COMPETENCY
BASED INTERVIEW
HR Strategy Department
Aug, 2023
Definition of CBI: Raise questions - situation
Definition of CBI Questions Traditional CBI
How do you deal with angry, upset or irate? We all have to deal with customers who are
angry, upset or event irate. Tell me about
the worst situation you had to deal with
COMPETENCY – BASED What would you do if someone asked you to Tell me about a time you were asked to so
INTERVIEWS (CBI) where do something unethical something that you felt was unethical
each question is designed to
test one or more specific Tell me about a work-related decision that, if
If you could change one work-related
skill. decision you made during past year, what you could, you would like to redo. Why
would that be? would you want to redo it? What did you lear
from the experience that you would apply to
CBI are based on the idea redo
that past be havior is the
How do you work under pressure? Do you Tell me a time you were faced with stressor
best predictor of future handle pressuare well? at work that tested your coping skills
behavior
How would you rate your communication Give me an example of a time when you
skill and what have you done to improve were not as successful in your oral
them? communication as you would have liked to
have been. What did you learn from this
situation that you have used to improve your
communication skill
What process do you use to solve Give me an example of a difficult problem
problems? you faced and how you went about solving
that particular problem
Competencies How are competencies recognised
Observable Behaviors They lead to observable
behaviors
Aptitudes
Observable behaviors
Attitudes can be easily seen
Skill Apptitudes, attitudes,
skill and knowledge are
Knowledge not easily observed
When and why do we use CBI
Why
When
The process is reliable and
Recruitment and selection valid than traditional interview
Performance appraisal
Training and personal
development
Provide a benchmark Focus on tangible
against which to select specific behaviiors
Promotion and recruit staff associated with success
The STAR method:
The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a Describle the situation that
competency-based interview question by discussing the specific you were confronted with
or the task need to be
accomplished
The situation is concise,
S T A R informative
related to
and
concentrating on specific
skills job
requirement
Situation Task Action Results Not a generalized
description
The STAR method:
The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a
competency-based interview question by discussing the specific
What goal were
you working
toward?
S T A R
Situation Task Action Results
The STAR method:
The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a
competency-based interview question by discussing the specific
Demonstrate and highlight
the skills and personal
attributes that the question
is testing
S T A R
Focus on what candidates
did, how they did and why
Situation Task Action Results
The STAR method:
The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a
competency-based interview question by discussing the specific
Explain what happened
eventually, how it all
ended
S T A R Describle what you
accomplished and what
you learnt in that situation
Situation Task Action Results
Probing question
General probing question
1. What was the situation? 5. What challenges or difficulties
did you face?
2.What specifically was it that you
6. How did you overcome these?
personally did?
3. Who else was involved? 7. What, if anything, would you do
differently on reflection?
4. What was the outcome – what 8. What was the impact on the
tells you whether you were business?
successful?
General probing question
Competecy level
Competecies Definition Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
Problem solving Problem solving is the Has generally dealt Able to draw well- Strong problem-solving
Good analytical skill
ability and desire to find with undemanding reasoned conclusions skills – an ability to
– able to solve
solutions to solve issues issues and and implement them. logically define complex
complex issues and
relatively simple Recognizes problems/issues and
challenges
problems developing problems achieve breakthrough
and is able to handle solution effectively
them
Level 1: Learning Level 2: Appling Level 3: Mastering Level 4: Innovating
Have basic and Have conceptual Have deep understanding Have tacit knowledge
Understanding contextual understanding of context, concept, rules
understanding and alternatives
Grading scale of
skill set
Be able to perform Be able to perform Be able to perform Be able to develop new
Acting with guidance and independently in effectively with full ideas, new approach, new
supervision standard stiuation and autonomy and can techniques and lead and
with some support in mentor or teach others inspire others
complex situation
Assessment process
Focus on collecting behavioral
Suspend judgment until after the exercise
Use ORCE process below
Classify evidentces into the Evaluate the competency using the
Observe and Record infomation
respective competencies relevant
RATING THE COMPETENCY
OBSERVATION INFOMATION CLASSIFY BEHAVIOUR
• We have given him 15 minutes to
• Obseve all behavior • Identify the relevant competency for the
sell his ideas and how much of the
• Verbal: what is said exercises
desired behavior were displayed?
• Non-Verbal: How is said, body • Classify recorded behavior under
• Are there more positive or negative
gesture, facial expression relevant competency
behavior
• Suspend judgment • Decide and indicate if the behavior is a
• Restrain from showing view plus (+) or minus (-) indicator
• Do not approve or disapprove EVALUATING THE EVIDENCES
• Do not interact unless necessary • Weigh up the positive/negative behavior
RECORD INFOMATION • Consider what was missing “evidence by
• Record on the blank observation sheets omission”
• Note-take verbatim where possible • Strong and weak evidence
• Avoid being selective • Refer to the competency definition and
• Use shorthand/ abbreviations against ideal candidates
• Legible to you • No evidence/ no half points
• Note non-verbal behavior too
TIP: Do and don’t
Do Don’t
Use Past behavior Not listening
Use Open-end question Not probing
Losing control of the interview or
80/20 rule losing patience
Be realistic when selling yor Under-estimate the interviewees
organization
Being influenced by own prejudices
Panel interview: divide up
competency areas ahead of First impression count but should
time, allow each interviewer to not be decisive
address a smaller number of
areas
Agree, not compromise
