What Competency Based Interviews Are

Most people who conduct interviews before do not think they’re very good at it because they don’t know how to extract concrete information from the interviewee. It's one of the most common phone interview tips that it wasn’t likely that they were able to accurately determine the competence of an interviewee. Now though, competence based interviews make it possible for interviewers to select the most competent applicant.

First of all, you need to know what these interviewers don’t want in an applicant. They don’t want to accept applicants who are chronic abusers of sick time, too passive to take any initiative or too headstrong to take action, abrasive or disruptive around co-workers, dishonest, incompetent, or irresponsible. In these interviews, you will be asked to share your work experiences and you will be screened with the negatives mentioned above.

Any defects showing up in an employee would reflect on his or her work experiences. In other words, they want to hear your success stories; specifically on what you did to accomplish those things. It is up to you to address these questions by conveying your experiences with a message that you won’t turn out to be a problem.

How to handle competency based interviews depends on your previous experiences and the type of work you are seeking. The hardest situation is when you want to convey your ability to perform effectively in a job where you have no experience. Your enthusiasm and confidence will have to convince in the interviewer. “I’m a quick learner and know I have abilities in this area from [mention vocational experience]… I particularly enjoy mastering new skills… I have always taken pride in my work… I have always had a knack for detail work… I’m good at working with people.”

If you can share your previous experiences in a manner mentioned above you are tapping on the interviewer’s judgment and representing your competence and qualifications for the position. Thus, it is one of the best phone interview tips. Competence based interviews are really all about revealing your competence through past accomplishments and it would be best to prepare these stories before the interview starts.