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Just picture yourself in the role you are applying for. Answering competency-based questions will then be much easier, guarantees Yvette Cleland. Get the best advice on preparing for a competency based interview right here

In the early 1970s large organisations began changing their recruitment processes after the Harvard Business School Professor of Psychology, Dr David McClelland, identifi ed that there was an unjustifi ed use of Intelligence Quotient (IQ) for job selection tests. As he put it, “if you are hiring a ditchdigger, it doesn’t matter if his IQ is 90 or 110, what matters is if he can use a shovel.” The most simple and effective way of understanding this process is to look at it from a recruiter/hiring manager’s perspective, and they will be working on the premise that ‘past performance is the greatest predictor of future performance’. They are simply trying to establish the following:

• Past behaviours and performance
• Learning from past behaviours
• Future adaptability to a new post
• Knowledge and understanding of issues in relation to the post

But as a graduate, how can you demonstrate workplace competencies? Regardless of your background you should be able to identify from life experience core behaviours in a variety of situations to
demonstrate the required competencies to a potential employer. Prior to an interview prepare well by using the following:

• The advert for the job
• The Job Description and Candidate Required Profile
• The Application Form and Information Pack
• Your own research into the organisation’s core values/missions statements and corporate culture/industry.

From this information you will be able to gain an accurate insight in to the types of competency-based questions that will be used and the drivers and behaviours required. Some commonly used generic competencies are as follows:

• Communications skills
• Negotiation
• Team
• Persuasiveness
• Decision making
• Problem solving
• Planning and organising
• Coping with pressure

Questions are likely to start with “Please give me an example of a time when…” or “Please describe a situation when…”, etc. So how do you prepare yourself having carried out your research on actually answering these competencies? Start with the end in mind! Consider yourself in the role. Draw on a situation or experience from a past job, university project or a personal scenario as an example, of
communication, negotiation or problem solving and practice this competency reply. You will be probed about your answer, so give yourself a head start by having a way of structuring the response to deliver the
best possible example. An easy way of responding well is to use the STAR technique.

So think…. Situation = Task = Action = Result. Structured in this manner your answer will flow allowing you to impart the right level of detail covering all points. This approach will enhance your confi dence and come across to the interviewer in a positive manner. Competency-based interviewing needs preparation like all other styles of interview. They are objective and fair and have become a frequent method for candidate selection. Companies with a competency based interview process often translate this across their business in appraisals and training techniques.

Ultimately remember, interviewing is a two way process. Employers are just trying to assess ‘can you use the shovel?’ However, you need to make sure it’s the shovel you wish to dig with.

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