Right piece, wrong puzzle
The importance of preparing and planning a behavioural competency-based interview
The selection and hiring of a new team member is a major investment for your organisation.
Developing and maintaining a recruitment process that yields solid returns in the form of a productive employee who enjoys their responsibilities and seeks self-improvement opportunities is critical to the success of your organisation.
What do organisations commonly overlook when they hire candidates?
While you are forming an opinion of the candidate, the candidate is also forming an opinion of you. In addition to this, no matter what the job market is like, the best and brightest career seekers know they can choose their employers. So, if you are seeking the best of the best for your organisation, the impression you make on a candidate is important.
To be successful in your recruitment process, ensure that quality candidates are attracted to your organisation and that the candidate you choose accepts your job offer. Even unsuccessful candidates must leave with a positive impression of your company.
Always conduct a professional interview with the candidate
This is to ensure the candidate feels he has been fairly evaluated. Competency-based interviews are based on the premise that past behaviour predicts future behaviour, which makes this a very good model to follow.
How does the competency-based interview work?
The competency-based interview involves, among others, assessing job fit:
- Interviewers focus on only a few of the areas critical to job success, overlooking the candidate’s likes and dislikes. Failure to determine job fit and organisational fit can lead to poor performance and the candidate eventually leaving your company.
Job fit establishes the extent to which the activities and responsibilities available in the job are consistent with the activities and responsibilities that result in personal satisfaction for the candidate.
Let’s look at an example.
Jenny owns an interior design agency, which she started in 2010. Over the last two years, her business has experienced unprecedented growth and because of the influx of work, she now needs to hire a junior interior designer. There are countless opportunities for learning (as Jenny will mentor this new individual) and travel (Jenny has a baby and doesn’t want to travel) in this business. However, there is no possibility for promotion as Jenny’s business is still new.
In her interview guide, which will guide how she asks her questions, Jenny documents that there are not many (if any) opportunities for growth in her company.
Moira answers the job ad that Jenny distributes. During the interview, Jenny asks her a number of questions, some of them being:
- Tell me about a job you had in which continuous learning was necessary for you to be effective. Were you satisfied with the amount of opportunities for continuous learning the job presented you?
- Tell me about one of your jobs that required extensive or minimal travel. Did you enjoy this job?
- Tell me about a time in your job when your opportunities for promotion or advancement were limited. How did you feel about this?
Moira replies saying that she left her last job because she had to travel very extensively and she didn’t like being away from home that often.
Jenny knows that Moira is a “poor fit” for the in her company job as even though she is perfect in every other way, she will soon resign because the travelling will become too onerous.
My 5 tips about how to make competency-based interviews work for you
1. During the interview, always give the candidate the opportunity to ask questions.
2. End the interview and explain the next steps in the selection process.
3. Thank the candidate for a productive interview.
4. After the interview, evaluate the answers and the behaviours you require in the particular job.
5. Make a decision and give the candidate feedback.
