Competency-based interview tomorrow

Wake_up_call

I have a competency-based interview tomorrow and I suck at these things.

Even for jobs that I could do standing on my head, I have failed interviews because of this rigid format of interviewing. It has always seemed to me that the biggest liars perform well in them, while the honest (even when they are the most experienced candidate) fall down because they don’t use the right buzz words and can’t spin a yarn using the STAR format off the top of their head.

Anyway, I have managed to find out that the competencies I will be assessed against are:

Communicating and influencing
Delivering results
Working with others
Customer focus

I can think of examples for each of these, but I have absolutely no idea how the questions are going to be framed and, in my experience, there always a few curved balls in there.

Plus, I've done a completely different job for the past four years so my examples are going to relate to dealing with CEOs and MDs rather than the general public. I have found in the past that this is not understood by the interviewer.

Any suggestions?

Newdirections

Hi
I'm not sure how much I can help you, as I agree with most of what you have said about competency based interviews.

I think the key is probably to show a variety of workplace and personal examples (i.e. at least one where the customer was the general public - if this is a public facing role).

The temptation is to always give examples of your most recent role because you remember them more clearly, and because it is likely to have been your most accomplished role to date. However, it is good to get a balance.

I'm sure you will be great, good luck!

MacMickster

You really need to think of half a dozen examples for each of the competences stated that you believe relate to the role for which you are being interviewed. Then practice explaining them using that STAR format. If you have to spend too much time trying to explain the relevance of the example then it probably isn't a good example.

By doing this you will have a range of answers available and can pick the one most suitable for the actual question asked.

A format suited to liars? Perhaps, but at least the made up answer shows that the candidate both understands the behaviours and attitudes required for the job and is bright enough to put them into a plausible example. The interviewer can't check that you really managed to calm down and assist an irate and tearful customer, but from your answer ascertains that you know how it should be done, if that is likely to be part of your future role.

Marvel1

Remember if you don't understand the question, ask to clarify, that way you are answering what they want to know, as you do not want to get the answer wrong.

Wake_up_call

Cheers.

The annoying thing about these is they never ask about the qualifications I hold and actual questions that relate to the subject matter.

I've had years of experience of being a mortgage adviser and was consistently one of the top performers in the business where I worked before I took a sabbatical, but I've been to an interview recently where I didn't get asked a single mortgage-related question.

Sanne

If given the opportunity, also always try to show how your current responsibilities, skills etc. can be used in the role you are applying for.
For example, if you are used to presenting stuff to an MD and need the skill to communicate something to the public you could make the connection that you had to pitch things at the right level to senior colleagues so you are used to ascertain what level of information is required and how to best communicate this to anyone incl. customers.

I must admit that I have interviewed for IT jobs while asking very few IT related questions. Why? Because I believe that it's the attitude that is important (as well as soft skills) and that anyone with the right one can be taught the technical skills required. I can teach someone to fix a PC or set up a server but it's much more difficult to teach them how to communicate well.

This might sound silly now but if you really have no experience in one area then it's often better to say so than to spin a yarn.
I (and I know a lot of others interviewing) appreciate honesty and I would not count it against someone - unless it's really a core part of the job of course. The interviewee will obviously have show that they recognise that there is a gap and are willing to learn but I much rather have someone honest than lying. Which I will find out about.
On the other hand, I was always lucky not to have to fill out stupid score cards after interviews so it was easier to go for the person with the right "package". When I last recruited this was someone with way less experience than a lot of others but with a great attitude and willingness to get stuck in. It worked out really well.

Sorry, this went on for a bit now but I guess what I'm saying is that it's not only liers who get the job and there often is a reason that seemingly unrelated questions are asked.

Good luck for the interview and let us know how it went!

Lorian

Someone said the format lends itself to liars. I disagree, when you interview enough using competencies you can easily tell how genuine the person is being.

STAR is all important. The reason being if you answer in the STAR format its a lot easier for the interviewer to score you.

Some interviewers will even prompt you to try and answer in the STAR format, but you wont find everyone that accommodating.

One thing definitely to avoid is using the same situation to answer more than one of the questions. Not only is this dull for the interviewer, you will be repeating yourself, and it can appear that you don't have a breadth of experience.

Understand what the competencies mean. What they really mean. If you are lucky the organisation has provided you with a competency dictionary with the interview invite. Read and understand this.

I can't speak for this organisation, but often each competency is given a certain level for each role. so for example if they ask for:

Communicating and influencing

Then if the role was a Company Driver then the level might be 1 "Able to communicate clearly with your peers and the general public"

yet if the role was for IT Manager then the level Might be 3 "Able to communicate effectively with other Managers and Directors"

Simplistic examples, but the important thing is when asked about this you should provide answers that underpin the level required for the role. No point talking about how good your finacial presentations were to your previous CEO if you are after that driving job, pick more relevant examples.

mattcanary

Sanne wrote: »

If given the opportunity, also always try to show how your current responsibilities, skills etc. can be used in the role you are applying for.
For example, if you are used to presenting stuff to an MD and need the skill to communicate something to the public you could make the connection that you had to pitch things at the right level to senior colleagues so you are used to ascertain what level of information is required and how to best communicate this to anyone incl. customers.

I must admit that I have interviewed for IT jobs while asking very few IT related questions. Why? Because I believe that it's the attitude that is important (as well as soft skills) and that anyone with the right one can be taught the technical skills required. I can teach someone to fix a PC or set up a server but it's much more difficult to teach them how to communicate well.

This might sound silly now but if you really have no experience in one area then it's often better to say so than to spin a yarn.
I (and I know a lot of others interviewing) appreciate honesty and I would not count it against someone - unless it's really a core part of the job of course. The interviewee will obviously have show that they recognise that there is a gap and are willing to learn but I much rather have someone honest than lying. Which I will find out about.
On the other hand, I was always lucky not to have to fill out stupid score cards after interviews so it was easier to go for the person with the right "package". When I last recruited this was someone with way less experience than a lot of others but with a great attitude and willingness to get stuck in. It worked out really well.

Sorry, this went on for a bit now but I guess what I'm saying is that it's not only liers who get the job and there often is a reason that seemingly unrelated questions are asked.

Good luck for the interview and let us know how it went!

No, you need an aptitide for technical tasks to e able to be a good IT worker.

Lorian

Wake_up_call wrote: »

Cheers.

The annoying thing about these is they never ask about the qualifications I hold and actual questions that relate to the subject matter.

I've had years of experience of being a mortgage adviser and was consistently one of the top performers in the business where I worked before I took a sabbatical, but I've been to an interview recently where I didn't get asked a single mortgage-related question.

If I were an interviewer I would have read your qualifications as part of the decision process before you even got the interview. You might get the odd question, but only if something is not clear. Of far more interest to me while we are face to face is where you worked over the last 2 years, and what you were doing. I'd be asking you questions on these sections of your CV, but not as part of the competency based part of the interview.

Questions about mortgages? Only if applying for a role where it is directly relevant, or the potential employer thinks it might provide some transferrable skill, but are not sure from what you have written on your CV.

Tigsteroonie

Wake_up_call wrote: »

Communicating and influencing
Delivering results
Working with others
Customer focus

I can think of examples for each of these, but I have absolutely no idea how the questions are going to be framed and, in my experience, there always a few curved balls in there.

"Can you tell us about a time when you have had to persuade others to adopt your point of view about a situation?"

"Describe a time when you have had to deliver against a tight deadline"

"Team-working is important to this role. Can you provide an example of where team-working has brought advantages?"

"Describe a time when you have had to anticipate the needs of a customer or manager"

And then there could be probing, prompting sub-questions like:

What did you do?
How did you go about it?
What did you learn about the process?
Would you go about this the same way, or differently, next time?

Sanne

mattcanary wrote: »

No, you need an aptitide for technical tasks to e able to be a good IT worker.

Yes, that as well. But, in front-line IT support you need at least just as good people skills. I recruited someone with previous customer service experience from working in a shop for three years with an interest for IT (obviously in a junior role). He did brilliantly as he knew how to talk to people, how to deal with difficult situations and how to calm things down if they got heated. Yes, he needed to learn to fix their PC but with the right attitude and the desire to learn they can do that. Thus might be different for your geeky back-office roles so I shoukd maybe have been more explicit that I was talking about IT roles in an SME where you actually have to talk to people.