Competency-Based Interviewing: The Key to Hiring Top Talent
Are you on the hunt for the ideal candidate to fill a role that requires specific skills? You’ll want to be certain you’re hiring someone whose abilities match the job’s unique needs or pay a hefty price. It’s estimated that a bad hire can cost a company up to 25% of that employee’s yearly salary to remove and replace.
But how can you be confident you’ve found the right person, especially when qualifications and work experience don’t always paint a full picture of a candidate’s abilities?
While there’s no way to be 100% sure, making use of competency-based interviewing is a step in the right direction.
Keep reading to discover how you can leverage competency-based interviews to hire better.
What Are Competencies?
Competencies are the specific skills, knowledge, abilities, and behaviours that are essential for success in a particular job or role. Specific competencies are typically identified through job analysis and are used to assess candidates’ suitability for a position.
Examples of competencies include communication skills, attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, flexibility, and leadership skills.
What Is a Competency-Based Interview?
A competency-based interview is a type of structured interview that focuses on assessing a candidate’s skills and abilities related to specific job competencies. It is based on the premise that past behaviour is a good predictor of future behaviour.
During these interviews, candidates are asked behavioural questions that prompt them to provide real-life examples of how they have previously demonstrated particular competencies. Their answers are then compared against predetermined criteria and scored accordingly.
The goal of competency-based interviews is to gather concrete evidence of your candidate’s capabilities, rather than relying solely on their qualifications or self-reported skills. By steering away from hypothetical questions and delving into real-life scenarios, these interviews provide a clearer picture of candidates’ abilities and potential to excel in a particular position.
What Are The Benefits of Competency-Based Interviews?
Competency-based interviews, or behavioural interviews, offer a structured and standardised approach to evaluating someone’s suitability for a job. It involves asking targeted questions to try and elicit specific examples of a candidate’s past behaviours and experiences related to key competencies required for the position. This method ensures consistency and fairness in the evaluation process, as each candidate is assessed based on the same set of competencies.
Competency-based interviewing offers several advantages compared to other interviewing techniques:
Alignment with Job Requirements
Competency-based interviewing ensures that candidates are evaluated based on the competencies essential for success in the role. This alignment between the interview questions and job requirements can help you identify applicants who possess the specific skills and behaviours needed to excel in the position.
Consistency and Reliability
The standardised nature of competency-based interviewing promotes consistency across interviews and interviewers. This reduces variability in assessment outcomes and enhances the reliability of candidate evaluations. It also makes it easier to compare candidates objectively and make informed hiring decisions.
Enhanced Candidate Experience
Candidates often appreciate competency-based interviews because they provide clear expectations and allow them to showcase their relevant experiences and skills. This can lead to a more positive candidate experience and a better impression of the company.
Objective Assessment
By focusing on real-life examples of past behaviours, competency-based interviewing allows for a more objective assessment of the applicant’s capabilities. This minimises biases and ensures that hiring decisions are based on demonstrated skills and experiences rather than subjective impressions.
Predictive Validity
Research has shown that competency-based interviews have higher predictive validity in determining candidates’ future job performance. By assessing specific competencies directly related to the job requirements, you can better gauge a candidate’s potential for job success.
How to Conduct a Competency-Based Interview
The process of conducting competency-based interviews is an integral part of a larger organisational strategy aimed at identifying and cultivating a workforce aligned with the company’s mission, values, and strategic goals. This process begins with a thorough job analysis, progresses through competency identification, and concludes with the actual interview process.
The process should include the following steps:
Step 1: Job Analysis
Before diving into competency-based interviews, you need to conduct a comprehensive job analysis for each role within the organisation. Job analysis involves examining the tasks, responsibilities, and requirements of a position to gain a clear understanding of what success looks like in that role. This analysis helps to identify the specific competencies needed for optimal performance.
Step 2: Competency Identification
Once the job analysis is complete, the next step is to identify the competencies essential for success in the role. This involves pinpointing the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behavioural traits that are critical for effective job performance. It’s crucial to differentiate between technical competencies, which are role-specific skills and knowledge, and behavioural competencies, which encompass attitudes, behaviours, and interpersonal skills.
An effective approach to competency identification is to establish organisation-wide core competencies that encapsulate the attitudes, knowledge, and skills valued across all roles within the company. These generic or core competencies serve as a foundation for assessing candidates’ suitability for any position within the company.
Start by defining the specific skills, attributes, knowledge, and behavioural traits required for the role. This ensures a fair and informed comparison of candidates. Utilize existing competency frameworks and team skills matrices, supplementing them with research on the role. For existing positions, review job descriptions and consult current role holders for accuracy. For new roles, consider responsibilities and progression paths. Determine essential versus desirable skills, remaining open to candidates who meet most criteria but not all, provided they’re willing to learn.
Step 3: Integration Into Interview Process
The identified competencies are then integrated into the interview process. Interview questions are designed to elicit specific examples from candidates’ past experiences that demonstrate their proficiency in each competency.
The STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is often utilised to structure questions effectively, prompting candidates to provide detailed responses outlining the context, actions taken, and outcomes achieved in relevant situations.
For example, you can ask about their conflict resolution experiences, covering the situation, actions taken, and results achieved. You should encourage them to share both successful and challenging experiences to get an idea of how they perform under pressure. Maintain a balanced tone to avoid intimidating candidates.
Step 4: Structured Interview Process
You must maintain a structured and goal-oriented approach during the interview. Use a consistent set of initial questions for each candidate, and ensure all interviewers understand the scoring system for a fair assessment.
Practice active listening to comprehend complex responses, providing acknowledgement without losing focus. Give candidates enough time to answer thoughtfully. Take detailed notes that can be objectively evaluated to avoid unconscious bias. Post-interview, discuss candidates’ performances and review any provided work examples.
Step 5: Continuous Improvement
Competency-based interviewing requires ongoing refinement and improvement. You should regularly review and update competency frameworks in line with evolving business needs and industry trends.
By integrating competency-based interviewing into the organisation-wide talent acquisition process, you are more likely to hire candidates who not only possess the necessary skills and knowledge but also demonstrate the attitudes and behaviours that align with your company’s culture and values.
It may also be beneficial to incorporate psychometric assessments such as aptitude and personality tests in addition to competency-based questions and simulations, as this gives you a more holistic view of candidates.
Final Thoughts on Competency-Based Interviews
Competency-based interviews can significantly enhance your ability to identify candidates with the necessary competencies, attitudes, and behaviours aligned with your company’s culture. This strategic approach ensures that hiring decisions are rooted in concrete evidence rather than subjective impressions.
Competence SA can help you hire better with our CSA Competency Framework.
Contact Competence SA to learn more about our competency framework and competency-based interviewing solutions.
About Competence SA
Competence SA identifies, develops and enables potential through the provision of the following services:
If you would like to know how we raise the bar, visit www.competencesa.co.za.
Contact us at hello@competencesa.co.za or 0828537456
