How to face a competency-based interview: 4 keys to get the job.

Tools to successfully pass the toughest job interviews.

The competency-based interview (or behavioral interview) is a type of interview used by recruitment experts because it provides more advantages and is more effective in predicting job performance than the traditional interview.

A good interview will determine if you are a good fit for the position you are applying for.. Therefore, if we want to get the best out of ourselves in front of the interviewer, it is important to know how the behavioral interview works.

Competency-based interviewing: everything you need to know

During a competency-based interview, the recruiter will focus on obtaining behavioral examples from the applicant's personal, academic and professional life to determine whether the interviewee is the right person for the position.

The recruitment expert, having previously known the needs of both the position and the needs of both the position and the organizationThe recruitment expert, after previously knowing the needs of both the position and the organization, will observe whether the motivation, knowledge, skills or values of the interviewee match the needs of the company.

Analyzing the keys to overcome it and get the job.

Unlike the traditional interview, which focuses on superficial aspects such as knowledge, experience or educational level, the competency interview assesses other skills necessary for the position and the specific organization, such as: the way of relating to colleagues, the desire to work in the company, leadership skills, etc. The competency-based interview, therefore therefore, inquires into deeper aspects that better predict that better predict the candidate's future performance.

The concept of competency

The concept of competency arises from the need to assess not only the set of knowledge, skills and abilities that a person may possess, but to appreciate his or her ability to use them to respond to specific situations and solve problems that may arise in the workplace. In addition, it refers to the individual's conditions and behaviors, and takes into account the attitudinal and valuational component that is present in his or her actions.

The concept of competence is multidimensional and includes four distinct components:

• Knowing how to beis the personal dimension, the attitudes and values that guide behavior.
• Knowingis the technical dimension, and refers to the academic data, or knowledge that the person possesses.
• Knowing how to dois the methodological dimension, the ability to apply knowledge. These are abilities, skills, methods of action, etc.
• Knowing how to beis the participatory dimension. It refers to skills related to interpersonal communication and cooperative work.

The groundwork for a competency-based interview

When interviewers ask competency-based questions, they are looking for answers that demonstrate that a person has the ability to will respond successfully to the challenges of the to the challenges of the job, that you will fit in with the work group, and that you will effectively use your skills and experience in daily tasks. Therefore, depending on the job, the interviewer's questions may be directly related to the specific job tasks, your interpersonal skills, or how motivated you are for the job.

For example, the questions will be different for a factory worker than for a receptionist. Each of these positions requires different skillsspecific competencies. Moreover, in the case of a receptionist, working in a five-star hotel is not the same as working in a three-star hotel. The clientele of one or the other hotel, will lead to the candidates possessing certain attitudes or others.

In order to be able to correctly define the necessary competencies, there must be a previous work by the human resources department or the recruiter, in which knowledge of the position (tasks, work schedules, etc.) and of the aspects of the organization that will influence the job (e.g. work climate, company values, etc.) is obtained. All this information will be translated into clear language, i.e., the behaviors and skills required will be well defined. This will allow the interviewer to know exactly the specific needs of the position, and will facilitate his predictive capacity in the selection process, i.e., it will allow him to know if the worker fits both the job and the company.

How to prepare for a competency interview?

An interview is essentially a casting, therefore, you must be well prepared to avoid falling into "The 10 most common mistakes made in a job interview".

To show the best image of yourself, we are going to give you some tips and advice that can be very useful in order to overcome the filter imposed by the human resources imposed by the human resources departments of companies.

1. Know yourself

Knowing yourself is essential for a good interview. Write down your strengths and weaknesses, and think about what you can bring to the company if you are selected.

2. Research the position

You should research the position being offered so you know what skills are needed for the job. In addition, you can re-read the job description to learn about the duties and requirements of the company.

3. Look for information about the organization

Find out about the values promoted by the organization, its culture, the area in which you will work, etc. You can surely find important information by looking at their website.

4. Prepare the questions

If you have followed the steps above, you may have an idea of the most important competencies for the position you are applying for. Now you can prepare well for possible questions that you think may come up during the interview. Think of examples from your experience that demonstrate that you have these competencies, and prepare anecdotes and examples. Above all, explain what you did in the situation you are going to explain. You don't need to learn exactly what you are going to say, but you can have an idea of what you are going to be asked. This way you will be more confident and answer the questions more fluently.

If you're not used to attending competency-based interviews, the model STAR MODEL (Situation, Task, Action, Result) model can be useful for you to structure your answers well. Once you have the competency, think about the situation, task, action and result of what you are going to explain. This way you will be able to construct your answers better and you won't forget any information.

Bonus: Frequently asked questions in a competency-based interview

Finally, here are some questions with their respective competencies:

• Customer orientationTell me about a situation in which you felt you were able to successfully meet a customer's needs. How did you act in this situation?

• Problem solvingTell me about a problem you encountered in your previous job. What solution did you take? Why?

• Stress ResilienceWhen do you consider that you have been in a really stressful situation? How did you react?

If you need to know more about frequently asked interview questionsbe sure to read:

"The 10 most common questions in a job interview (and how to deal with them)".