Introduction

Competency-based interviews are becoming increasingly popular among employers as a means to assess a candidate's suitability for a role. These interviews focus on evaluating a candidate's past behavior and experiences to predict their future performance. In this blog post, we will explore 12 common competency-based interview questions and provide tips on how to effectively answer them.

Can you give an example of a time when you had to adapt to a new situation?

This question assesses your ability to adapt to change and handle unexpected situations. When answering, give a specific example of a time when you had to adapt to a new situation and explain how you handled it.

Can you give an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision?

This question assesses your decision-making abilities. When answering, give a specific example of a difficult decision you had to make and explain the thought process you used to make the decision.

Can you give an example of a time when you had to work under pressure?

This question assesses your ability to handle pressure and meet deadlines. When answering, give a specific example of a time when you had to work under pressure and explain how you managed to meet the deadline despite the pressure.

Can you give an example of a time when you had to work in a team?

This question assesses your ability to work well with others. When answering, give a specific example of a time when you had to work in a team and explain your role within the team and how you contributed to its success.

Can you give an example of a time when you had to solve a complex problem?

This question assesses your problem-solving abilities. When answering, give a specific example of a complex problem you had to solve and explain the steps you took to solve it.

Can you give an example of a time when you had to lead a project?

This question assesses your leadership abilities. When answering, give a specific example of a project you had to lead and explain your role in the project and how you motivated and managed the team.

Can you give an example of a time when you had to handle a challenging customer?

This question assesses your customer service skills. When answering, give a specific example of a time when you had to handle a challenging customer and explain the steps you took to resolve the issue.

Can you give an example of a time when you had to work on multiple tasks at once?

This question assesses your time management and multitasking abilities. When answering, give a specific example of a time when you had to work on multiple tasks at once and explain how you managed to prioritize and complete them.

Can you give an example of a time when you had to take the initiative?

This question assesses your initiative and proactivity. When answering, give a specific example of a time when you had to take the initiative and explain the steps you took to initiate the task and the results you achieved.

Can you give an example of a time when you had to learn a new skill?

This question assesses your willingness to learn and adapt. When answering, give a specific example of a new skill you had to learn and explain the steps you took to acquire the skill and how you applied it in your work.

Can you give an example of a time when you had to provide feedback?

This question assesses your ability to provide constructive feedback. When answering, give a specific example of a time when you had to provide feedback and explain the steps you took to deliver the feedback in a constructive and effective manner.

Can you give an example of a time when you had to work with a difficult colleague?

This question assesses your ability to work well with others, even in challenging situations. When answering, give a specific example of a time when you had to work with a difficult colleague and explain the steps you took to maintain a positive working relationship and resolve any conflicts.

Conclusion

Competency-based interviews can be challenging, but by preparing beforehand and giving specific examples to support your answers, you can demonstrate your qualifications and skills to the interviewer. Remember to focus on your past behavior and experiences, and how they align with the requirements of the role. Overall, it's important to be honest and authentic in your responses, and to showcase your ability to work well under pressure, adapt to new situations, and lead and work as part of a team. Good luck with your interview!

How Hume Can Help

Hume is an innovative interview intelligence platform that can assist hiring teams in conducting effective and efficient competency-based interviews. With Hume, you can easily record, transcribe, and summarize interviews, providing you with a wealth of objective data that can be used to evaluate candidates.

One of the key benefits of using Hume is that it allows you to analyze and compare candidate responses more efficiently. This enables you to quickly identify the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate, and make more informed hiring decisions. Additionally, Hume’s transcription and summary feature can help to ensure that important details of the interview aren’t missed, and to be shared with team members who couldn’t attend the interview.

Hume also offers a training function that can help interviewers to improve their performance and conduct better interviews. This feature allows interviewers to review their own interviews, and receive feedback on their questioning techniques, allowing them to improve their skills over time.

In conclusion, Hume can greatly assist hiring teams in conducting effective and efficient competency-based interviews. It offers a wealth of objective data that can be used to evaluate candidates, and a training function that can help interviewers to improve their performance. This can help teams to make more informed hiring decisions and improve their interview process.