LOGO

Competency-Based Interviewing
Competency-Based Interviewing
(CBI) At Saraya
 AIMS


v By the end of this part, participants will:



 Develop an understanding of the importance of

competencies for assessing people;
 Identify and use key skills of interviewing;
 Identify the strengths & limitations of the interview;
 Evaluate candidates & make fair, objective decisions;
 Analyse competency-based interviews;
 Practice interview skills and receiving feedback.

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Benefits
v Teaches interview techniques to determine an applicant’s level of
self-awareness and self-assessment
v Saves money through hiring more effectively
v Leads to greater job satisfaction, fulfillment and longevity
v Provides and teaches formatted questions based on behavioral traits
v Examines real-life examples and case studies also include in-house
case studies
v Empowers managers to make smart hiring choices
v Eliminates personal biases in interview questions
v Creates a format for interviewing that produces consistency and will
fit all levels of the organization
 What we will do

v During this interactive session, we will learn and

practice the techniques that will take our
interviewing skills to a new and more effective
level. Behavioral interviewing, done well, can
lead to win-win hiring, also referred to as “fit,”
as well as higher retention rates.
 Recruitment
v Recruitment is not about filling jobs that are
currently vacant – it is about making a
continuous, long-term investment to build a high
quality workforce capable of accomplishing the
organization’s mission now and in the future


v Recruitment is a critical management function – all

levels of the organization should be involved in
planning and implementation

 Recruitment Challenges

v Globalization – “The World is Flat”

v Aging workforce in some countries


§ High cost of sustaining pension benefits – reducing benefits

could decrease the attractiveness of public sector
employment
§ Brazil has more retirees than employees


v Changing definition of career has reduced the loyalty

of employees to organizations


v According to IPMA-HR aging workforce study:

§ 51% do not believe that sufficient talent already exists in the
organization to fill positions left by retiring workers
§ 70% believe competition with the private sector for talent is
increasing
§ 60% believe that recruiting efforts will need to expand
v

 How to Recruit ?

v Interviewing based on job specifications is the

norm. It is standard to interview based on the
job description for a particular position.
Interviewers can ask about a person’s
experience, skills and abilities, but how do
you determine if this person will fit in with the
team or be able to handle the diverse
challenges that a position presents.
Steps in the Recruitment and Selection
Process
v Issuing a vacancy announcement;
v Job analysis;
v Sorting candidates and preparing a
shortlist;
v Selection interviews



 Impact of Poor Selection
v The image and credibility of the organization;
v Cost;
v Performance of organization;
v Low morale;
v Unexpected openings.
v Decrease Excellence;
v Increase unwanted attrition and turnover;
v Any other reasons ?
v
 Selection Interviews
v
v Globally, over 95% of large organizations use
interviews as a major part of the assessment
procedure, and often selection decisions are
based entirely on the interview.


v Based on the findings of many research studies,

considerable confidence can be placed upon
their reliability; however, interviews as they are
typically conducted do not provide a solid basis
upon which to make solid decisions.
 


Problems with Typical
Interviews



Research Findings

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 Brainstorming


v
v What are the main problems with typical
selection interviews can SARAYA face?

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 Research Findings …
v Interviewers make decisions early on in the
interview:


§ Studies how that the average length of time

between a candidate entering the interview
room and a decision being made is just
under fur minutes.


§ After this time, information is perceived and

accepted in a way that is congruent with the
decision which has already been made.

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 Research Findings …
v Interviewers have different views on the person
they are looking for.


§ Interviewers can agree about some

aspects of candidates, but not
about others, and one candidate
could be highly recommended by
one interviewer and rejected by
another.

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 Research Findings …
v Interviewers use different databases for their
assessments:


§ One interviewer may place great

emphasis on a candidate’s
previous experience in a similar
job, whilst another may be
influenced by his/her lack of
mobility.

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 Research Findings …
vInterviewers weigh the same information
differently:
§ If a candidate confesses that he is not
always meticulous with details, one
interviewer may perceive this as an
admission of a careless approach to
work, whilst another may perceive it as
evidence that the candidate prioritizes
effectively and spends most of his time
working on important and substantive
issues.

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 Research Findings …
v Interviewers prefer candidates like
themselves:


§ The interviewers favor candidates like

themselves , for example in nationality,
ethnicity, educational background,
gender, or even general interest.


§ In one study, it was found that 80% of

candidates who were personally liked
were made job offers.

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 Research Findings …
v Interviewers overweight negative information:


§ A number of studies suggest that

interviewers give more weight to
unfavorable than to favorable
information.

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 Research Findings …
v Interviewers rank candidate comparatively:


§ Studies suggest that a candidate’s

assessment partially depends upon
the other individuals being rated at
the same time. In other words,
assessments seem to come from
person-to-person comparisons rather
than from comparing each applicant
thoroughly with the person
specification for the job.

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 Research Findings …

v A number of studies have demonstrated

that how an applicant behaves in an
interview is partly dependent on how
the interviewer behaves.


§ In international studies, it was found that

where interviewers were warm, had good
eye contact, and used head nodding
frequently, candidates became more
relaxed, acted in a more friendly way
themselves, became more talkative and
generally were found to be more effective
in creating a good impression.

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 Research Findings …
§
§ In one study, it was found that
where the interviewers had
decided to reject candidates, they
talked less, were more cold and
critical and interviewees reported
themselves as feeling
uncomfortable and became more
hesitant in their replies.

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 Research Findings …
v


v One study of potential recruits showed

that 43% complained of poor
interviewers and over 50% said that
one or more companies had made a
bad impression on them.

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 The “Halo Effect”
v A candidate says or does something the
interviewer likes; the interviewer then sees
all of the candidate’s further comments and
actions as positive.
v The “Homs Effect” is the negative
opposite of the “halo effect”.

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 Stereotyping
v Stereotyping occurs when interviewers
consciously or unconsciously apply
assumed characteristics of a group to an
individual effectively “typing” the person.
v To avoid this, make sure that the panel is
composed of different genders,
nationalities, backgrounds, …

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 Improving Interview Effectiveness
v The interview should be properly conducted;
v Interviewers should be trained;
v Focus on obtaining evidence;
v Interviewers should take notes;
v Interviewers should be supported by other
assessment techniques;
v More than one interviewer involved in the
selection process

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 


Competency-Based Interviews

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 Exercise
v Mini Interviews:


§ Participants will interview each other on a

certain competency for 5 minutes;
§ Other participants will evaluate interview.

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What Is Competencies
v Key competencies are things you are competent
at that are key to the job you are applying for
such as particular skills you may have or
what skills you have that you think would be
advantageous to the potential employer.


v Key competencies are the knowledge, skills,

attitudes and values needed by everyone
across a variety of life contexts. Specialist
skills are needed to perform all tasks
v
 The Competency-Based Interview

v
v Referred to as a behavioral interview


v A particular type of structured interview in which

the interviewers questioning is directed at
ascertaining the candidates qualities or
capabilities on a number of specific job
related dimensions of behavior
(competencies).

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 The Competency-Based Interview
•
v Question usually focus on eliciting specific
examples from the candidates describing
situations where they might (or might not)
have demonstrated the required behaviors.

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 Key Definition
v
v Competency-based interviews are structured
and use behavioral questions to help the
interviewer assess candidates based on
critical competencies identified for the
position.

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Examples


Key Competency: Communication
 Key Behaviors/action to look for:
- Actively listen
- Checks understanding
- Use Style, language and tone appropriate to audience
- Uses appropriate structure


 Interview Questions :
- Have you ever had to convince your co-workers to accept an
idea? How did you do it? What was the results?
- Tell me about a time your communication skills were put to
the test.
- Tell me about a difficult or sensitive situation that required
careful communication?
- Etc…..
-

Interview Questions

Interview Questions should aim
to elicit information about a
candidate’s past experience,
skills, knowledge, and behaviors.
 Questioning Techniques


v Open Questions
v Probing Questions
v Comparative Questions
v Behavioral Questions

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 Open Questions
v
v What kind of supervisors do you like?
v What aspects of your job do you consider most
crucial?

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 PROBE*
 v Describe a situation in which
you had to deal with a
Problem ( position) conflict in your team.
Role
What was the problem?
Objective

Behavior
What was your role?
Effect What was your objective?

What did you actually do?
What was the effect of your
*Scott Bradbury: A Question

behavior?
of Evidence

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 Probing Questions
v “I decided that it was time to move on”
 Probe: “Why was that?”
v
v “I did have some problems in that job”
 Probe: “What sort of problems?”
v
v “I see my strengths as being good with people”
 Probe: “In what way do you mean good with
 people?”
v

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 Comparative Questions
v
v
v How do your responsibilities in your current job
compare with those in the previous position?

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 Behavioral Questions
v
v
v Behavioral questions are based on the theory
that past behavior is the best predictor for
future behavior.
v Concentrate on:
§ Varied situations;
§ Recent behavior;

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 Examples of Behavioral Questions
v Give me an example of a time when you
had to explain something difficult to
someone who did not have your
background.
v Describe a time in the last 6 months when
you had to help a client.
v Tell me how you organize yourself when
you have a lot of work.

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 More Behavioral Questions
v In most organizations there are rules,
regulations and principles that have to be
adhered to and some that can be interpreted
more flexibly. Give me an example of a time
where you have interpreted the rules with
more flexibility.
v
v Tell me about a time when you have had to
translate a strategy into actions and plans.

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 OPEN -
BACK
Oppor tunity
Experience

Behaviour al description

A ppr aisal

Comparison

Knowledge

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 EXAMPLE 1


 OPPORTUNITY: What opportunities did you have in

making decisions?


 EXPERIENCE: Tell me about a time you had to make

a decision?


 APPRAISAL: What kind of feedback have you

received about your decision-making?


 COMPARISON: How would you compare your

decision-making with that of other colleagues?


 KNOWLEDGE: What are the main elements in

making decisions?

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 EXAMPLE 2


v OPPORTUNITY: How important are clients in your

current job?
v
v BEHAVIOURAL: How do you come to understand
their requirements?


v APPRAISAL: What do they think of you?

v
v KNOWLEDGR: What is important in client service?
 What lessons have you learned from your clients?

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 SUMMARY AND RESTATEMENT
Retelling what has been said in the same words


or in summary is a useful aid to effective

listening.


v This provides a check when there is any

doubt.

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 SUMMARY QUESTIONS

They are used to summarize briefly, to

review or to check interviewer’s
understanding of the facts, or even to
clarify respondent’s own thoughts:
ü As I understand it …
ü So what you’re saying is …
§
 This is very useful in controlling a talkative
respondent.

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 Response to CBI Questions

v There are three parts to a behavioral question:

§ SITUAION OR Task or Problem
§ Action
§ Result

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 Collecting STARS

S T

A R

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 Exercise:

v Answer this question using the Situation-

Action-Result method:
v Give me an example of a time that you were
able to take the lead in changing a
practice for your organization.

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 QUESTIONS TO AVOID
Closed questions
Hypothetical
Leading
Multiple choice
Double
Marathon
Inappropriate questions

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 CLOSED QUESTIONS
ü
ü
Do you work well with people?
How long did you do that job?

Change them into behavioral question.

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 HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS
ü
ü
ü What is the best way to handle a staff
member who isn’t performing to the
required standard?
ü
ü Behavioral.

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 LEADING QESTIONS


ü How well do you accept criticism?

ü Your knowledge is up-to-date I suppose?
ü
ü Behavioral.
ü

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 OFFER OF ALTERNATIVES


ü Do you think that attitude or skill is the

most important factor in this situation?
ü
v Better: What do you think is the most
important quality needed for this post?

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 THE COMPLEX LEAD

ü Budget cutbacks will mean that

much more effort will have to be
made to provide the sort of service
we can be proud of, won’t it?
ü
ü Better.


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 THE PERSONAL LEAD


ü When did you last lose your temper?

ü How often do you feel aggressive?
v In this case, the questions assume the
existence of a negative personality trait?

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 MULTIPLE AND MARATHON QUESTIONS

ü Please tell me what you think your

main achievements in the job were,
why they were so good, and what
skills relevant to the present job
they indicate.


v Such questions usually confuse the

interviewee. We should split them
into their constituent parts and ask
one question at a time.

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INAPPROPRIATE QUESTIONS

v Are you married?

v When do you intend to have children?
v Who will take care of your children when you
are on duty travel?
 v
v
v Structure of the Competency-Based
Interview

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 v
v Before the Interview

The success or failure of a job interview relates

mainly to the amount and type of preparation.
Our success as an organization depends on the
quality of the people we hire. Select the right person
for the job. That is where it all starts.
Selection mistakes can cost money, time and effort.

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 PREPARATION
v Interviewers should be prepared in
advance for their interview roles.


v Interviewers should meet before the

interview to structure the interview: who
will greet applicants, who will ask what, …

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 PRACTICAL PREPARATION
v Timetable to allow a realistic amount of time for
the interview
v Reception of candidates
v Interviewing room
v Information for the candidate

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 COMPETENCIES
The competencies required for the job are to be
determined and agreed upon on in advance of
the interview by the interview panel.


The JD includes these competencies

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 JOB Terms of Reference
1. TORs are very important to every employment
interview.
2. They outline the duties and responsibilities.
3. Requirements (Skills, educational training).
4. Competencies

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 SARAYA Competency-based Interviewing
Guide

v Let us have a look at the Guide.

v It has the following parts on each value and
competency:
§ Positive Indicators
§ Negative Indicators
§ Sample Questions

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 QUESTIONS


v The main interview questions are to be

determined in advance of the interview
and the same questions are to be asked
of each candidate for the post.

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 INTERVIEW WORKSHEET


v An interview worksheet is to be prepared for

each candidate and notes are to be taken
during the interview.

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 EVALUATION WORKSHEET


An evaluation of the candidates is to be prepared

immediately after the interview.

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 PANEL MEMBERS


To ensure transparency and objectivity, interview

panel should include the post manager to whom
the successful candidate will report, and may
also include other supervisors or members of the
work unit, managers outside the work unit,
and/or a representative from the Recruitment
Section.


Gender balance of panel members.

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 Before the Inter view

Understand the job

ücompetencies
üjob description
üperson specification
Understand the person
üresume/PHP
übackground information
üperformance management
Questions
Briefing the candidate

Domestics

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 Structure of the CBI
v Introduction:
§ Chairperson or Secretary will introduce
panel members and ask candidate to
introduce himself/herself;
§ Time available;
§ Describe aim and format of interview;
§ Mention that you will take notes;
§ Explain agenda;
§ Questions from candidate.

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 Structure of the CBI
v 2. Opening Question – Ice-breaker:


v Tell me about the main responsibilities in

your current job.

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 BODY OF INTERVIEW
v Ask candidate to briefly summarize education
and recent work history;
v Ask questions relating to
competencies/technical aspects of the job.
v Tell candidate which competency you are
exploring;


§ Each Panel member will cover a competency

§ Other Panel members may ask questions they
may have about a competency explored by
another member.

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 Structure of the CBI
v 3. Exploring Competencies:
§ Cover each competency in turn;
§ Try to get examples of behavior from
different areas of the candidate’s
experience;
§ For each competency, aim to explore
both positive and negative
information;
§ Summarize after each competency.

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 Structure of the CBI
v 4. Closure:
§ After all the competencies have been covered, it
may be necessary to discuss further issues
such as current application and further aims.
§ Provide an opportunity for the candidate to ad
any further points:


Is there anything else you feel is relevant, which

you would like to add?
Explain next steps in the process

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 v

vEvaluating Candidates

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 ORCE

vObservation
vRecording
vClassifying
vEvaluation

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 ORCE
vObservation 

vRecording vObservation:
vClassifying § Observe what candidates
do or say.
§ Watch body language
vEvaluation § Concentrate on getting
the information you
v need


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 OBSERVE NON - VERBAL BEHAVIOUR
Physical distance
Proximity Aggressive posture
Relaxed tone Tone of voice
Smiles Staring eyes
Eye contact Hostile gestures
Open gestures

th
Nodding

H
m

os
ar

til
W

ity
Interviewer’s
Co Body Language
ss
nt
ro ene
v
Do l issi Minimal input
m b m Quiet tone
in
at Su Permitting interruptions
io Downcast eyes
Physical positioning n
Interrupting Nervous gestures
Loud tone
Dominant gestures

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 ORCE
 v Record:
§ Take notes openly;
v Observation § In order to maintain
rapport and write
v Recording down important
v Classifying notes, write brief
notes using key
v Evaluation words.
§ Use evaluation form
§ Record what candidate
said
§ Take notes on other
aspects of behavior:
verbal fluency,
hesitancy,
excessive nerves.

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 ORCE
v v Classifying:
v § In order to classify
v Observation effectively, the
interview needs to
v Recording have a good
v Classifying understanding of the
v Evaluation competency and the
behaviors associated
v with it.
§ Determine which
competency the
behavior illustrates.

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 ORCE
v Which competency is being covered:
v Planning & Organizing, or
v Client Orientation
v § I developed the plan for the team
to follow;
v Observation § I set objectives and time lines;
§ Thought through the possible
v Recording problems;
v Classifying § Ensure the plan met the client
needs;
v Evaluation § Kept the client informed at every
 step;
§ Adapted the plan as the client
needs changed;
§ Delivered on time within
resource constraints.
v

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 Evaluation
v vWhen evaluating
v candidates:
§ Look for more than
v Observation one piece of
v Recording evidence;
v Classifying § Look for trends and
v Evaluation supporting

evidence;
§ Attempt to
understand
conflicting
evidence.
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 ORCE
v Observation v Evaluating:
 § At this stage, the
interviewer
v Recording needs to

establish the
level of the
v Classifying behavior
described,

usually rating
v Evaluation the interviewee
on the
 competency;
 § Use the evaluation
scale;
§ Both numerical
rating scales
and a
qualitative
description are
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 LISTENING


v Make correct assessment and analysis

of what is heard:
Sequence of ideas,
Development of the theme,
Emotional undertone
v

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 NOTE TAKING
v At the end of each interview, we shall need,
before seeing the next candidate, to note
any points we did not get down during the
discussion, while they are fresh in our
memory.


v This is the time to complete the Interviewer’s

Evaluation Form
v

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 Exercises
v
v Role Play

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 

Other Behaviors
 During the Interview

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 TALKING TOO MUCH
Nerves or basic character may cause
someone to be almost unstoppable.

ü Don’t allow this:

We’re getting rather short of time
I’m sorry, but time’s run out. I have another
candidate waiting.

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 TALKING TOO LITTLE


 Perhaps the fault has been ours. We may have:



Asked a difficult or embarrassing question

before the conversational flow was
established.
Said something without realizing it that has
puzzled or upset the candidate.
Talked too much ourselves
Overwhelmed the candidate with an excess of
information, however relevant.
v

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 CANDIDATE DOMINATING INTERVIEW
v Some candidates may take control of the
proceedings. As interviewer, it is essential
that we remain master:
v
ü Forgive me, but I would prefer to stick to my original
plan.
ü I’m afraid we are wasting each other’s time.
ü I am sorry, but I have very little time. I must move you
on quickly to the next point.

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 SILENCE

A pause is often necessary to allow the

respondents to order their thoughts
Silences most often indicate that the
person is thinking about his/her
response.
If it becomes too long, ask respondent
if he/she needs more time or if
something is unclear.

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 CBI CONCLUSIONS
Good interviewers:

ü Ask for evidence of behaviour;

ü OPEN BACK;
ü Do not leap to a decision;
ü Make sure questions are fair & relevant;
ü Weigh up evidence objectively;
ü Support decisions with evidence.

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 LISTENING


•
ü A basic rule is that the candidate speaks
for 80% of the time, and the interviewer
speaks for only 20%.
ü

Common Listening Problems
v
v We let our attention wander;
v We let our emotions interfere with our
judgment;
v We think ahead to what we want to say next and
miss what’s being said.
Examples


v Does the interviewee give examples from

his/her own experience?
Active Language

v Does the interviewee use active language to

describe his/her role?


v Does he/she avoid using passive language

Logical Presentation
v
v
v Are the answers organized, logical, concise
and complete?
Non-Verbal Communication
v Does interviewee:


§ Maintain eye contact?

§ Use the right gestures?
§ Respond to interviewers’
nonverbal communication?



CBI Questions
v
v Should all questions in a CBI be behavioral
questions?


v Not necessarily.
Competency Gaps
v
v Were there any competencies the
interviewee couldn’t prove or
didn’t have?


v Did the interviewee acknowledge the

gaps and explain what steps
he/she was going to take to
overcome them?
 QUESTIONS?

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LOGO

Thank You !