Competency (Behavioral) Interviewing

Competency interviewing, also known as behavioral interviewing, is a structured method widely used by recruiters.

Instead of asking hypothetical questions, it focuses on your past experiences to assess how you have performed in real work situations.

Understanding the objective: Predicting future performance based on past performance

The fundamental principle behind this type of interview is that the best way to predict your future performance is by analyzing your past behavior.

The interviewer will ask you to describe specific situations you have experienced to understand how you applied certain skills or competencies (such as teamwork, problem solving, leadership, etc.).

They are looking for concrete evidence of your capabilities.

Prepare to use the STAR (or P-STAR-R) technique in your answers.

The most effective and recommended way to structure your answers in a competency-based interview is by using the STAR technique.

This technique helps you organize your story clearly and completely:

Situation: Describe the context - where and when did it happen?

Task: What was your specific objective or responsibility in that situation?

Action: What did you do specifically? Describe your actions step by step.

Result: What was the outcome? What did you achieve? Quantify if possible.

You may also consider the P-STAR-R variant, which adds a preliminary Preparation step (choose the best example) and a final Reflection step (what did you learn).

Mastering this technique is crucial to answering accurately.

Have concrete examples of your accomplishments and challenges ready.

The key to success in a behavioral interview is preparing specific examples.

Before the interview, review the job description, identify the key competencies required and think of specific situations from your past (work, academic or even volunteer) where you have demonstrated those competencies.

Have detailed stories ready about your accomplishments (successful projects, goals overcome) and also about how you handled challenges or difficult situations.

The more concrete examples you have ready to adapt to the questions, the more confident and convincing you will be.

Summary

It is a structured method that focuses on your past experiences to evaluate how you have behaved. The fundamental principle is that your past behavior predicts your future performance.

The most effective and recommended way to structure your answers is by using the STAR technique. It helps you organize your story: Situation, Task, Action and Result.

The key to success is the preparation of specific examples. Before the interview, identify the key competencies and think of concrete situations where you have demonstrated them, both achievements and challenges.