Chapter 1
What Are Competency-Based Interviews?
Competency-based interviews, also known as behavioral-style interviews, offer you an opportunity to demonstrate the skills, proficiencies, and abilities you have developed in the course of your career. By answering interview questions that focus on your actions in particular workplace situations, you allow interviewers to compare your experience to the requirements of their open positions. This works to your advantage since the likelihood increases that their hiring decisions will be based on your know-how rather than on the interviewer’s personal impressions.
Competency-Based vs. Traditional Interview Questions
Traditional interview questions are broad, allowing the candidate to select an example of a work situation that fits the question asked. These traditional types of interview questions are easy to detect because each typically begins with: “How would …,” “How can …,” “What would …,” “What experience …,” “What qualifications …,” “Can you describe …,” “Have you been …”.
For example, the traditional question, “How would you describe yourself?” opens the door for you to answer in very general terms. You can choose to provide a short response, such as “I describe myself as hardworking.” Or you can go into detail by saying, “Since my employment with ABC Company, I have never missed a day of work. I take pride in providing customers with a top-notch experience.” You also could choose to mention your skills in problem resolution, negotiations, or account management. As you can see, with traditional interview questions, your options as a candidate are unlimited, giving you full control over how you answer each question.
On the other hand, competency-based interview questions are specific. They require you to provide examples in response to questions that are essential for the company and the position for which you are interviewing. An example of a competency-based interview question is: “Describe a time you kept your cool when in a stressful situation.” In this case, there is no flexibility for you. The interviewer has laid out exactly what he wants to know. Because of this specificity, competency-based questions are more difficult to answer and they require more thoughtful responses.
Competency-style interview questions begin with phrases such as the following: “Tell me about a time when you…,” “Give an example of a situation when…,” “Describe an occasion …,” “Describe a time …,” “Recall a time …”. They may also involve a follow-up question, asking for elaboration of your cited incident; for example, “Describe a time when there was a fundamental change in the way things were done in your workplace. What was your response to the situation?” Interviewers choose this line of questioning to ensure that they receive a well-rounded response from you.
In addition, interviewers may set up a competency-based question with an introductory statement. For example: “There are times when a firm decision must be made quickly, and there are other times when it is prudent to consider all angles before making a decision. Give an example of a situation when you took your time in making a final decision.” Beginning a question with a scenario or an affirmation is a conversation tool that interviewers use to ease your anxiety and get you to open up. And that “opening up” allows you to present yourself as an asset to the company.
Proficiencies That Competency-Based Questions Measure
There are five core competencies that are measured during interviews that include these questions. The competencies are transferable from profession to profession and industry to industry and call for particular traits. They include the following:
Competency #1. Individual Responsibility
Decisiveness
Independence
Flexibility
Career goals
Competency #2. Managerial/Leadership Skills
Leadership
Employee motivation
Ability to delegate
Strategic planning
Competency #3. Personal Motivation
Ambition
Initiative
Competency #4. Analytical Skills
Problem solving
Attention to detail
Competency #5. People Skills
Communications skills
Teamwork ability
Customer service awareness
In addition to these core competencies, interviewers seek industry-specific competencies, as noted on the next page. Lastly, you can find additional competencies in current or previous job descriptions, classified ads, performance reviews, and written correspondences. In Chapter 2 you will find examples of each.
Industry-Specific Competencies
To assist you in identifying key words that regularly appear on résumés, in job descriptions, and in interviews, review the following compilation of competencies for a broad range of industries and professions. Choose your profession, or one that is closely related to it, and become acquainted with the competencies that an interviewer may focus on when you seek employment.
Accounting and Finance
accounts payable
accounts receivable
audit controls
bookkeeping
capital budgets
conduct variance analysis
cost-benefit analysis
development of financial models
due diligence
expense analysis
financial audit preparation
financial planning and reporting
financial statement review and research
forecast consolidation
general ledger accounts
liability management
management of due diligence
management of suspense control
month-end reconciliation
preparation of balanced scorecards
preparation of financial presentations
private equity transactions
pro forma business reporting
quickbooks management
Banking
audit controls and reports asset management
branch operations
credit analysis and/or administration
discrepancy resolution
equity financing
equity research analysis
investment management
investment planning and management
loan administration
loan processing
loan underwriting
portfolio management
quality assurance and control documentation
record accuracy verification
regulatory compliance
return-on-equity (ROE)
risk management
secured lending
statistical reporting
Construction
blueprint reading, budgeting, and pro-forma
client relationships and negotiations
code and safety regulations enforcement
contract administration
cost reduction and avoidance
critical path methods (CPMs)
employee performance management
ground-up projects
job scheduling
key program coordination and management
land acquisition
mentoring and guidance
OSHA compliance
preventive maintenance
problem identification and resolution
project estimating and bidding
project life cycle
project planning and scheduling
project specifications
quality control and assurance
risk assessment
statements of work and modifications
structural engineering drawings
team building
turnaround and change leadership
work breakdown structures (WBS)
Customer Service
account analysis and retention
account management
claims processing
client relations
collection of delinquent accounts
complaint resolution
customer compliant handling
customer contact
customer liaison
customer needs assessment
customer retention
customer satisfaction
customer service delivery
data collection and survey
data entry
deliverance of world-class service
e-mail customer support
ensurance of integrity of data
entering orders and change requests or returns and credits
execution of follow-up processes
maintenance of order accuracy
management of billing discrepancies
online chat communication
order fulfillment
order-to-ship process
persuasive communication
problem resolution
procedure compliance
processing of transactions
proper documentation
purchase order transactions
quality assurance
resolution of customer needs
service negotiations
Education Administration
administrative and board relations
assessment and modification
budget analysis and administration
community involvement and leadership
community resourcing
continuous improvement
crisis intervention
curriculum development
departmental leadership
fiscal management
fund-raising
grant writing
management of school budget
organization and management
performance evaluation
school advocate
school improvement initiatives
special program implementation
staff and community relations
staff training
student enrollment
student support and management
supervision of library services
system implementation
teacher support and management
team development
Health Care
case management
clinical operations
confidential record keeping
continuance of care
crisis intervention
critical care services
departmental cost review and reduction/avoidance
evaluation and changes
head steering committee
health-care process integration and redesign
HIPAA administration
holistic patient care
inpatient/outpatient care
JCAHO and OPPE regulatory compliance management
leadership of interdisciplinary teams
managed care
medication disbursement
occupational health
operational analysis
patient advocacy
patient assessment
patient education
patient relations
patient service delivery and optimization
physician relations
quality improvement programs and solutions
regulatory compliance
spearheading ad hoc groups
Hospitality
amenities management
back-of-the-house operations
banquet operations
casino promotion and events
concierge service
conference management
cost and labor control
daily operations management
fiscal management
food and beverage operations
food cost controls
front-of-the-house operations
inventory control
maintenance of profitable operations
maintenance of sanitation and cleanliness standards
meeting facilities management
menu planning and pricing
occupancy management
provision of safe/quality food
purchasing
rate negotiations
reception / reservations
room service management
spa and recreation
special project execution
up-sell rooms and value added services
vendor relationships and sourcing
venues and dining/tourist information
VIP guest relations
yield management
Human Resources
administrative processes
advocate of employee interests
annual hour operational plan
applicant tracking and reporting
benefits administration
compensation administration
continuous quality improvement
cultural sensitivity training
development of workforce requirements
DOT compliant
EEO compliance and reporting
employee assistance program (EAP)
employee training/mentoring/evaluation
executive liaison affairs
FMLA management
hour-performance metrics
initial organization assessment
interview screening and hiring
labor and employment laws
maintenance of confidential employee files
multicultural experience
new-hire orientation
new program orientation
recruitment and selection process
payroll management
performance appraisals
policy and procedure design/implementation
pre-employment assessments
statistics reporting
team building and development
wellness programs
Information Technology
applications development
architecture development
artificial intelligence
assistance configuration
business process optimization
client/server architecture
content development
data acquisitions system
database administration
desktop support
disaster recovery
end-user support
equipment routing
hardware configuration
help desk
industrial automation
inventory control
local area network (LAN)
multiuser interface
network connectivity management
network designer
network planning and optimization
new and emerging technologies
new systems development
performance enhancement
requirements specifications/analysis
server integration
system acquisition
systems administration
systems integration/migration, testing, and troubleshooting
user training and support
virtual private network integration
wide area network (WAN)
Law
alternative disputation resolution
arbitrations management
bankruptcy
business process reengineering
civil and commercial litigation
client requirements assessment and evaluation
court forms preparation
courtroom trial preparation
depositions
discovery
draft and review contracts
due diligence
electronic data discovery solutions
estate administration/planning
ethics board member
exhibition hearing preparation
family law
insurance defense
interdepartmental coordination
judicial affairs
large-scale document review and production
legal advocacy
legal research
legal tasks coordination mediation
litigation discovery process
litigation management
medical and employment records summation
medical malpractice
memoranda communication
multi-sector/industry background
personal injury
RFP responses
senior management relations
senior-level client service delivery
settlement negotiations
solution and methodology formation/delivery
workers compensation
Management and Executive Positions
budget administration
business process engineering
competitive market positioning
continuous process improvement
fiscal management
full-cycle product management
go-to-market launch
margin improvement
market and trend analysis
operations management
policy development
profit and loss management
quality assurance
regulatory compliance
shareholder relationship
Six Sigma lean operations
start-up operations
training and development
turnaround management
Manufacturing and Operations Management
best-in-class operations
budget forecast
change management
continuous-improvement processes
contract interpretation and execution
cost avoidance
cost containment
cycle-time reduction
environmental training
fleet maintenance and optimization
implementation of process-improvement methodologies
inventory control
just-in-time (JIT) inventory management
lean manufacturing practices
logistics operations
maintenance of service machine smart data
on-time delivery management
performance matrix implementation
policy development
pre-shipment inspection
procurement productivity improvement
production processes and controls
project management
quality and performance improvement
regulatory compliance
route productivity management
safety processes and training
scheduling of management
supply-chain management
systems integration testing
union negotiations
warehouse operations processes
Marketing
B2B marketing strategy development
B2C marketing strategy development
brand building and development
competitive market positioning
competitive product positioning
copywriting and taglines
creative direction and leadership
customer and marketing dynamics
direct and channel marketing
competitive market analysis
e-commerce strategy and development
event planning and execution
interactive media
marketing campaign launch
marketing collateral development
online branding strategy
product naming
public relations and advertising
trade show execution
Office Administration
access database management
administrative processes
appointment scheduling
back-end operations
confidential correspondence
data entry functions
executive liaison
file/records management
front-end operations
lean administrative processes
management support
office management
policy and procedure management
PowerPoint presentations
process improvement
project management
records management
regulatory reporting
report documentation
travel and meetings scheduling, planning, and coordination
vendor communications
workflow management
Project Management
anti-discrimination laws
budget administration
code and safety compliance
contract negotiations
cradle-to-grave management
determining deliverables
idea generation
lease signing
plan execution and monitoring
procedure development
productivity improvement
project closure
project concepts
project development
project life cycle
project management
project prioritizing
report generation
resident screening
risk management
schedule management
stakeholder management
tenant dispute mediation
tenant relations
Public Relations
brand management
budget management
collateral development
community relations
concept development
corporate sponsorships attainment
grassroots campaigning
internal and external communication
logistic management
media liaison
media placement
press release development
special events coordination
strategic communications plan
tradeshow implementation
vendor selection
Purchasing and Logistics
accredited purchasing practitioner (APP)
bid review
capital acquisitions
certified purchasing manager (CPM)
commodities purchasing
component analysis
contract change order
contract negotiations
cradle-to-grave procurement
fleet cost reduction
identification of high-margin opportunities
just-in-time purchasing
logistics management
monitoring departmental expenditures
multisite operations
order expediting
order and requisitions placement
procurement
regulatory compliance
requests for proposal
requests for quotation
securing written quotations
specifications compliance
subcontractor negotiations
supplier quality
vendor selection
warehousing and distribution
Retail Management
credit operations
customer management
distribution management
employee training and development
incentive structures
in-store promotions
inventory control
key performance indicators
loss prevention
merchandising
multisite operations
performance management shrinkage
stock management
store operations management
succession planning
talent selection
Sales
account and customer retention
account management
B2B and B2C consultative sales
brand positioning and management
business development
client needs assessment
competitive market positioning
consultative sales
contract negotiations
customer service delivery
effective prospecting techniques
market expansion
multichannel distribution
national account management
network cultivation
new business development
portfolio management product positioning
public speaking and formal presentations
relationship building
return on investment
sales cycle management
sales forecasting
solutions selling
strategic alliances
strong closing performance
territory management
value added sales
vendor selection and relations
win-win negotiations
Social Work and/or Therapy
at-risk patient assessment
behavior modification planning
case management
client advocacy
community outreach
crisis intervention
discharge and placement planning
facilitating group support meetings
foster care knowledge
group therapy
intake assessment
interdisciplinary team membership
mental and psychosocial assessment
patient needs identification
progress notes documentation
regulatory compliance
provision of resources
psychosocial assessment
short-term psychotherapy
supportive counseling
Teaching
assessment tools
cognitive strategies
cooperative learning
creating life-long learners
creative lesson planning
curriculum development and delivery
early childhood intervention
guided reading
incorporation of “real-life” lessons
individualized education plans
interactive learning
interdisciplinary reading
literacy balanced approach
mathematics enrichment program
multisensory lessons
parent-teacher conferences
reading strategies
role playing
rubrics
student motivation
student-centered teaching
team teaching method
technology integration
textbook review
thematic units
unit plan development
writer’s workshop
Determine your specific competencies, based on your prior work experience, and fit them to the five core competencies listed above. You will then be prepared to give the right kinds of answers to the competency-based questions you’ll be asked in your next job interview. The better prepared you are to answer these questions, the more confident you’ll be during the interview—with more likely successful results.