tactics you used to find a rapid solution, and how effective was your approach?
Negotiation
Are you interviewing for a role that requires excellent negotiation? Test your candidate's competence with questions that examine how quick-thinking, savvy, and deal-oriented they are. Do they have a track record of smoothly turning the tide? Design your questions to investigate your candidates' capabilities thoroughly.
1. Have you ever had to negotiate a complex deal with high stakes? What preparation did you do, what negotiation strategies did you use, and what was the outcome?
2. Can you tell me about a time when a negotiation went wrong? What specific tactics did you use to turn the situation around, and what did you learn from this experience?
3. Describe a time when you had to negotiate in a cross-cultural context or with someone from a different background. How did you adapt to bridge cultural gaps, and what was the outcome?
Teamwork
A fantastic candidate is one thing, but performance and outcomes may suffer if they don't work well with others. Teamwork-centred competency-based questions are an excellent way to see how your chosen candidates operate within a team dynamic and how well they collaborate.
1. Give an example of a time you had to coordinate the efforts of multiple team members with diverse skills. How did you ensure everyone's contributions were integrated or heard? What was the result of your collaboration?
2. Has there ever been a time when you or your team faced a significant setback or failure? Can you share how you contributed to lifting team morale and productivity? How did you bounce back?
3. Describe a time you had to onboard or mentor a new team member. What tactics did you use to successfully integrate them into the team and bring them up to speed? How was the team's overall performance affected by your efforts? Could you share any feedback the new starter gave you?
Read more: The top 10 interview questions you should be asking
Asking detailed, tailored competency-based questions won’t result in much unless you know how to assess and decode the answers you’re given. Here are a few things to take into consideration when listening to your candidates’ responses:
Did they listen to the question thoroughly and answer each section?Did they use the structured STAR method (situation, task, action, and result)?Was there sufficient evidence of the required competency in their example?Are their methods and characteristics a match for the role and the company?
Read more: 5 interview task examples that will help you choose the right candidate
What is a competency-based interview?
A competency-based interview focuses on specific skills and behaviours required for a job. It involves questions that ask you to provide examples of how you've handled certain situations in the past.
Why are competency-based interviews used?
Competency-based interviews can provide a measured way to evaluate candidates based on their actual work experience, rather than relying solely on resumes or theoretical knowledge.
What is the STAR method?
The ‘STAR’ method is a structured approach to answering competency-based questions. It involves describing the Situation, the Task you were given, the Actions you took, and the Result of your actions.
How important are competency-based interviews?
They can often be an important part of determining a candidate’s suitability for a role. Employers often rely on these type of interview questions to make informed hiring decisions.
Are you ready to start interviewing? Upload your latest vacancy to the Robert Half site or contact our team for help finding your ideal candidate. For more information on interview techniques and hiring, visit the Robert Half advice blog.
