How do you feel about competency based quesions in an interview?

[Flordibel]

I do think these questions have a point in interviews, but not in a competency way. I've always viewed them as a way for the interviewer to determine whether you are able to look at a past situation you were in from an objective viewpoint and break down the finer points of said situation. If the interviewee is unable to recall a time where they had to, say, "apply communication skills to resolve differences between teammates" (or whatever), then I'd imagine that the general consensus is that they don't have - or haven't yet developed - the ability to gain a macro view of what was likely a micro situation.

[Bulbasaur]

I've never really had a problem with these kind of questions, as I felt it was always aimed for us to talk about the skills we have for The job.

An example would be "Tell me about yourself". They dont want to hear that I play Pokemon/Neopets. They just want use to talk about what we do and can offer for the company.
So talking about how you can multitask, great with the customers, love to stick up a conversation kind of thing!

[Uma]

So I'm a recruiter at a Big Tech company (dont hate me @(you need an account to see links) haha) and this interviewing stuff is my bread and butter. Half my job is coaching candidates on how to interview well & the other half is coaching interviewers on how to conduct a fair interview. Because I am not technical, I generally coach behavioural based interviews.

Behavioural based interviews/competency interviews are not about what you've done but how you went about doing it.

For example: Person A and Person B could have both successfully achieved a desired outcome, but Person A did it by dominating the decision making process whereas Person B took the time to get different viewpoints and get buy-in from others. Both got the job done, but I would prefer to work with Person B.

Another example: Alternatively, maybe Person A got the job done but Person B failed to. However, Person A couldn't explain the reason or process - maybe they operated on muscle memory rather than genuine understanding, or maybe it was just sheer luck. Even though Person B did not achieve the desired outcome, they told me how they reflected on it - what they would do differently, they were honest and without ego in reflecting on the situation. I would still hire Person B because they show potential.

I also like the STAR method. To me, its simply a 'format' if you will, for your answer. To make sure it's not missing detail but still concise. Interviewers are only human and it's easy to miss details when an example has no beginning and end - STAR helps to keep it neat. My hot tip is to focus on the "A" (action) and "R" (result). S (situation) and T (task) should only be a couple of sentences to set the scene, the rest of the time should be spent on talking about what you did and how you did it (action) and how it turned out/your reflections (result).

If you're not sure if your answer addressed the question - it is a welcome thing to ask "Did my example address what you were looking for?" or "Is there anything I missed or anything I can add?" Interviewers like back-and-forth communication, its natural and comfortable and you're giving yourself another shot. If an interviewer asks you to "Give me a time where you ___" and you can't think of a time, there is no qualm about saying "I genuinely have not found myself in that situation before, Im sorry - is there another question you could ask me on this same topic?". But always prepare. I've been a candidate too and it makes all the difference.

I completely empathize with everyone here who has said that they've had terrible experiences in these interviews. There are far too many crappy, untrained interviewers, bad interview questions and horrid recruiter floating around to ruin it for everyone - and Im sorry about that. I really wish everyone the best of luck in their interviews!

[DarkSkies]

I've been reading the posts and I really appreciate all the feedback that is coming here. Saw some great tips and also understood another dynamics.

Thanks for sharing your experiences

[kittyray]

@(you need an account to see links) don't hate you (but u hirin? ), and really appreciate your response because I do feel a bit less cynical about just reskinning one of the few answers I've memorized. I've definitely done the "I've legitimately never encountered this situation" thing where they end up asking me a really similar question instead that I still haven't encountered, and then I feel super awkward.

[Uma]

@(you need an account to see links) don't hate you (but u hirin? ), and really appreciate your response because I do feel a bit less cynical about just reskinning one of the few answers I've memorized. I've definitely done the "I've legitimately never encountered this situation" thing where they end up asking me a really similar question instead that I still haven't encountered, and then I feel super awkward.

Thats really good that they did!
Well if it isnt weird, youre always welcome to send me a sample answer if youre not sure and I can help you rework it Im just a DM away.

Youll get there @(you need an account to see links) !!

[Teakwood]

Back when I was interviewing, I mainly would use these types of questions to see how well people did in high pressured situations. I was trying to run a business in a multi-billion dollar industry. I didn't have a choice. If you couldn't handle different types of high pressured situations at any given moment. I knew you wouldn't work out well with my team. Doesn't matter if I think your personality is wonderful and you fit the qualification that are industry standard.

I was also looking for inconsistencies. If you answered something previously that differed from the one you just gave me. It showed me that you were a problem solver and were able to think on your feet during a dire situation. Your safety in these places is number one, and I couldn't have someone who wasn't able to think on their feet and rolled with the punches as they came in.

This carried over well when I switched to customer service (thanks pandemic for getting me out of my previous toxic ass industry). Being able to read people and still notice the inconsistencies helped. It just differs from one job to the next. While there are a thousand different ways to handle a situation, I want to know how you truly are. How you would honestly act in those different types of situations will either hinder or excel you, and it was our job to determine if you were ready for that.