Guidance tools competency based interviews

Guidance Tools - Competency Based Interviews Workbook

www.humanikaconsulting.com

Agenda

• Introduction

• some interview basics

• What is a competency?

• Why use competency or behavioral interview approach?

• Examples of core competencies

• Preparing for the competency interview

• Sample questions

• Q&A

My Expectation in CBI Workshop Program

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Program Overview

During this workshop you will learn why using competency behavioral based questions is best

practice. You will learn how to write and use such questions for interviewing applicants for job

positions within your agency. In addition, you will learn how to make certain that such interview

questions are legally acceptable to use during an interview. This is an experiential based training that

allows participants to practice incorporating the concepts and receive feedback.

What is the main objective of the interview process?

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What is the main objective of the interview process?

Right Person

Right Job FIT

What are the advantages of having the right person in the right job?

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What are the disadvantages of having the wrong person in the wrong job?

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But what does the “right” person look like? That is, what are the characteristics of a “best employee”? Describe It !

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Agenda

• Introduction

• some interview basics






• Q&A

Interview is...

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Interview Structure

Open the interview 5%

Close the Interview 15%

Gathering Data 70%

•Introduce yourself, establish rapport

•Let your interviewer tell you what the agenda for the discussion will be

•Listen to the interviewer, they will give you their expectations of the interview

•Behavioral Questions

•Technical Screen

•General CV Information confirmation

•Ask the questions you prepared

•Try to obtain more specific details about the job description

•Ask the interviewer what the next steps are and when you can expect to hear back from them

Body Language

• Defensive

– Cross arms or legs, gesture with arm, hand or finger

• Insecure

– Biting fingernails, thumb rubbing

• Nervous

– Sighs, ear tugging, sweating...

• Frustration

– Wringing hands, sharp exhales, rubbing back of neck..

• Suspicion

– Stroke the nose, rub the eyes, diagonal stance

• Openness

– Opened hands, unbuttoned jacket, uncrossed legs

• Reflectiveness

– Rubbing chin, touching cheek, pinching bridge of nose

It’s Not Just What You Say, It’s How You Say It…

Be Prepared

• A good interviewer will prepare prior to every interview with specific questions for each candidate…we expect the same from you!!! – What does my company do?

– Have you checked out our website?

– Do you know who our competitors are?

– Do you understand the job your applying for?

– Why did you apply to this position?

– Where do you see your career developing? This can make the difference between getting the job or not!

Agenda

• Introduction & some interview basics






• Q&A

What is a Competency?

• The word competency is widely used in business environments and refers to the skills that are necessary to achieve an effective performance level in the job. Every job will have a set of key competencies, some of which are essential and others desired and all are required to do the job properly.

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Values and Competencies

• Values:

o Shared principles and beliefs that underpin the Organization’s work and guide actions and behaviours of staff

• Competencies:

o Skills, attributes and behaviours directly related to successful job performance

Specific Behaviors

• Also known as characteristics, skills, values, attitudes, competencies, dimensions, success factors, requirements, etc.

• Behaviors often provides clues regarding corporate culture.

• Skill sets:

– Content skills—work-related knowledge

– Functional/Transferable—work with people, information, things

– Adaptive/Self-Management—personal characteristics

Top 10 Behaviors

• Achievement/Results Orientation

• Initiative

• Impact and Influence

• Customer Service Orientation

• Interpersonal Understanding

• Organizational Awareness

• Analytical Thinking

• Conceptual Thinking

• Information Seeking

• Integrity

• Source: Competency-Based Interviews, (2006), Robin

Kessler, p. 42.

From Job Desk to Competencies

Job Competencies

1.

2.

3.

From Competencies to Behaviors

Competencies 1 : _____________________

Competencies 2 : _____________________

Competencies 3 : _____________________

Behaviors Behaviors Behaviors

1. 1. 1.

2. 2. 2.

3. 3. 3.

Job : __________________________

• Introduction

• Some interview basics






• Q&A

Agenda

Why do they do it?

• Competency based interview questions are used in an effort to make the interview process as standard and as fair as possible. It is a technique which is being used increasingly in large organizations where many managers may be interviewing for the same type of position.

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Why competency-based interviews (CBI)?

• Competencies are forward-looking; they describe skills and attributes that staff and managers need to build human capital and meet future challenges

• Competencies help organizations clarify expectations and define future development needs

• CBI questions ask about past professional experiences that can demonstrate that the candidate is competent

• The theory is that if you can demonstrate that you have done it in the past or have learned from the past, chances are that you will be able to do it in the future

• When assessing the candidates responses, panels will ascertain the depth and complexity of the responses given by candidates

• CBI is sometimes referred to as behavioral or situational interviewing

What does it look like?

• In general a competency based interview is one in which the interviewer:

– Focuses on the behaviors and traits that are critical to success on the job and

– Focuses on how the candidate has demonstrated these skills in the past

• The foundation of this focus is the behavioral question. The behavioral question requires you, the candidate, to recall and describe a specific situation or event in which you demonstrated (or failed to demonstrate) a skill critical for success in the position for which you are applying.

Behavioral Questions

• A behavioral question is looking for information about:

– The details of a specific situation or event

– Your specific action or behavior and

– The outcome of the situation

• A behavioral question is not looking for:

– Your opinion

– What what you “think” you would do in a situation

– Your assessment of your own strenghts, weakness’ or performance

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Comparison of Questions

Traditional • Predictable

• Straight-forward answers

• General

Behavior-based • More pointed

(about a specific skill, knowledge or ability)

• More probing

• Situational – What would you do?

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Examples of Questions

Traditional • What are your strengths

and weaknesses?

• What problems did you face and how did you handle them?

• Describe a typical work week.

Behavior-based • Describe a decision you

made that was unpopular and how you implemented it.

• What do you do when your work is interrupted? Give an example of how you handle it.

• Tell me about a time you worked effectively under pressure.

So Why Use this Approach…

• Advantages of seeking past behavior –Reduces misunderstandings about a your past

experiences –Reduces your effort to “make a good impression” –Reduces emphasis on the “hypothetical” –Prevents personal impressions from affecting

evaluation –Provides actual examples of your knowledge, skills and

attributes –Promotes consistency in interviews and assures all key

areas for success are covered in the conversation Past Behavior is the Best Predictor of Future Behavior

Behavorial Questions

• A behavorial question is looking for information about:

– Situation or Task: details of a specific time or event

– Action: the actions you took

– Result: the outcome of the situation

• We call this the STAR response. Easy to remember; not so easy to do.

• A behavorial question is not looking for: – Your opinion

– What you “think” you would do in a situation

– Your assessment of your own strengths and weaknesses

STAR response – Why?

Organize your answer (STAR)

Situation / Task: Here is the problem/issue;

Action: Here are the steps I took;

Result: These were the results.

Get in and Get out

One story can show several skills!

Be ready with several stories demonstrating each

success factor. Think about your background, and

what you have on your CV.

Preparation for BI

Situation or Task Describe situation—be specific not

general. Provide enough detail for

the interviewer to understand.

Action You Took Describe action you took—

keep focus on you. Even if

discussing a team project, talk

about what you did.

Results You Achieved Describe what happened, how

the event ended, what you

accomplished, and what you

learned.

“STAR Interviewing Response Technique,” www.quintcareers.com

http://www.quintcareers.com/

Examples of Behavioral Based Interview Questions Guide

Problem Solving • Think back to the most recent complex decision that you had to make or

problem that you had to solve. Describe in detail the process you used to make the decision or solve the problem. What sources of information did you use? How much time did you have, and how much time did you take? What was the result?

• Part of coming up with a good decision or solution is gathering and analyzing information. Please share a recent decision you made or a problem you solved that required a high level of skill in this area. How did you determine what information you needed? Where or to whom did you go to get the information? Why did you select those specific sources?

• Please provide some examples of times when others asked you for your input when they were making a decision or solving a problem. What input did you provide? What were the results?

Excercice : Behavioral Based Interview Questions Guide

Competency 1 : ______________________________ • _______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Competency 2 : ______________________________ • _______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Competency 3 : ______________________________ • _______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Behavioral Based Interview Questions Guide

Competency Interview Questions

1.

2.

3.


1.

2.

3.


1.

2.

3.

STAR response – How?

• Be specific; use an actual Situation and not an imagined one.

• What was your Action? what did you do? how did you handle the situation or project? In describing your actions you should tell your interviewer:

– What (specifically and in detail) you did (not the team, but you)

– Who you spoke with, what you had to learn or manage

– How you arrived at a solution

• Make sure you focus on what you did. You should say the word “ I ” a lot.

• Describe the Result of the event. Although it is good to use a successful example, you can use failed examples as well – but make sure you demonstrate what you learned !

Acceptable vs. Unacceptable Competency and Behavioral Based Interview Questions

• Acceptable: The question is acceptable in the sense that it focuses upon job requirements.

• Unacceptable: The question is unacceptable in the sense that by asking this question you may open yourself and the organization to legal problems/concerns. The assumption is that if you ask the question you are going to use the information in the hiring decision.

Acceptable/Unacceptable Interview Questions Determine if the question is acceptable or unacceptable to ask during an interview by placing an “a” or “u” in the space next to the question.

• 1. Are you a U.S. citizen? ________ • 2. Are you able to work with our required schedule? _______ • 3. What is your native language? _________ • 4. Do you belong to a club or social organization? ________ • 5. What are your long-term career goals? ________ • 6. What religion do you practice? ________ • 7. How old are you? ________ • 8. How long have you lived here? ________ • 9. Are you available to work overtime on occasion? ________ • 10. Is this your maiden name? ________ • 11. Who is your closest relative to contact in case of an emergency? ________ • 12. If you get pregnant, will you continue to work, and will you come • back after maternity leave? ________ • 13. Have you ever been disciplined for your behavior at work? _____ • 14. Do you smoke or drink? _________ • 15. How tall are you? ________ • 16. How many sick days did you take last year? ________ • 17. Are you able to start work at 8:00 a.m.? _________ • 18. Have you ever been arrested? ________ • 19. Do you have any disabilities? ________ • 20. Are you a member of the National Guard or Reserves? _______

[Information and questions taken from, HRWorld at www.hrworld.com]

Answer Guide

• 1. Unacceptable. If you are attempting to determine if the applicant is legally able to work in the U.S., it is better to ask, “Are you authorized to work in the U.S.?”

• 2. Acceptable. Don’t ask about which religious holidays the applicant observes in order to determine if scheduling is an issue.

• 3. Unacceptable. An applicant may be sensitive to common assumptions about his/her language. If you wish to determine the applicant’s level of fluency in a language, it is better to ask, “What languages do you read, speak or write fluently?”

• 4. Unacceptable. This question is too revealing of the applicant’s political and religious affiliations and doesn’t relate to the job. Make sure the wording focuses on the job functions, “Are you a member of a professional or trade group that is relevant to our industry?”

• 5. Acceptable. Be careful not to ask questions that indicate you are trying to find out how much longer the applicant may plan to work before he/she retires.

• 6. Unacceptable. If you wish to find out about weekend work schedules, ask directly, “What days are you available to work?”

• 7. Unacceptable. You may ask if a candidate is legally old enough to work. “Are you over the age of 18?” is acceptable. There may be certain job classes that do have a legitimate age limitation, such as police officers, military, etc.

• 8. Unacceptable. If the job requires familiarity with the local culture, then ask about the applicant’s current situation, “What is your current address and phone number? Do you have an alternative location where you can be reached?”

• 9. Acceptable. In attempting to determine the applicant’s ability to travel or work overtime, avoid questions about family obligations or situations, such as “Do you plan to have children?”

• 10. Unacceptable. A woman’s marital status does not have to be shared with a potential employer. If such information is necessary for reference purposes, it is better to ask, “Have you worked or earned a degree under another name?”

• 11. Unacceptable. This question touches upon the applicant’s personal life. Better to ask, “In case of emergency, whom should we notify?”

• 12. Unacceptable. Of course you want an applicant that if hired plans to stick around with your organization for a lengthy time. But questions relating to a woman’s pregnancy plans are off-limits. Better to ask, “What are your long-term career goals?”

Answer Guide

Answer Guide • 13. Acceptable. However, be cautious of asking such questions as, “How do you feel about inter-

office dating?” because it may appear to make assumptions about an applicant’s marital status, or be seen as a “come-on.”

• 14. Unacceptable. Even though you may want to know if an applicant has a drinking problem or will miss work due to taking smoke breaks, or for insurance related concerns, it is better to ask, “In the past, have you been disciplined for violating company policies forbidding the use of alcohol or tobacco products?”

• 15. Unacceptable. This question is too personal. If the job requires an individual to do something that involves height, directly ask, “Are you able to reach items on a shelf that’s five feet tall?”

• 16. Unacceptable. This question gets too close to potential disability related issues. • 17. Acceptable. Being able to start work on time is important, but avoid asking questions about an

applicant’s location, such as, “How far is your commute?” • 18. Unacceptable. Ask only about crimes that HR determines relate directly to the essential job

responsibilities, “Have you ever been convicted of “x” (fraud, theft, etc.)?” • 19. Unacceptable. NEVER ask a question that touches upon a person’s visible disability, or a

“hidden” disability (mental disability, learning disability, diabetes, etc.). Focus on the applicant’s ability to perform the essential functions of the job. “Are you able to perform “x” for this job?”

• 20. Unacceptable. It is unacceptable to discriminate against an applicant or employee, based on assumptions of upcoming military commitments.

• Introduction







• Q&A

Agenda

Core Competencies

• Examples of core competencies required in many jobs are: - Communication skills - Delivering Results - Use of Initiative - Planning and Organizing - Analytical and/or Strategic Thinking - Building relationships - Team Work In preparation for a Competency Based Interview the experienced interviewer will draw up a list of questions relating to each competency and all directed towards discovering if you have those skills necessary for the job.

Cisco’s Core Competencies – Sales Role

• Effective Communication – Good listening and presentation skills – Able to explain complex issues in a simplified manner

• Resiliency – Able to deal with change – Able to take constructive feedback

• Team Skills – A good team player and leader – People-oriented

• Sales Personality – Driven to be in sales

• Achievement Oriented – Not risk-averse, uses initiative – Determined to succeed

We Choose these Competencies to Measure if Candidates will Fit into Cisco’s Culture

• Innovation • Continuous improvement • Quality team • Giving

Back/Trust/Fair/Integrity • Fun • Empowerment

• Profit contribution

• No Technology Religion

• Market Transitions

• Open Communication

• Teamwork

• Drive change

Agenda

• Introduction & some interview basics






• Q&A

Preparing for a Competency Based Interview

• The most common type are Behavioral Based Interview Questions. These are also called Situational and are used as a tool to discover how your behavior in a previous role or situation can contribute to your performance in the job being recruited for.

• Examples of Behavior Based Interview Questions are:

– Tell me about a time.. Give an example of a <Stressful, Successful, Important> situation you found yourself in and what did you do? Describe a situation which caused you a problem and tell me how you resolved it.

• Something to be aware of; even if your interview is not described as such, it is very likely in today's recruitment market that you will be asked Competency Based Interview Questions.

Your best preparation is to know your own background and know the job description of the job you are applying for

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Preparing and Practicing

• Be flexible and non-demanding with timing

• Prepare for the interview: o learn as much as you can about the organization (mandate, publications, organigrame,

strategic directions, news, etc.) o understand the position and look at the competencies in the job opening o review your application/PHP and select real examples matching your accomplishments

to the competencies (i.e. how did you work in a team, solve conflict, mobilize resources, etc.)

• Practice, practice, practice beforehand (refer to your application and the requirements of the

job opening)

• If a: o face-to face, know what you are going to wear and err on the side of conservatism o telephone (or Skype/VTC) make sure you are in a private location and equipment is

working

Preparation for BI

• Stories may center around these issues:

– Crisis in your life/job and how you dealt with it.

– Contributions to a team/how you work in a team.

– Time when you had a lot of stress.

– Time when you were a leader.

– How you overcame a failure.

Preparation for BI

• Go over your résumé and think through 30-90 second stories you could share.

• Try to have somewhere between 6-10 stories – Half that are positive – Half that started out negative then turned

positive • Stories should allow you to stand out so

you’re remembered. • Study job posting carefully and research

company to anticipate questions.

Preparation for BI

• Use different examples for stories.

• Incorporate different parts of your life.

• Anticipate lots of probing questions.

• Keep your résumé updated so you have fresh stories!

• A portfolio may be helpful.

Agenda

• Introduction






• Another Sample questions

• Q&A

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Exercise Teamwork

• Describe to us a successful teamwork work experience

o What was the situation?

o Which was your role?

o What made the team successful?

o How did you handle the disagreements within the team?

o What were the results?

o What did you learn from the experience? If you had to do it again what would you do differently?

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Exercise Planning and Organizing

• Tell us about a time you had to organize or plan a major event

o What was the nature of the event?


o How did you plan and organize the different actions to carry out?

o How did the event turn out?

o Reflecting back, what did you learn from the experience? If you had to do it again what would you do differently?

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Exercise Planning and Organizing

• Tell us about a time where you had a number of demands being made on you at the same time? How did you handle it?

o What was the situation?


o How did you plan and organize the different actions to carry out?



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Exercise Creativity

• Describe to us a situation when you had to be creative

o What was the nature of the situation?


o What were the different actions to carry out?



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Exercise Integrity

• Describe to us a situation where you felt pressured to act in a way that would compromise your values or those of the organization

o What was the nature of the situation?

o What were the implications of your actions?

o How did you respond to the pressure?

o What was the results?


In- class exercises

Step #1

Review a job description and define the competencies needed for the position…

Step #2

Develop behavioral based interview questions

Now its your turn…

• Effective Communication – Good listening and presentation skills – Able to explain complex issues in a simplified manner

• Resiliency – Able to deal with change – Able to take constructive feedback

• Team Skills – A good team player and leader – People-oriented

• Sales Personality – Driven to be in sales – Customer orientation

• Achievement Oriented – Not risk-averse, uses initiative – Determined to succeed

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Functional Competency Assessment

Functional

Competencies

Comp.

Level

Expectations Results Level

C J A

Career Development Activities (include Supervisor and Employee responsibilities):

Final Competency Assessment: Contributing (C) Journey (J) Advanced (A)

Comments:

Competency Assessment Discussion

Employee Comments:

Supervisor Comments:

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Functional

Competencies

Comp.

Level

Expectations

Results

Level

C J A

Knowledge-

Technical J General knowledge of

applicable area of science to

perform laboratory procedures

and tests in support of research

protocol. Knowledge and skills

to adjust and calibrate

instrumentation and equipment

as needed with limited

supervision.

Operations

– Research

Support

J Ability to conduct routine tests

and procedures dictated by the

research protocol. Ability to

assist in the layout and

maintenance of subject

environment. Ability to mix

and/or apply chemical and/or

other materials.

Data

Collection J Ability to organize and tabulate

data; ability to ensure quality

control of data collection.

Laboratory/

Subject

Care

J Ability to administer routine

medications and prepares

experimental and maintenance

diets for research subjects

according to established

protocols and instructions;

ability to observe study subject

reactions.

Initial Competency Assessment for Recommended Applicant

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During the interview: do

• Make a good first and last impression

• Dress appropriately

• Maintain eye contact with the person who asked the question, if culturally appropriate

• Even on the telephone, smile

• Listen carefully to the complete question

• Keep to the point. Be as specific as possible

• Provide concrete examples that show you were able to handle a situation and/or

learned from it • Listen to the question carefully. Ask for clarification if a question is not clear

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During the interview: do not

• Answer in the hypothetical. • Talk about “we”, rather talk in the “I”

• Espouse theories or values (“waffling on”)

• Make blanket generalizations nor statements about the

future

• Interrupt the panel

• Ask questions about benefits and entitlements

PRACTICE

Practice your behavioral interviewing skills Divide into groups of three. Each individual will take

turns as:

a. An interviewer

b. Interviewee

c. Observer

The observer will provide feedback to regarding the interviewers skills using the behavioral interviewing technique.

Remember…

Practice, Practice, Practice!

Q and A

Sources

• “Competency-Based Behavioral Interviewing,” Peggy Simonsen and Tom Smith, www.careertrainer.com, accessed 12-5-07.

• “Behavioral Interviewing Helps Employers Staff Up Their Office,” www.beyond.com, accessed 12-5-07.

• “Prepare for Your Behavioral Interview,” www.wetfeet.com, accessed 12-5-07.

• “Free Sample Behavioral Interview Questions,” www.quintcareers.com, accessed 12-4-07.

• “Behavioral Interviews: A Great Showcase for You, but You Must Prepare Now,” Joe Turner, www.quintcareers.com, accessed 12-4-07.

http://www.careertrainer.com/

http://www.beyond.com/

http://www.wetfeet.com/



Sources

• “Behavioral Interviewing Story,” www.quintcareers.com, accessed 12-4-07. • “STAR Interviewing Response Technique for Success in Behavioral Job

Interviews,” www.quintcareers.com, accessed 12-4-07. • Competency-Based Interviews, Robin Kessler, 2006, Career Press: Franklin

Lakes, NJ. • “When an Interviewer Says: ‘Tell Me About a Time When You…,” Arlene S.

Hirsch, www.careerjournal.com, accessed 12-5-07. • “Behavioral Interviewing Strategies for Job Seekers,” Katharine Hansen,

www.quintcareers.com, accessed 12-4-07.



http://www.careerjournal.com/


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Guidance tools competency based interviews

Leadership & Management