What is a competency based interview?
Competency based (or behavioural) interviews are based on the premise that past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour. Interviewers seek to obtain information about candidates past behaviour in certain situations. Competency based interviews are structured, with questions that relate directly to the essential criteria/ competencies required for the post. Research into recruitment and selection methodology suggests that structured, competency based interviews can be one of the most reliable and accurate forms of assessment. Competency based interview questions have been used for selection, but have not always been labelled as such. This style of interviewing is usually only one part of the interview process and often a more informal interview is held separately to discuss the CV in a chronological interview.
It is an interview in which each candidate is asked the same broad questions which are designed to obtain information about the match between the candidate’s competencies and those required for the job. These questions concentrate on the most important parts of a candidate’s past experience. This enables the interviewer to draw from each candidate his or her ability to demonstrate successful performance in the job.
