One of the crucial stages in getting the right candidates for the company is the recruitment process. That is why during this stage, potential candidates are carefully screened and assessed before they are considered for the job. Aside from experience and educational background, the recruitment team also considers an individual’s competencies as one of the bases in finding a suitable candidate. The employer has to identify the attributes of each applicant so that they will be able to discern properly as to who deserves the position.

Competency Based Interview

As part of the screening and recruitment process, every job applicant is required to fill out personal information sheet, which will be used primarily during the interview stage since some of the questions to be asked would come from the information on the sheet. Recruiters conduct a competency based interview, sometimes called situational or behavioral interview, to determine the individual’s competencies. This is the difference that competency based interview makes with a typical or conventional job interview. Technicalities such as work experience or educational attainment are not enough to gauge the person’s capabilities of performing the job.

The questions in this kind of interview approach are designed in a way that the applicants speak more of the skills they have demonstrated or manifested in certain situations and scenarios. Also, it may feature questions about the company profile and the kind of industry they chose. This will gauge their interest and motivation to be a part of the company.

STAR Technique

During a competency-based interview, the interviewer or the employer follows a certain technique in evaluating the suitable candidate well. This method is called the STAR Technique.

S – Situation

They check if the applicants were able to explain a specific situation.

T – Task

From the situation explained, the candidate must also demonstrate the tasks needed for the given situation.

A – Action

The candidate should be able to relay the actions and steps that were taken to carry out the circumstance.

R – Result

The candidate must clearly explain the result or outcome of the actions taken to address the situation.

Key Competencies

What competencies does a certain company look for in a potential candidate? Here is a list of the desired skills, character traits, and attributes that an employer needs:

• Teamwork

Employers will measure how well an applicant understands the value of teamwork, participation in team challenges, and how well this person encourages a team, both as a member and a leader.

• Flexibility and Adaptability

A potential employer will seek for evidence that an applicant has responded positively and quickly to business and industry demands. They also prefer someone who can adjust readily during changing conditions and dynamic work environment.

• Leadership and Management

Companies would go for candidates who can lead by example as to performance and attitude. They would choose those who are consistent in maintaining integrity.

• Decision-Making

An applicant will be able to attract the employer’s attention if this person demonstrates confidence and ability to make hard decisions, based on the answers given. The applicant should know when to delegate decision-making properly. Also, in assessing decision-making skills, the ability to use the right people and the right techniques will also be evaluated.

• Communication

As a key competency, employers would look for someone who can get one’s message across to the right recipients in a proper manner. They will highly consider someone who has active listening skills and adaptable communication style.

• Integrity

The potential employer would prefer individuals who can function efficiently in accordance to social and organizational norms and standards.

• Commitment

This key competency is highly important to employers. So, to be noticed by the employer, a candidate must demonstrate commitment and dedication in producing results, creating solutions to problems, and overcoming challenges.

• Career Motivation

A candidate must have the interest in building a good career with the company by clearly communicating long-term goals with this organization.

• Commercial Awareness

The ability to control or manage the financial aspect of a situation is also gauged by the interviewer. They will see if an applicant knows how to size up situations pertaining to reducing cost or increasing income.