Conducting a Job analysis

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CHAPTER 7 Competency-Based Questions

I’ve conducted hundreds of interviewing workshops, with some being more memorable than others. A particular session stands out because one of the participants, a manager named Dan, proved the merits of competency-based questions to himself. Toward the end of the first day Dan firmly stated, “It really doesn’t matter what people have done in the past—all that matters is what they’re willing to do.”

He was taken aback when I told him that I agreed. He said, “You just stated that competency-based questions make the most effective types of questions since they assess an applicant’s demonstrated abilities as they relate to the requirements and responsibilities of a particular job. How can you say you agree with me when I say all that matters is what a person is willing to do?”

“That’s simple,” I replied. “But before I answer, let me ask you a question. How can you determine what a person is willing to do?”

Dan thought briefly and then replied, “This is probably a trick question because the answer is so obvious, but here goes: you ask them!”

I smiled. That was exactly what I thought he would say. “Dan,” I continued, “suppose you have an opening for a project manager. One of the key qualities is teamwork. What are you going to ask your applicants?”

Dan responded, “Well, I could ask them to describe how they work with other members of a team.”

“And what do you think they’ll say?” I asked. “I guess they’ll say they work well with other members of a team,” Dan replied. “Right,” I said. “What have you learned about how they work with other members of a

team?” “Not much,” Dan confessed. “All right, then I would ask a specific question, like ‘suppose

you’re working as a member of a team and you hit a snag because one of your coworkers isn’t doing her share of the work; what are you going to do?’”

“Much better,” I said. “But don’t you think she’s likely to tell you what you want to hear?” Dan was becoming frustrated, so I decided to return to his original question. “Dan, the

reason I can agree that all that matters is what a person is willing to do and also maintain that competency-based questions should form the foundation of any interview is that competency- based questions allow you to project, with a high degree of certainty, just what a person is willing or likely to do. Let me illustrate with teamwork. The last question you posed is excellent, but it’s incomplete; you still don’t know if what the applicant says is what she really will do or if she’s just saying what she anticipates is the ‘correct’ answer. Imagine, however, continuing with, ‘tell me about a time at your last job when that happened?’ Her response is going to entail a specific, job-related experience involving teamwork. Since we’re all creatures of habit, it’s likely she’ll approach a similar teamwork challenge the same way in the

Arthur, Diane. <i>Recruiting, Interviewing, Selecting and Orienting New Employees</i>, AMACOM, 2012. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/capella/detail.action?docID=931154. Created from capella on 2019-09-30 19:19:08.

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future as she did in the past.” Dan was chagrined, but he was receptive to hearing more about the merits of competency-

based questions.

Key Competency Categories

For our purposes, a competency is defined as a skill, trait, quality, or characteristic that contributes to a person’s ability to effectively perform the duties and responsibilities of a job. Competencies are the gauges for job success. Identifying job-specific competencies enables you to assess how effective a person has been in the past, and therefore how effectively he is likely to perform in future jobs. While every position requires different competencies, there are four primary categories:

1. Tangible or measurable skills 2. Knowledge 3. Behavior 4. Interpersonal skills

Most jobs emphasize the need for one category over the others, but every employee should be able to demonstrate all four competencies to a greater or lesser extent.

Tangible Competencies

For many jobs today tangible, concrete, or technical skill is critical to success. Tangible competencies demonstrate what applicants have accomplished in past jobs. For example, a sampling of competencies for a technical job includes having overall technical know-how; tailoring technical information to different audiences; applying technical expertise to solve business problems; staying technologically current; understanding the technologies of the organization; optimizing technology; balancing multiple projects; and communicating project status.

Although these concrete competencies are indisputably necessary and should certainly be thoroughly explored during an interview for a technical job, the other three categories should be examined as well. The reason for this is simple: a person brings much more than measurable skills to a job. Complex beings that we all are, we also bring an array of knowledge, behaviors, and interpersonal skills, all of which contribute to our success or failure on the job. This is true regardless of the job or grade level.

Consider this situation: There are two openings for the same type of job and two people are hired, both of them technically competent. One of them, Paul, has slightly more experience than the other, Justine, but both possess outstanding technical know-how. After one year Justine’s performance review reveals that she is doing above average work, while Paul’s indicates borderline, barely adequate performance. Why? Paul has trouble focusing on the key elements of a project and does not interact well with customers. In addition, while Justine responds well to feedback, Paul views suggestions as criticism. His poor performance evaluation is a result of several nontechnical issues. What went wrong?

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Looking back, the interviewer in this scenario focused all of his questions on the applicants’ technical capabilities, erroneously assuming that inquiries relating to the other competencies were irrelevant for a technical job. Had he asked Paul questions about how he interacted with customers in past jobs, or asked for examples of how Paul handled past projects, he might not have extended a job offer despite Paul’s technical expertise.

Knowledge-Based Competencies

The second competency—knowledge—concerns what applicants know and how they think. Included in this category are project-management skills, problem-solving abilities, decision- making skills, the ability to focus on key elements of a task, time management, and the ability to use resources effectively. Many of these are considered intangible qualities, more difficult to measure and quantify than concrete skills, but no less important. Every job, regardless of level, requires a certain degree of knowledge. Even an entry-level position demands some degree of decision making or problem solving. Interviewers should ask knowledge-related questions appropriate to the level and nature of a job to determine not only what applicants know, but also how they think. This is especially important when jobs don’t require previous measurable experience, which would preclude you from drawing conclusions based on past job-related experiences.

Behavior

The third competency concerns how an applicant behaves or acts under certain conditions. Suppose the position calls for a high level of client satisfaction. In past client-oriented jobs, was this applicant committed to developing lasting partnerships with clients? Did she keep clients informed of key developments? Did she follow up to ensure client satisfaction? If she worked as part of a team, or led a team, did she help team members focus on client requirements? Did she incorporate client views in decision making? There are numerous questions you can ask applicants with regard to job-specific behaviors that will reveal whether they’ll behave effectively in your company’s environment.

Interpersonal Skills

The fourth and final competency category involves interpersonal skills, that is, how applicants interact with others. Do they actively listen? Can they exercise self-control when upset? Are they self-motivated and able to work effectively with a wide range of people? Do they respect the views and ideas of others? Are they receptive to feedback? Can they manage conflict effectively?

Every job requires some degree of interaction with others. Regardless of how competent they may be at what they do, what they know, and how they behave, if job applicants are unable to interact effectively with their managers, coworkers, employees, customers, or clients, then their work and the work of others will suffer. Interviewers must ask questions, therefore, that focus on how the applicants interacted in past situations similar to those that are likely to occur in your organization.

Impact of Competencies

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Whether you’re in HR or a manager, it’s not hard to understand how focusing on one set of competencies at the expense of the other three can negatively impact your role as a representative for your organization. If the people you hire exhibit problems, it reflects on your judgment and abilities. It also makes your day-to-day job more difficult, resulting in possible morale, motivational, and productivity concerns. Hiring the wrong people can also be costly.

On the positive side of the ledger, by hiring all-around qualified applicants you get more out of a person. These employees are also more likely to enjoy their work and remain with your company, resulting in a positive impact on turnover rates and recruitment expenses. Productively is also likely to improve, as will levels of customer and client satisfaction.

Job-Specific Competencies

Each job thus requires competencies from all four categories of tangible skills, knowledge, behavior, and interpersonal skills. It also necessitates a different set of job-specific competencies, based on the particular responsibilities involved.

Several sources will determine which competencies are relevant for each opening. Information about the job is generated primarily by the job description (Chapter 5). You can also gather additional information from job requisitions and postings. Also, talk with department heads, managers, and supervisors having an in-depth understanding of the opening. They will be especially helpful with the tangible and knowledge competencies. Incumbents often prove helpful, too, since they can probably provide information regarding the behaviors and interpersonal skills needed for the job.

Once you’ve acquired information about the job, isolate job-specific competencies. This is a two-step procedure: (1) make a list of all the required competencies, and (2) identify each competency according to its category. By example, consider an account representative. Here’s a partial list of competencies needed to successfully perform this job, as determined by examining an HR department–generated job description and posting and conversations with a director of sales and two incumbents. Note that the list consists of both requirements and responsibilities:

Requirements • Experience in managing and executing product sales • Ability to examine, question, evaluate, and report sales • Ability to match timelines and meet deadlines

Responsibilities • Sells business’s products • Assists in the development and implementation of sales plans • Documents quote and sales contract review • Reports sales performance to director of sales • Interprets technical documents as they relate to sales and contracts for company products

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• Interfaces and communicates effectively with technical and nontechnical staff

Now you’re ready to identify each competency according to its category. Review what each of the competencies represents: “Tangible” skills reflect what applicants can do, “knowledge” refers to what they know and how they think, “behaviors” reveal how they act, and “interpersonal skills” indicate how they interact. Return to your list and mark each one with a “T” for tangible, “K” for knowledge, “B” for behavior, or “I” for interpersonal skills. Note that a competency can reflect more than one category:

Requirements

T/K/B Experience in managing and executing product sales

T/K/B/I Ability to examine, question, evaluate, and report sales

B Ability to match timelines and meet deadlines

Responsibilities

T/K Sells business’s products

T/K Assists in the development and implementation of sales plans

T/K Documents quote and sales contract review

T/K Reports sales performance to director of sales

T/K Interprets technical documents as they relate to sales and contracts for company products

B/I Interfaces and communicates effectively with technical and nontechnical staff

Now go back over your list to ensure that all four categories are represented. You will no doubt see a greater emphasis of some competencies over others (in the case of the account representative, the emphasis is on tangible skills). Also, where competencies are paired, tangible and knowledge generally fall together, as do behaviors and interpersonal skills. Sometimes, a competency reflects all four categories. Go back and seek out additional information if all four categories are not represented. Perform this critical step before meeting an applicant to ensure that you’ll probe all relevant areas during the interview.

Having isolated job-specific competencies, you’re ready to correlate what the job requires with what the applicant has to offer. Information about the applicant can come from several sources. Two of the most comprehensive sources are the completed employment application and a resume. Since information appearing on applications and resumes is unlikely to be the same, it’s a good idea to require an application from everyone submitting a resume. Applicants should be instructed to answer all the questions and not to respond to any questions with “see resume.”

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Referrals can also yield valuable applicant-related information. If applicants come to you as a result of staff word-of-mouth recruiting, the referring employee can provide helpful job- related information. Perhaps the two worked together as account representatives in the past; that could yield information about an applicant’s technical, knowledge, and behavior competencies. Maybe your employee supervised the referral in a past job; important information about interpersonal skills may emerge from that relationship. When considering data from referrals, try not to be influenced by irrelevant factors. For example, if the referral comes from a colleague for whom you have little regard, you could be biased against the applicant before even meeting him. Avoid this trap by adhering to job-related competencies, derived from the four primary competency categories.

References (Chapter 13) can also provide valuable information about an applicant. Try to contact at least three former employers to establish a pattern. If one former manager indicates that the applicant was a problem from the outset and was glad when he resigned, but two others suggest that he was outstanding, it’s likely that there were other issues impacting the first reference. You’ll need to probe further to ensure a clear picture.

Characteristics of Competency-Based Questions

Competency-based questions focus on relating past job performance to probable future on-the- job behavior. The questions are based on information relevant to specific job-related skills, abilities, and traits; the answers reveal the likelihood of similar future performance. The process works because past behavior is shown to be an indicator of future behavior. Be careful not to translate this last statement as reading, “Past behavior predicts future behavior” or “Future behavior is the same as past behavior.” Proponents of the competency-based approach to employment interviewing plainly point out that past behavior is an indicator only. No one can predict with absolute certainty how someone will behave in a job. There are too many variables that can affect a person’s performance, among them:

• A significant change in the work environment • The approach, attitude, or personality of a manager • Difficulties in an employee’s personal life • A long-term or degenerative illness or disability • A department’s dramatic departure from established procedures • Mergers, acquisitions, or economic downturns • The introduction of a new organizational philosophy • What is perceived as being an unfair performance review or salary increase • Being bypassed for a promotion

Any of these factors alone can alter how an employee approaches work, and even the most compatible, conscientious, dedicated workers can be affected. Since interviewers cannot anticipate these influences when they first meet an applicant, they need to develop a line of questioning that will project, as accurately as possible, how an employee is likely to behave.

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This is best accomplished by asking the applicant to draw from the past. For example, suppose you have an opening that is known for its emergency projects and

tight deadlines. You can find out if a person is up to the challenge by asking about similar experiences in the past. Here’s how you might phrase the question: “Tell me about a time in your last job when you were given an emergency project with what you believed to be an unrealistic deadline. What did you do?” Suppose the applicant’s response indicates a firm grasp of how to handle this type of situation. You still need to know if the applicant was required to interrupt her normal workload frequently to tend to emergencies, or only once in a while. In addition, you will want to know if the rest of her work suffered while she tended to the emergency project. Some revealing, follow-up competency-based questions would be:

“How many times, in a typical month, did this sort of emergency occur?” “Describe the system you had for effectively dealing with these emergencies and the

impact it had on the rest of your work.” “Who else was involved in meeting these deadlines?” “What was your role vis-à-vis theirs?” “Was there ever a time when you felt the deadline could not be met? What did you do?”

Competency-based questions seek specific examples. These examples will allow you to project how an applicant is likely to perform in your organization. If the environment, conditions, and circumstances are essentially the same in the person’s current or previous company as in yours, then your task has been made simple. Of course, this is rarely the case. That’s why you need to extract information about all four competency categories. You need to know not only if the applicant knew what to do and how to think, but also how to act and interact. Answers to the above follow-up questions will reveal how competent the applicant is in all four categories when confronted with demanding emergency projects.

Competency-based interviews, then, allow you to make hiring decisions based on facts. They are structured, job-specific, and focused on relevant concrete and intangible qualities. In addition, they are legally defensible.

Interviewers should note that competency-based interviews do not consist entirely of competency-based questions: Chapter 8 will explore additional employment interview questioning techniques. Nevertheless, competency-based questions should represent about 70 percent of any interview, supplemented by other types of questions. They will improve the interview by:

• Identifying the skills and characteristics needed to succeed in a specific work environment

• Isolating the competencies required for a given job • Earmarking relevant experiences necessary to have acquired these competencies • Clarifying what applicants have learned from their experiences • Determining whether applicants can apply what they have learned to a given job and

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work environment

Competency-Based Lead-Ins

When preparing competency-based questions, remember two things: They require specific examples concerning what the applicant has done in the past, and they should tie in directly with job-specific competencies.

That said, competency-based questions are among the easiest questions to formulate. If the job requires the ability to oversee a project, you could ask the applicant:

“Tell me about a time when you had to oversee a project: what was the extent of your responsibilities?”

“Tell me about a specific project you worked on; I’m interested in learning about the roles of everyone involved.”

“What did you do in your last job to successfully complete a particularly difficult project?”

Or perhaps the job involves working extensively as a member of a team. The questions might include:

“Describe the circumstances under which you most recently worked as a member of a team.”

“Tell me about a specific time when you worked as a member of a disparate team. How did you resolve any differences that arose?”

“Tell me about a specific instance in which you made suggestions that were not acted upon.”

“Describe a time when you thought you should have led a team because of your knowledge or expertise, but someone else was selected. How did you feel and what did you do?”

Each of these competency-based questions is introduced by a lead-in phrase that alerts the applicant to an important fact: that you want specific examples. Here’s a sampling of competency-based lead-ins:

“Describe a time when you …” “Give an example of a situation in which you…” “Tell me about an instance when you…” “Tell me about a specific job experience in which you …” “Give me an example of a specific occasion when you…” “Describe a situation in which you were called upon to …” “Describe the most significant …” “What did you do in your last job in order to …?” “Tell me about a time when you didn’t want to____________; what happened?” “Describe a situation in which you felt_______; what was the result?”

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By the time you’ve asked the third or fourth competency-based question, applicants will realize that you expect a specific response whenever you begin with a lead-in phrase.

When to Ask Competency-Based Questions

Effective competency-based employment interviews are structured to ensure control by the interviewer and coverage of the four key competencies. They are also, as previously stated, legally defensible. For maximum effectiveness, competency-based interviews should consist of five stages: rapport building, introductory, core, confirmation, and closing. Each has a specific purpose and should take up a designated approximate percentage of the interview. Competency-based questions are highly effective in some stages, minimally effective in others, and relatively useless in others. A summary of the five interview stages, their approximate percentages of time, and the level of effectiveness in asking competency-based questions appears in Exhibit 7-1.

1. Rapport building. This is the stage during which applicants are encouraged to relax and feel at ease with the interviewer. Non-job-related topics are discussed, such as the weather or the applicant’s commute. The rapport-building stage should represent approximately 2 percent of the interview. Competency-based questions are ineffective during this stage.

Exhibit 7-1. The Five Interview Stages

2. Introductory. The initial questions an interviewer poses are intended to help still- nervous applicants feel at ease. These questions should encourage the applicant to talk about a familiar topic, such as his current or most recent job. In addition, the first few questions should be broad enough to generate additional questions, as well as allowing the interviewer to begin assessing relevant verbal and organizational skills. This stage should represent about 3 percent of the interview. Competency-based questions during the introductory stage are minimally

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effective. 3. Core. During this segment interviewers gather information about job-specific skills,

knowledge, behavior, and interpersonal skills. It allows for an examination of the applicant’s past job performance and projects future performance based on explicit job-related examples. Interviewers can ultimately make hiring decisions based on facts as opposed to intuitive feelings. The core stage should represent approximately 85 percent of the interview, with as much as 65 percent of it devoted to competency-based questions. The effectiveness of asking competency-based questions in the core stage is high.

4. Confirmation. During this stage interviewers can verify what they learned about job- specific competencies during the core stage. Topics of discussion should be limited to those aspects of work experience and education already discussed during the core segment. The confirmation stage should represent approximately 5 percent of the interview. The effectiveness of asking competency-based questions in the confirmation stage is minimal.

5. Closing. This final stage is the interviewer’s opportunity to ensure that she has covered all relevant competencies needed to make an effective hiring decision. It is also the applicant’s last chance to sell himself—to say how and why he would be an asset to the organization. The closing stage should represent approximately 5 percent of the interview, with most to all of it taken up with competency-based questions. The effectiveness of asking competency-based questions in this stage is high.

Developing Competency-Based Questions

The information you’ve gathered through job descriptions and other sources, combined with the applicant’s background, will yield a great deal of information about a possible job match —if you know how to phrase your questions properly. Since nearly three-quarters of an interview involves asking for specific examples related to past job performance, interviewers need to convert topics about which they seek information into competency-based questions. Note that it’s not always necessary to ask questions in the interrogative form; statements can often be just as effective.

Developing competency-based questions or statements is best accomplished by first listing the primary duties and responsibilities of the job. Let’s assume there’s an opening for an assistant to the director of human resources. A partial list of tasks reads as follows:

• Recruits and interviews applicants for nonexempt positions; refers qualified applicants to appropriate department managers.

• Performs reference checks on potential employees. • Helps director of human resources plan and conduct each month’s organizational orientation program.

• Assists in the implementation of policies and procedures; may be required to explain or interpret certain policies.

• Assists in the development and maintenance of up-to-date job descriptions for nonexempt positions throughout the company.

• Assists in the maintenance and administration of the organization’s compensation Arthur, Diane. <i>Recruiting, Interviewing, Selecting and Orienting New Employees</i>, AMACOM, 2012. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/capella/detail.action?docID=931154. Created from capella on 2019-09-30 19:19:08.

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program; monitors salary increase recommendations as they are received to ensure compliance with merit increase guidelines.

Now isolate the first task: “Recruits and interviews applicants for nonexempt positions; refers qualified applicants to appropriate department managers.”

Refer to the list of competency-based lead-ins listed (previously in this chapter) and attach them to components of this task. Here’s what you’ll get with very little effort:

“Describe a time when you had a nonexempt position open for an unusually long period of time; how did you eventually fill it?”

“Give an example of a time during which you referred an applicant to a department manager whom you believed should have been hired, but your referral was rejected. How did you resolve your differences with that manager?”

“Tell me about a time when you had more applicants than you could handle.” “Tell me about a specific job experience in which you hired someone who later didn’t

work out.” “Give me an example of a specific occasion when you and a department head didn’t agree

on the requirements for a nonexempt opening. What happened?” “Describe a situation in which you were called upon to fill several openings in one

department simultaneously.” “Describe the most significant recruiting experience you’ve had to date.” “What did you do in your last job to convince a department head to hire someone?” “How often in the last year were you called upon to recruit for especially hard-to-fill

openings? Tell me about those openings and what ultimately happened.” “Tell me about a time when you didn’t want to continue using a long-time recruiting

source; what happened?” “Describe a situation in which you felt uneasy with the answers given by a particular

applicant; what was the end result?”

Of course, you don’t have to use all the lead-ins and you can substitute some with your own. This is exemplified with the remaining tasks, beginning with the second task, “Performs reference checks on potential employees.”

“Describe your process of conducting references. How do you follow up with former employers who fail to respond to your inquiries?”

“Describe a time when you received negative references on an applicant that the department manager wanted to hire anyway; what happened?”

“Tell me about a time when you went back to an applicant with a negative reference and asked if he could explain why he felt the former employer had given the poor reference.”

“Tell me about a reference that sounded too good to be true and later turned out to be just that.”

“Tell me how you go about obtaining references with former employers who will only

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verify dates of employment?” “Tell me some of the questions you ask former employers to determine job suitability.” “Describe a situation in which you received conflicting references from two of an

applicant’s former employers; what did you do?” “Tell me about a time when you called the former manager of an applicant your company

was interested in hiring and she referred you to the HR department.” “How do you handle the verification of school records? Please give me an example of a

specific time when you applied this method; what happened?” “Tell me about a time when an applicant apparently falsified educational credentials; what

did you do?” “Describe an instance in which you received negative references on an applicant after she

had already started work; what happened?”

The next task is “Helps director of human resources plan and conduct each month’s organizational orientation program.” Here are some questions using competency-based lead-ins:

“What did you do in your last job to ensure that the orientation program ran smoothly and effectively?”

“Tell me about a time when you were asked questions during orientation to which you did not have answers.”

“Describe an instance when speakers you had lined up as part of orientation didn’t show up, printed materials weren’t ready, or something went wrong with the equipment. What did you do?”

“Tell me some of the things you did in preparation for your first orientation that you no longer do; why have you stopped?”

“Describe the relationship between you and the other orientation developers and participants.”

“Tell me about a time when you didn’t follow up with orientation attendees who were required to provide feedback; what happened?”

“Tell me about some ideas you might have had for making the orientation experience more meaningful and more helpful to new hires that were adopted; how about some ideas that were not considered.”

The next area to probe is “Assists in the implementation of policies and procedures; may be required to explain or interpret certain policies.” Some useful competency-based questions include:

“Tell me about your role in implementing and interpreting HR policies and procedures for employees.”

“What is the nature of some of the calls you receive from employees with regard to

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policies and procedures?” “Describe a situation in which an employee required additional information about an HR

policy and became upset with the explanation. What did you do?” “Has there ever been a time when an employee challenged the accuracy of a policy or

procedure? Tell me about it.” “Give me an example of a specific occasion when a longtime policy was revised. What

was your role?” “Describe a company policy or procedure that generates the most questions or concerns.

Why do you think that is?”

For “Assists in the development and maintenance of up-to-date job descriptions for nonexempt positions throughout the company,” the following competency-based questions will be helpful:

“Describe your responsibilities when it comes to developing job descriptions.” “Tell me about some of the job categories for which you are responsible.” “Describe how you gather information for job descriptions.” “Tell me about a time when you had difficulty developing a job description. Why do you

think that was?” “Have you ever been in a situation where the incumbents and their managers described a

job differently? What was the outcome?” “How do you ensure that job descriptions remain up to date?” “Give me an example of a specific occasion when a job’s responsibilities, its

corresponding grade, and salary range did not seem to coincide. What happened?” “What do you do to improve your proficiency in developing and maintaining accurate job

descriptions?”

The final area is “Assists in the maintenance and administration of the organization’s compensation program; monitors salary increase recommendations as they are received to ensure compliance with merit increase guidelines.” Consider asking:

“Describe your responsibilities in relation to your organization’s compensation program.” “Tell me how performance appraisals relate to salary increases.” “Tell me about a time when you received a salary increase recommendation from a

department head for an employee whose documented job performance was below average.” “Describe the most challenging aspect of your compensation responsibilities.” “Give me a specific example of a time when an employee objected to the amount of his

recommended increase. What was your role in resolving the dispute?” “Describe a time when an employee was already at the top of her range, but whose

performance warranted a raise. What happened?”

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These six tasks alone resulted in dozens of questions that will yield a great deal of job- related information, reflecting all four competency categories. Additionally, by practicing active listening skills (Chapter 9), the applicant’s answers to these questions are likely to result in even more job-specific questions.

With the half-dozen or so preplanned questions described in Chapter 5, and information contained in the job description, applicant’s application, and resume, competency-based questions should flow freely during the interview.

Formulating these questions is painless and the process is highly productive, enabling you to make an effective hiring decision.

Generic Competency-Based Questions

Among the most effective competency-based questions are those that are generated by job descriptions and resumes/applications. These provide a direct correlation between the position and the applicant. Sometimes, though, interviewers need to explore other aspects of an applicant’s eligibility to provide a complete picture of how well an applicant will fit within the corporate culture, contribute to a team, or function under the direction of a certain management style. Job-specific competency-based questions may not be sufficient to determine whether this fit exists.

Isolating some key, job-related categories and posing a series of generic competency- based questions can help provide the balance needed to ultimately identify the best overall fit for a job.

Exempt Categories and Competency-Based Questions

Here is a list of generic categories that apply to many exempt positions and a series of related competency-based questions:

Decision Making “Tell me about a time when you had to make an unpopular decision; what was the

outcome?” “Describe a time when you were angry about an unfair decision; how did you react? “Give me an example of a time when you made a decision that didn’t turn out the way

you’d planned; what happened? What, if anything, would you do differently?” “Tell me about a decision you had to make to meet an unrealistic deadline; what

happened?” “Tell me about the most productive decision you’ve ever made. Now tell me about the

most unproductive decision you’ve ever made.”

Problem Solving “Tell me about a recent problem at work; how did you resolve it?” “What did you do in your last job to encourage your staff to resolve their own problems?” “Describe the most challenging problem you’ve had to resolve at your current job; what

made it challenging and how did you resolve it?”

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“Give me an example of what you initially perceived as a problem but later turned out not to be.”

“Describe a situation in which you felt overwhelmed by a problem; what was the outcome?”

Communication “Describe a time when you had to made a presentation to senior management; how did you

prepare?” “Give me an example of a time when you made a presentation and were asked questions to

which you didn’t have the answers. What did you do?” “Tell me about a time when you were compelled to communicate bad news to an

employee. What were the circumstances? What happened?” “Describe how you keep staff apprised of goings-on in the department and company-wide.

Tell me about one time when this form of communication broke down; what was the outcome of the breakdown?”

“Describe a situation in which you were called upon to write a report and the contents were misinterpreted; what happened next?”

Delegation “Tell me about a time when you delegated tasks to a staff member who failed to follow

through. What happened? “Describe an instance in which you opted to perform a task outside the scope of your job

description rather than delegate it.” “Give me an example of a time when you delegated a long-term project. How did you

determine and communicate who would perform certain tasks? “Give me an example of a time when an employee complained about a task you delegated;

what happened?”

Time Management “Describe a time when the amount of time you’d set aside for a task proved insufficient;

how did you compensate?” “Tell me about an instance when you had to meet several crucial deadlines

simultaneously.” “Give me an example of a specific occasion when you were unable to meet a deadline.

What, if anything, would you do differently?” “How do you ensure that you always have enough time to accomplish your work? Describe

a time when you applied this approach and it worked; now tell me about a time when it didn’t work; what happened?”

“Tell me how you prioritize your assignments and budget your time.” “Think of a time when you had a number of people working on different aspects of a

project; now describe the timeline you developed for completion and how you ensured that each stage was being met.”

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Nonexempt Categories and Competency-Based Questions

Here’s a list of generic categories that apply to many nonexempt positions and a series of related competency-based questions:

Ability to Follow Instructions “Tell me about a time when you were given instructions but had difficulty following them.” “Describe a time when you were given incomplete instructions; what did you do?” “Tell me about a specific instance in which you were given instructions that didn’t make

sense, but you hesitated to ask for clarification; what happened?” “Describe a situation in which you disagreed with instructions for completing a task.” “Give me an example of the type of instructions that you find easiest to follow; most

difficult.”

Telephone Skills “Tell me about a specific job experience in which an irate customer kept calling your boss,

who told you to ‘handle it’; what did you do?” “Describe a time when your supervisor said the information you recorded on a call slip

was incomplete or incorrect.” “Give me an example of a time when you had trouble understanding someone on the

phone.” “Tell me about an instance when you had a great deal of work to do but the phones kept

ringing; what did you do?” “Tell me about a time when a particular member of management called your supervisor to

complain about how you spoke with her; what happened?”

Juggling Multiple Tasks “Tell me about a time when you were given assignments by several supervisors, all due at

the same time; how did you prioritize the work?” “Describe an instance when you thought you’d been given too much work to do.” “Tell me about a situation whereby you didn’t want to work overtime, but you knew it

would be the only way you were going to get all your work done. What did you do?” “Give me an example of a time when you felt you were being asked to juggle more tasks

than everyone else in the department.” “Describe an occasion when your supervisor expressed appreciation for how well you

juggled multiple tasks.”

Exempt and Nonexempt Categories and Competency-Based Questions

Here is a list of generic categories that may apply to both exempt and nonexempt positions and a series of related competency-based questions:

Ideal Work Environment “Tell me about the best work environment in which you’ve ever worked; how did it

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compare with your concept of the ideal work environment? Now tell me about the worst work environment in which you’ve ever worked; how did it compare with your concept of the ideal work environment?”

“Tell me about three aspects of your current work environment that you would change if you could.”

“Describe a task you’ve been asked to perform in a less-than-ideal environment. How did you cope?”

“Give me an example of a job that on the surface appeared to be ideal, but later turned out to be far less than ideal.”

“Tell me about a time when you didn’t want to take a job because of the work environment, but you were later glad you did.”

Employer/Employee or Coworker Relations “Give me an example of a time when you had to deal with a difficult coworker. How did

you handle the situation?” “Tell me about the most productive employer-employee relationship you’ve ever had.

What made it so productive? How about the least productive employer-employee relationship?”

“Tell me about a time in your current job when you made a suggestion about a better way to perform a process. What was your employer’s reaction? How did it affect your relationship?”

“Tell me about a specific instance in which you felt a coworker took credit for your work; what did you do?”

“Describe a meeting during which your coworker blamed you, in front of your boss, for an error that you hadn’t made.”

Strengths and Areas Requiring Improvement “Tell me about a time when you were able to convert an area requiring improvement into a

strength.” “What did you do in your last job to improve one particular area requiring improvement?” “Identify three of your greatest strengths and tell me about three separate occasions in

which you were able to apply them.” “Describe a situation in which an area requiring improvement adversely impacted your

coworkers. What would you do differently if given the opportunity?” “Which of your strengths do you apply when faced with a crisis?”

Working Under Pressure “What do you do at work to relieve stress?” “Tell me about a time when you made mistakes because you were working under too much

pressure. What was the outcome?” “Describe an instance in which you thrived working under pressure. Please be specific.” “Please provide your personal definition of what working under pressure means; give me

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an example of when those circumstances prevailed at your last job; how did you handle the pressure?”

“Tell me about a specific job experience in which you were working under pressure because of ineffective leadership. What did you do?”

Motivation “Tell me about a job that provided a motivating environment; please describe that

environment in detail.” “Describe an aspect of your current job that you find especially motivating.” “Tell me how you motivate yourself to perform tasks you dislike.” “Describe a situation in which you felt unmotivated. What happened? What, if anything,

did you do to feel more motivated?”

Summary

A competency is a skill, trait, quality, or characteristic that contributes to a person’s ability to effectively perform the duties and responsibilities of a job. Identifying job-specific competencies enables you to assess how effective a person has been in the past and therefore how effectively she is likely to perform in your organization. There are four primary competency categories: tangible or measurable skills, knowledge, behavior, and interpersonal skills. Most jobs emphasize the need for one category over the others, but every employee should be able to demonstrate competencies to some extent in all four categories. Every job also requires a set of specific competencies, based on its individual requirements and responsibilities.

Competency-based questions seek specific examples and are introduced by lead-in phrases that alert applicants to this end. They are also structured, job-specific, and legally defensible. Hence, you are able to make hiring decisions based on facts.

Competency-based questions should constitute about 70 percent of any interview, supplemented by other types of questions.

For maximum effectiveness, competency-based interviews should consist of five stages: rapport building, introductory, core, confirmation, and closing. Each has a specific purpose and should take up a designated approximate percentage of the interview.

Although the most effective competency-based questions are generated by job descriptions and resumes/applications, interviewers may need to explore other aspects of an applicant’s eligibility to provide a complete picture of how well an applicant will fit within an organization’s culture. Isolating some key job-related categories and posing a series of generic competency-based questions can help provide the balance needed to ultimately identify the best overall fit for a job.

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