Michael Page CA Logo

Main menu

  • Home
  • Jobs+

    Searching for a job?

    • Searching for a job?
    • Job search
    • Submit your resume
    • Salary center

    Job search advice

    • Job search advice
    • Cover Letter and Resume Advice
    • Job Interview Tips
    • Growing Your Career

    Search for jobs

  • Career advice+

    Career advice

    • Career advice
    • Job Search Advice
    • Cover Letter and Resume Advice
    • Job Interview Tips
    • Growing Your Career
    • Making Your Next Career Move
    • Refer a Friend and Win

    Popular articles

    • Popular articles
    • Top 5 Jobs in Canada
    • Tips For Moving Into Management
    • The Secret to Career Growth
    • How to Build Effective Teams
  • Recruiting+

    Looking to hire?

    • Looking to hire?
    • The Recruitment Process
    • Reasons to Partner With Michael Page
    • Our Sourcing Methodology
    • Client Testimonials

    Management advice

    • Management advice
    • Attraction and Recruitment
    • Development and Retention
    • Induction and Engagement
    • Profession

    Recruitment expertise

    • Recruitment expertise
    • Banking & Financial Services
    • Engineering & Manufacturing
    • Finance & Accounting
    • Digital & E-Commerce
    • Human Resources
    • Information Technology
    • Interim
    • Oil & Gas
    • Procurement & Supply Chain
    • Construction
    • Sales & Marketing
  • Join PageGroup+

    Work for us

    • Work for us
    • Why choose us?
    • Your role here
    • Use your skills
    • Apply now
  • About+

    About Us

    • About us
    • Who we are
    • What we do
    • Work for us
    • About PageGroup
  • Contact+

    Contact us

    • Find our offices
    • Find our offices
    • Looking to hire?
    • Upload a job brief
    • Submit your resume
    • Timesheet portal
    • Feedback
Register / Sign in
Saved jobs (0)
Search for a job

You are here

Home>Advice>Management Advice>Attraction and Recruitment>How to Conduct a Competency-Based Interview

How to Conduct a Competency-Based Interview

19 December 2017
How to Conduct a Competency-Based Interview

Competency-based interviews provide employers with detailed insight into how a candidate might perform any given task and whether they have the background and skills you’re looking for.

In the Frame

Framing competency-based questions – relevant to a role or organization – allow you to assess candidate abilities in areas of leadership, communication, decisiveness, delegation, risk taking, team work, etc.

What Are the Indicators?

Employers have a clear idea of the type of employee they’re seeking. The results of competency-based interviews provide valuable metrics for comparing candidates.

For example, to a fairly straight forward question such as, “Tell me about a time when you identified a new approach to a problem,” you should be able to gauge on a scale of one to five whether a candidate has “no skills/experience” or has “excellent skills/experience” in the relevant area.

It is also possible to gauge a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses through their answers by assessing whether they demonstrate a willingness to learn, an ability to perform or if they show a negative approach toward a task.

Key Competency Questions

With more than 35 years of recruitment experience, we know the value of competency-based interviews and have worked out a list of key competency questions, grouping them into five bite-size areas, illustrating a wide range of skills.

Individual competencies – These refer to a candidate’s: flexibility, decisiveness, tenacity, knowledge, independence, risk taking and personal integrity.

  • A typical question might be: Tell me about a time when your work or your idea was challenged.

Managerial competencies – These refer to a candidate’s: ability to take charge of other people, leadership, empowerment, strategic thinking, corporate sensitivity, project management and managerial control.

  • A typical question might be: Tell me about a time you led a group to achieve an objective.

Analytical competencies – These refer to a candidate’s: decision making abilities, innovation, analytical skills, problem solving, practical learning and attention to detail.

  • A typical question might be: Tell me about a time when you identified a new approach to a problem.

Interpersonal competencies – These refer to a candidate’s: social competencies, teamwork mentality and collaborative strengths.

  • A typical question might be: Describe a situation where you got people to work together.

Motivational competencies – These refer to a candidate’s: drive, resilience, energy, motivation, result orientation, initiative and quality focus.

  • A typical question might be: When did you work the hardest and feel the greatest sense of achievement?

 


When conducting a competency-based interview, employers should be looking for authentic answers where candidates are being themselves by providing real life examples which relate to their actual life and work experiences. Remember, these are not trick questions; they are designed to create the best match between an individual and an organization.

For more interviewing tips that will let you know the most about job candidates up front, check out five of the most insightful job interview questions.

 

Previous article
Attracting top performers
How to Attract Top Performers
Read article
Next article
How to Conduct a Job Interview
Read article

Topics

  • Career Advice
  • Management Advice
Michael Page CA Logo
  • Suivez-nous sur FacebookSuivez-nous sur Facebook
  • Suivez-nous sur Google+Suivez-nous sur Google+
  • Suivez-nous sur LinkedInSuivez-nous sur LinkedIn
  • Suivez-nous sur TwitterSuivez-nous sur Twitter
  • Watch us on YouTubeWatch us on YouTube

Useful links

  • Site Map
  • Site Terms
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Feedback
  • Country

Search for jobs

  • Accounting
  • Audit & Advisory
  • Banking & Financial Services
  • Digital & eCommerce
  • Engineering & Manufacturing
  • Human Resources
  • Information Technology
  • Marketing
  • Procurement & Supply Chain
  • Property & Construction
  • Sales
  • Secretarial & Business Support
  • Tax
  • Treasury
PageGroup Awarded Most Socially Engaged Recruiter on LinkedIn

Language

  • Français

Employer Center

  • Upload a Job Brief
  • Request a Call Back
  • Salary Center

About Michael Page

  • Corporate Site
  • Investors Site

 

Michael Page International Canada Limited. Company Number 430280-0. Principal Place of Business: 130 Adelaide Street West, Suite 1900, Toronto, Ontario M5H 3P5