From calming your nerves to using the STAR technique, this guide will talk you through everything you need to know about nailing competency-based interview questions.
You have done it! The interview is in the bag. Well done. Just one more step to go – the interview itself. Although it’s undeniable that interviews can be stressful, if you do your homework there’s every chance you’ll land the job. That is why we have asked top interview experts to help you prepare for one of the many interview styles employers use – the competency interview. Competencies are the skills, behaviours and knowledge you will bring into the role. Employers will use open questions to discover real-life scenarios where you can demonstrate you used your competencies to the best effect. In this competency-based interview questions guide, our experts explain what a competency-based interview question is and provide competency questions examples to help you prepare stories in advance.
What is a competency-based interview?
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) defines competencies as “the behaviours employees must input into a situation in order to achieve high levels of performance”.
“Competency-based questions are designed to let you talk; they are open and they invite a response that tells the employer about a real-life challenge that you’ve faced,” explains James Shaikh, an experienced hire recruitment manager at EY (Ernst & Young). Essentially, competency questions help employers understand how you’ve previously dealt with particular situations, tasks or people, explains HR and resourcing specialist Lydia Fairman. She says: “Past behaviour is the best indicator of future performance. Your potential employer hopes to learn more about your background and experience relevant to the competencies being assessed.” There are various different types of competencies you could be asked about, including technical skills, behaviours and knowledge.
Competency questions focus on finding specific skills that are important to that job, says Katherine Burik, founder of The Interview Doctor. “If employers are asking these questions, you can be sure the question is related to the job, the boss, or the company in some way.” Sometimes a scenario based interview question may be asked in several parts, for example an interview may ask: “How are your communication skills?”. They could on to say: “Great, can you give me an example of how you’ve used verbal communications to change someone’s mind?” To be prepared, it’s key to memorise some competency examples that you can adapt based on the question asked. We’ll explain exactly how to do so in the latter parts of this guide.
Pros of competency-based interviews
Employers often use a set script for competency-based interviews. This is paired with a score-based system for assessing candidates. That means all candidates are asked the same questions. That typically results in a fairer interview process where every candidate receives equal opportunity to shine.
Competency questions require candidates to recall their personal experiences. Some people find them easier to answer than common standard questions that require research into things the candidate has little or no knowledge of.
When interviewing candidates, employers are mostly looking for two things: someone who can excel at doing the job, and someone who can work well with existing employees. By their nature, competency interview questions give candidates every chance to show they have all the experience and capabilities necessary to do the job well.
Cons of competency-based interviews
Some candidates spend so much time preparing polished answers, they unintentionally give the impression they have a robotic personality. According to James Shaikh, recruitment manager at EY, some candidates struggle with the open-ended nature of the questions, and end up giving “poorly constructed or unclear answers”.
They’re the most challenging types of questions says Eve Lindström, an HR advisor for Joshua James Jewellery. “We find a lot of interviewees freeze when put on the spot.” If an interview focuses exclusively on competencies, a candidate might not get the opportunity to convey their emotions or motivations says John Lees, author of Knockout Interview.
How to tell you’re being asked a competency-based interview question?
If the employer doesn’t mention that they are about to ask you competency questions, you can usually pick them out by the way the question is phrased. Competency questions typically lead you towards describing a situation and task. For example, an employer may start the question by saying:
Tell me about a time when …
Give an example of when …
Describe a time when …
Have you ever been in a situation where …
Competency-based interview questions always require an example of something you’ve done in the past. In contrast, standard interview questions such as ‘What are you strengths and weaknesses?’, do not explicitly call for examples, although it’s always great to provide one.
How to answer competency-based questions?
When preparing for a competency-based interview, we advise following these four steps.
Find out what competencies the employer’s looking for.
Identify competency question examples.
Develop a story for each competency.
At interview, pick the right story for the right question.
Kim Whitfield, head of resourcing for M&S, summarises those four steps: “My best advice is to ensure you’re really well prepared – scrutinise the job description, and make a list of the criteria the employer is likely to focus on. Ensure you have your best answers to hand by matching the employer’s wish list against examples of where you’ve demonstrated the skills in your life so far.”
1. Find out what competencies the employer’s looking for
“Competencies are the knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviours that are necessary to be successful in a given job,” explains Katherine Burik, founder of The Interview Doctor. “Each job is a little different. But a candidate can anticipate what questions they are likely to be asked if they’re familiar with the job they’re applying for.” The first step is to figure out which competencies the employer’s looking for, Burik adds.
Start with the job ad. Read the role description. Look for the keywords that signal the competencies sought by the employer. You may have to decode the jargon, but most bullet points in the ad will equate to a competency. Next, search online for articles that describe the role. Search for the job title following by ‘job description’, for example ‘project manager job description’. These articles typically spell-out the required skills and competencies. Following that, do some research on the employer and see if there are any areas of expertise they’re lacking.
As a final step, ask the recruiter who arranged the interview if they’re willing to provide additional information on the employer’s requirements. “Most companies will use a competency framework, which will include a mixture of technical and behavioural skills. It would be a good idea as part of your preparation to see if your recruiter has a set of competencies for this role, as part of your research”, says Stefan Larsen, senior HR business partner.
If the job ad and job descriptions talk about a mix of skills, knowledge and attitudes – prepare competency-based answers for all three areas, says John Lees, author of Knockout Interview. “Where the job is defined in terms of activities, targets or outcomes – work back from those to establish what kind of behaviours will be needed to achieve them.” This the best approach for creating a comprehensive list of competency-based interview questions you are likely to be asked.
2. Identify competency question examples
For each competency you know the employer is looking for, find an example from your work or education history that demonstrates you possess it. Essentially, you need to prepare competency question examples that are positive, show off your past successes and, most of all, spell out how you’ve brought value to your previous employers. This is one of hardest tasks you will ever face over the course of your working life. Many candidates do not do this well. You will be at a huge advantage if you make the effort to think critically about your past. We recommend setting aside a morning, finding a quiet place at home, a cafe or the library and listing your work and education achievements with a pen and paper or on your laptop, tablet or phone. We say morning, because most people are able to think more clearly earlier in the day.
If you struggle to think of stories from your past experience, speak with friends and family and ask them when they have seen you behave with that particular skill. Look over your CV or LinkedIn profile to jog your memory about previous roles or experiences. Pinpoint when you achieved good results. Do not be afraid to look beyond your work history for examples, says Eve Lindström, HR Advisor for Joshua James Jewellery. “Use a wide variety of examples ranging from your experiences and achievements at work to success in a hobby or personal life. This will not only show [the employer] your professional accomplishments, but also give them a good insight into who you are as a person outside the workplace.”
3. Develop a story for each competency
Lydia Fairman, HR and resourcing specialist, recommends structuring each example using the STAR technique. “The STAR technique stands for: Situation, Task, Action and Result. This means setting the scene (situation), describing what you wanted to achieve (task), communicating what you actually did (action), and then talking about the result – how was the situation resolved?”
Check out the STAR interview technique section for in-depth information. Once you’ve broken down your answer into these four sections, practise saying it out loud but do not over-rehearse. Your story needs to sound natural as you tell it.
Keep a positive tone throughout.
Don’t focus on negatives or criticise others.
Emphasise how you contributed to the successful outcome.
Your examples must be tailored to the competencies required for the role you are applying for. John Lees, author of Knockout Interview, says do not fall into the trap of talking about what you usually do. You will also need to make your stories concise. If you waffle, you will bore the employer.
4. At interview, pick the right story for the right question
Listen carefully to the employer’s words before you give your competency-based interview answers to ensure you’re addressing the correct competency. John Lees, author of Knockout Interview, warns: “The danger can be interviewees answering the question they think they are hearing, not the one that is actually being asked.”
Where necessary, adapt the focus of your story.
Use a different story for each question. Don’t repeat yourself.
Remember to give an example of when you’ve demonstrated this competency.
“You are now about to give them a story, enjoy it. Only you know what you have been up to. Tell it well, tell it positively,” says Nick Hewer, successful businessman and star of The Apprentice. If you are uncertain about how to answer, seek clarification before you begin, advises Lees. “At the end of a question, say you can go into more detail and volunteer more evidence to answer that question if you feel it is one of your weaker answers. There are no points for over-delivering on areas where you already scored well (and in fact this can count against you in terms of time), so pick which questions you want to back up further carefully.”
Each employer will see each question differently, says Alison Clay, careers advisor at the University of Sheffield. “What they are expecting will depend on the individual requirements of that role, as well as their own internal definitions of these terms.” Expect varying follow up questions from different interviews. Lees adds: “Never respond by saying ‘I have not done that before’. Think of something similar you have done and explain that. Be specific and give real life examples. General or theoretical approaches won’t score marks.”
STAR interview technique
“Competency examples require more than just information about what you did. It requires you to explain,” says Tom Laws, careers advisor for the National Careers Service. While there are many different approaches you can take to an interview question, the STAR interview technique is one most employers recommend. For STAR-based questions you split your answer into four sections. STAR stands for:
Situation: Describe the background or context.
Task: Describe the task or challenge you were faced with.
Action: Explain the action you took, and how and why you did it.
Result: Describe how it ended, what you accomplished and what you learned from the situation. Relate the skill or ability you’re illustrating back to the vacancy you’re applying for and explain why it’s useful.
“Using this technique is important because employers want to see that you can give evidence as to why you have certain strengths,” explains Laws. When practising your STAR interview answer, do not spend too long describing the situation or task – trim any details that are unnecessary.
“Some candidates get too bogged down in detail explaining these few stages, but the most important parts are action and results. The action part is key – the what did you do? End with a positive result that you gained. Don’t gloss over the result. Show how effective you were,” says Katie Casserly, careers advisor, University of Sheffield
Situation
This is all about setting the scene and describing the context of the story. Use one or two sentences to describe who you worked for at the time, what your role was, and any other relevant background information.
Task
In a short sentence, describe the problem or challenge you or your employer faced, and the goal you were working towards. Spell out to the employer why this task is relevant to the role you’re applying for.
Action
Focus on what you did to either resolve the situation or contribute to the success of the story. Describe who else you worked with during the process. Talk at length about the steps you took, any challenges you faced, and what specific skills you used. Again, spell out how those skills relate to the employer’s need.
Result
Finally, describe the outcome. This should always be positive. You should emphasise how your actions affected the outcome. Results are best evidenced by numbers. Don’t be shy about expressing how you delivered value for your employer. In some cases, it will be good to add an additional sentence or two to explain what you learned from the experience. This is yet another opportunity to spell out how your competencies match those sought by the employer.
Pros of the STAR technique
The STAR method is straightforward, easy-to-use, and will guarantee a well-structured answer. Stefan Larsen, senior HR business partner of totaljobs, says: “Of all the methodologies I have used and had guidance on, STAR is the best. It’s a great model as it ensures you do the work beforehand to prepare for it, so you get that part right and you get your point across. It has what recruiters will be looking for.” “If the structure is used well, it fits very well into what the employer is looking for,” adds Katie Casserly, careers advisor for the University of Sheffield.
Cons of the STAR technique
But there are some downsides to the STAR approach. “It is important that when you are communicating you do not sound too mechanical. You do not want to exclude your personality,” says Stefan Larsen, senior HR business partner. Katie Casserly, careers advisor, University of Sheffield, agrees: “If answers are over-practised they can sound robotic.”
STARR interview technique
“A more advanced form of STAR is STARR, where the last ‘R’ stands for Reflection”, says Alison Clay, careers advisor, University of Sheffield. With STARR, you end your answer by describing how you’d do things differently if you were faced with the same situation or task. It is also useful to describe how you developed your skills over the course of the experience.
STARE interview technique
“There is also STARE, where the ‘E’ stands for Evaluation. Here you would say how you would do things differently if you were doing it again,” says Alison Clay, careers advisor, University of Sheffield.
How are competency questions scored?
Many employers judge the quality of a candidate’s competency interview answers using a scorecard. All employers will handle scoring differently. It depends on their own procedures, explains Alison Clay, careers advisor, University of Sheffield. “Some will mark out of 5, some out of 10. There will be marks available for different elements (competencies) that make up the job.” Each interviewer will have their own scorecard. After the interview, interviewers will compare scorecards. Typically, you’ll be judged on positive or negative indicators, which we describe below.
Positive indicators
To score highly, you’ll need to show the following:
You deal with problems positively.
You can compromise.
You have a willingness to learn.
You’re aware of your own limitations.
You need to show a willingness to accept help and grow from your experiences.
You can handle pressure.
Negative indicators
On the flip side, you should avoid giving the impression that you:
See challenges as problems.
Try to solve problems alone, and fail.
Crack under pressure.
Are negative about solutions suggested by others.
Scoring indicators
There are various points employers will consider when carrying out competency-based interview scoring:
Do you have demonstrable experience of the required competency or skill?
Are your examples relevant?
Have you articulated your role and your action, and your contribution to outcomes?
Top 10 competency interview tips
Listen to the question carefully. Make sure you understand clearly which competency you’re being asked about. “Do not be afraid to take a moment to think,” says Lianne Pearce, a senior selection officer for Teach First. “Employers do not expect immediate answers. They would rather you take a second and really consider which experience you wish to draw on.”
Use the STAR technique to structure your answer: describe the situation, task, action and result. Get to know your professional-self better. Seek feedback from trusted colleagues on your best skills and attitudes. Pre-prepare short stories for the top 10 common competency-based questions. Give concrete examples of what you’ve done. Describe results you’ve achieved, preferably with numbers.
Don’t use jargon.
Don’t rehearse to the point where you sound robotic.
And don’t forget to convey your personality. Part of a successful answer is coming across as confident and charismatic – so you need to avoid sounding stilted or too scripted.
Competency-based interview answers and tips
Having covered the basics, we will now talk you through some extra tips and advice on how to nail competency-based interview questions.
How can I make sure I tick all the boxes?
Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) technique whenever you can. “Typically, if you haven’t included everything as part of the main body of questions, there is always time at the end of the interview when the employer will ask for your questions,” adds Stefan Larsen, senior HR business partner, Totaljobs. “There is nothing wrong with looping back with the recruiter post-interview and providing that information in a bit more detail as well.”
What if I don’t have competency question examples? Part of a job interview is honesty. “If you haven’t got any experience that can relate to that particular question, then say how you would go about it,” says Stefan Larsen (senior HR business partner). For example, you could explain: ‘I have not got any particular experience to talk about that, but I have done my research and, should I be successful, this is how I would approach the situation.’ You will give employer the confidence that if you were put in a particular situation you would be able to use the skills necessary, adds Larsen.
Competency-based interview questions examples
Examples of competencies. Here are the top five common competencies used in the most common competency-based interview questions followed by an example:
Teamwork – “Tell me about a time you led or worked in a team.”
Problem solving – “Describe a situation where you solved a problem.”
Decision making – “Give an example of a time where you made a difficult decision.”
Leadership – “Describe a situation where you showed leadership.”
Responsibility – “Tell me about a time you took responsibility for a project.”
Examples of competency-based interview questions
Example 1 - Tell me about a time your communication skills improved a situation.
Think of some examples of communication skills. Then, use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) technique.
For example, you could say: “I was working in the engineering department of a large manufacturing company and we were running behind on timelines for a project. So, I arranged and led a conference call to explain the reasons for our delay to the client. It was a case of managing their expectations, which resulted in us over-delivering for the project. As a result, the client was much more understanding and decided to pursue another commercial opportunity with our company.”
Make sure you emphasise your leading and communication skills. When choosing an example, think about what will impress an employer, says Andrew Fennell, founder of StandoutCV. “Reciting a conversation with a colleague isn’t likely to excite the employer here – instead, try to show the results you achieved with your communications, such as driving awareness of a project, or encouraging signups for an event.”
Example 2 - Give an example of a time you identified a new approach to a workplace problem
First, explain the ways the existing approach was suboptimal.
Second, explain your proposed approach, and how you identified it.
Make sure you show examples of making effective decisions, and emphasise your problem solving skills.
Third, describe whether or not your proposed approach was adopted. If it was, briefly describe how it was implemented. If it wasn’t, describe the business reasons behind its rejection.
Here’s an example where you use the STAR technique: “In my last accountancy role, I noticed that the way we did our monthly purchase ledger was very long-winded and took too much of everyone’s time. Given that there was a long gap between transactions being logged, it also introduced financial errors. I decided to implement a new procedure, which made individual staff accountable for entering their own transactions, which they were asked to do once a week. This new process both reduced the amount of errors balancing the books, and freed up more time in the finance department, all within the first month.”
Example 3 - Describe a situation when you had to overcome a number of obstacles to achieve an objective
If an employer asks you this, they want to know if you possess the changing and improving competency. It’s about finding out how quickly you can identify the obstacles to reaching a goal.
You need to show how you use planning skills to achieve a better outcome – and demonstrate examples of you working under pressure.
For example, using the STAR technique, you could say: “While working as a project manager, I needed to submit a report by a certain deadline, otherwise we wouldn’t be eligible for new funding. However, some information from key stakeholders was delayed or missing completely, and the person who needed to sign off the report was off work. I created a shortlist, flagging areas which were missing information, and systematically went through my contacts for each department – flagging the urgency of the information and the implications of not receiving it in time. I also ran through the latest updates to the report over the phone with the person who needed to approve it to get sign-off. With my perseverance, I was just about able to submit the report on time, and not only did we receive the funding but the entire department was also thrilled.”
Example 4 - Give an example of a situation where you had to deal with a conflict
This question seeks to undercover if you’re able to deploy diplomacy and people skills in a difficult social situation.
You need to describe a difficult situation and how you handled it. This could include: managing a quality service or an example of when you’ve delivered excellent customer service.
As with all competency questions, it’s essential you describe results of your actions.
Here’s an example using the STAR technique. You could say: “I was working the reception desk in my current role when an irate client came in. He was frustrated that my boss couldn’t make an important meeting at the last minute. I listened to his concerns, got him a seat and a drink and set about trying to put some kind of resolution in place. Away from the reception desk, I found out that the managing director had been called away on an urgent personal matter. By speaking to colleagues, I was able to source a head of department who had been partially involved in the project to take the meeting in his place. The client was relieved, and personally thanked me after the meeting, as well as apologising for his heated words when he first arrived. The client is still with us today.”