Thursday, April 12, 2007

Competency Skills


Competency based interviewing is a style of interviewing used to enable a candidate to demonstrate certain behaviors/skills in a working setting. The basis of this being that past behavior can be a good indicator of future behavior. A competency is now something that can be measured.

You will be asked to provide an example of a task or situation in which you have demonstrated a 
certain behavior or attribute. You will then be asked probing questions to establish what actions you took and the results of those actions, and the effects of those actions on other people.

You should remember that the language that you use in answering these questions is crucial. You 
should use language such as “I” did this or “I” did that rather than using the word “we”. The potential employer is interested and concerned with what you did not what the team did.

For example, for a Business Analyst an organization may be looking for competencies such as analytical skills, business understanding, and communication skills both written and verbal.

The best approach to adopt when answering competency style questions is called the STAR model. This will enable you to structure your answer in a clear, logical and concise fashion.

Situation – Describe the situation you were faced with (ideally a recent example)

Task - What did you have to do?

Action – What were the actions that you took and why?

Results – Outline the outcome.

Preparing for a competency-based interview.

First of all, know your CV.

You must know exactly what is written on your CV; after all it’s about you. Forgetting what you did in a certain job or when you were there is simply unforgivable! It will also create a very bad impression.
You should then review the job description to try to identify what competencies the organization is looking for.
You should think of concrete, tangible examples to demonstrate the behaviors / attribute that they 
are looking for.

It is always a good idea to practice answering competency-based questions with a friend.

Example Questions:

What were the most recent important decisions that you have had to make?
Tell me about a difficult decision you have made?
Tell me when you have had to make an unpopular decision?

Some comments as to the reason the questions are asked, and the responses expected.

1. "Tell me about yourself."
The interviewer is really saying, "I want to hear you talk."
This is a loosener but it is a common question so your response can stay the same. Write a script and rehearse it so it sounds impromptu. Spend a maximum of 4 minutes describing your qualifications, career history and your range of skills, emphasizing those skills relevant to the job on offer.

2. “What have been your achievements to date?"
The interviewer is asking, "Are you an achiever?"
Again, this is a common question, so be prepared. Select an achievement that is work-related and 
fairly recent. Identify the skills you used, the resulting achievement and quantify the benefit. 
For example: "My greatest achievement has been to design and implement a new sales ledger computer system -bring it in ahead of time and improve our debtors' position significantly, saving the company £50,000 per month in interest."

3. "What is your greatest weakness?" The interviewer is really asking about your self-perception and level of self-awareness.
This is another standard question for which you can be well prepared. Don't say you have none - this will guarantee that you have further problems. You have two options: use a professed weakness such as a lack of experience (not a lack of ability) in an area that is not vital for the job; or describe a personal or professional weakness, that could also be considered a strength, and the steps you have taken to combat it. 
An example would be: "I know my team think I'm too demanding at times - I tend to drive them pretty hard but I'm getting much better at using the carrot and not the stick." Do not select a personal weakness! 
such as: "I'm not a morning person - I'm much better as the day goes on."


I wish You Great Success.

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