What are Competency Questions?
Each profession necessitates specific skills and talents. That’s one of the many things that makes us as individuals special. Depending on education and background, everyone contributes to a vast spectrum of experiences, skills, and imaginations that are the backbone of companies around the world.
However, time is the great equalizer. Some of us have had more opportunities to hone, develop, and practice our abilities and skills. This doesn’t necessarily need to mean chronological time. Something is to be said about those who have gained their expertise through a “trial by fire.”
The only way to tell if someone can succeed in the position offered is to have a conversation and to understand from their perspective how they have previously responded to certain situations and how they will respond in the future. These are all important interview questions for employers, also known as competency-based interview questions.
The definition is in the name. Competency-based interview questions are types of interview questions asked to judge a prospective employee’s competency for a particular position. They will help you understand whether or not an applicant is well-suited for the requirements and demands of the job, as well as the culture and expectations of your workplace.
Specifically, at Interview InterviewPath® we have a unique use and perception of competency. We use competencies as the framework/language to create the guide. Competencies can be viewed as different organizational values. The competencies that you select are the core of how we organize the competency-based interview questions. Examples are accountability, passion as work, cultural intelligence, curiosity, etc. We then create unique competency-related interview questions to support each competency.
Benefits of Competency Questions
There are a plethora of benefits to asking well-curated-competency-related interview questions for employers. The most prominent type of competency-based interview questions would be those that will help you determine whether or not the potential employee you are interviewing is competent to perform in the assigned role. However, the question is not, “How are competency questions beneficial?” But rather, “Why are competency-related questions beneficial?” The “style” of the interview questions we use is known as Behavioral Based Interview (BBI) Questions. BBI questions are a style that focuses on asking questions that require the candidate to talk about real situations and experiences, not just theoretical responses. As an example, all BBI competency-based interview questions start with some version of “tell me about a time,” “give me an example of,” etc.We have compiled three prominent reasons competency questions are an excellent interviewing tool.
They’re Open-Ended
If you want to learn the facts, ask yes or no questions. If you want to know the reasons, more open-ended competency-based interview questions are preferable. If you don’t structure how your candidate can respond, they have more of an opportunity to let themselves shine through, highlighting their thought processes and working philosophies. This approach allows you to dig deeper than what you already gleaned about the candidate from their resume.
Learn About Candidate Experience
When asking types of competency-related questions, you guide the flow of conversation but give the interviewee the full power to answer appropriately. This freedom allows them to contribute to the topic with theoretical and more practical, concrete applications of their skills and talents, as shown by their previous experiences. By getting them to talk about where they have been previously, they can demonstrate how their competencies can best serve the role your company is hiring for.
Discover Skills You Might Not Have Considered
Any conversation has an element of surprise. You never know where the flow of the topic will lead. As an interviewer, it is your job to prepare for such deviations and to attempt to arrive right where you expected. However, loosely structured interview competency-based interview questions for employers can help you learn about more strengths that potential employees offer – in areas that you may have never considered. Candidates may not be suitable for the particular role they applied for but might excel in another one you hope to fill. Or they may reveal a new approach to a task that will benefit your entire company. By allowing them to propel the conversation through the guidance of competency-related questions, you never know what worlds of potential you could be opening.
Types of Competency Questions
Now that you know more about the importance of competency-related questions, let’s break down some specific examples of this helpful interview tool. Below are a few examples of the most common forms of competency-based interview questions:
Describing Situations
“Tell me about a time you disagreed with a coworker. How did you handle the situation?”
“Imagine you made a mistake regarding a client. How did you make it right?”
“Have you ever disagreed with your boss on an important professional decision? What did you do?”
These are typical types of competency-related questions for employers. Describing a situation is an effective way to understand a potential employee’s temperament, learn how they get things done, and discover how they interact with others during a disagreement.
Decision Making
No matter the job’s description, every employee has to make a decision at some point. Either the manager is unavailable for competency-based interview questions, or they are put in a position where they cannot remain passive. Asking competency-related questions about times when they had to take action will show you their character and how they may respond to a similar situation in the future.
Wins/Failures
The inventor Sir Humphry Davy once said: “I’ve learned more from my mistakes than from my successes.” As an interviewer, you know this is frequently the truth. We, too, can learn from times when success may not have been attainable. By talking to a candidate about their past mistakes and how they might have corrected them, we have a first-hand look at how they will respond when they ultimately make a mistake in this position. A reasonable interviewer understands that mistakes will happen, and rather than find a perfect candidate, it is better to find one who knows how to own up and fix their shortcomings.
Customized Interview Questions From InterviewPath®
It’s always exciting when a company experiences growth. You can bring on more employees and talent than ever before. Having so many roles to fill may also feel overwhelming when you want to ensure each employee is the ideal choice for your team. After all, the best way to protect the growth of your company is to hire the best candidates. Make sure your candidates are thoroughly vetted with relevant and thorough competency-based interview questions.
Competency-related interview questions will help you find a candidate with the experience, knowledge, skill set, and attitude that best matches your workplace culture. Utilizing the skilled professionals and resources available through InterviewPath will remove the stress of hiring the perfect new additions to your professional family. Reach out today to learn how our competency is to bring you the best employees possible.