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These days, many Hiring Managers use Competency-Based Interview Questions when assessing potential job candidates. Read our guide to learn more about how to prepare for a competency-based job interview.

What Is The Competency-Based Interview Style?

Also known as Behavioural Interviews, Competency-Based Interviews are a form of structured interview where the Hiring Manager asks the candidate a series of questions designed to gauge their core competencies. In this instance, a “competency” refers to knowledge, skills, and attributes that enable a person to perform their job successfully. 

The central concept behind Competency-Based Interviews is that past behaviour is the best way to predict future performance. The typical question style requires the candidate to provide anecdotes demonstrating how they have used certain skills in the past. The interviewer can then use this information to gain an insight into the candidate’s personality and judge how well they would approach different tasks and situations. 

Generally speaking, Hiring Managers who employ this technique as part of their recruitment process will take a standardised approach by asking the same or similar questions to all candidates. This allows them to more easily compare the candidates against each other and select the best person for the job. 

At the outset of the hiring process, the Hiring Manager will have prepared a Competency Framework. The CIPD defines this as a measurable and detailed “structure that sets out and defines each competency required by individuals working in an organisation or part of that organisation.” This will typically consist of 4-6 key competencies, which are essential to performance in that particular role. The Hiring Manager typically uses a scale to measure how well each candidate satisfies the Competency Framework devised for the job.

The structured, systematic and standardised nature of the Competency-Based Interview style ensures that the Hiring Manager hires someone whose skill set most closely matches the specific needs of the job.

What Are The Origins of the Competency-Based Interview Style?

The origins of Competency Based Interviews can be traced back to the work of the psychologist David McClelland in the 1970s. McClelland argued that taking a competency-based approach was more effective than traditional methods (e.g. IQ tests, personality assessments etc. ) for assessing a candidate’s potential for on-the-job success. According to McClelland, employers should focus both on behavioural qualities as well as on the individual’s proven abilities and technical skills. While McClelland’s ideas were groundbreaking and controversial at the time, these theories have since become standard practice in many organisations. 

Why Do Hiring Managers Use the Competency-Based Interview Style?

“Behavioural interviews are used by 73% of HR professionals around the world.” – TalentLyft

Study after study has revealed that unfocused interview techniques result in poor quality hires and costly hiring mistakes. The biggest advantage of Competency-Based Interviewing is that it works. It is a powerful hiring tool that empowers Hiring Managers to make better-informed decisions. What’s more, it has been shown that competency-based interviewing works excellently when used in tandem with assessment centre exercises and psychometric tests. 

Another major ​benefit associated with the competency-based interview style is that it encourages greater diversity. The focus on behaviour ensures that candidates from all demographics and backgrounds receive equal and fair consideration for the role. 

How To Tell When You’re Being Asked A Competency-Based Interview Question

It is easy to recognise competency-based interview questions from their phrasing. A competency question will typically ask you to describe a situation, challenge or task that you encountered in the past. Typical phrasings include: 

• Tell me about a time when …
• Give me an example of when …
• Can you describe a time when …
• Have you ever been in a situation where …

How to Prepare for A Competency-Based Interview

1. Read and re-read the job ad as well as any other information you can find that is related to the position. This will help you to identify core competencies required for the job and anticipate what kind of questions you may be asked in the interview.
2. If you are working with a recruiter, ask them what skills will be most important for the role. The recruiter will be able to give you useful insider insights based on their relationship with the hiring organisation.
3. Create a list of core competencies and reflect on specific times in your career when you successfully made use of these.
4. Use the CAR Model (outlined below) to prepare your answers in a structured and strategic way. 

Using the CAR Method to Answer Competency-Based Interview Questions

The golden rule when you’re answering behavioural interview questions is to adhere to the CAR Principle: Context, Action, Result. Remember these three steps and you’ll be well on your way to thoroughly impressing your interviewer.

• Context: Describe a situation and set the scene for a relevant example. The key here is to choose an example that clearly demonstrates the quality or skill about which the employer is asking.
• Action: Explain the actions you took. Be specific and outline your steps and rationale. 
• Result: Detail the outcome of your action. Offer specific facts relating to the result. For instance, quote figures and statistics that back up your declaration. 

CAR In Action 

Q: Tell me about a time when you helped to turn around your team’s sales performance.

Context: “One of my previous employer’s sales divisions was experiencing decreasing sales – so I was brought in to help reverse the situation. My challenge was to manage the team effectively so they were able to exceed (not just meet) their sales targets.”

Action: “Over a six-month period, I introduced several initiatives within the team, including:

• setting specific and measurable sales targets for each individual within the team;
• introducing weekly sales meetings for the team and for each individual within the team;
• implementing a structured sales training program.
• I also conducted market research to identify what our main competitors were doing, set up focus groups with major clients to establish key goals, and introduced a new remuneration system that linked sales performance to remuneration packages.”

Result: “We increased sales by 60% and exceeded sales targets by 25% in the first quarter, and continued the upward trajectory throughout the next year.

Examples of Competency-Based Interview Questions

Liked This? Why Not Read Our Other Guides On Commonly-Asked Job Interview Questions

• Tell Me About Yourself
• Why Do You Want to Work With Us?
• What Are Your Strengths & Weaknesses?
• Why Should We Hire You?
• What Are Your Salary Expectations?
• Why Did You Leave Your Previous Job?
• How to Explain Gaps on Your CV in a Job Interview
• Do you have any questions for us? 
• How do you handle workplace conflict?

Have an important interview coming up? Check out our dedicated guide to learn helpful strategies and techniques for answering “Why Should We Hire You?” in a job interview.

Why Do Hiring Managers Ask This Question? 

If you have progressed to the interview stage, that means that you have met the basic qualifications for the job. The question “why should we hire you” gives you the opportunity to set yourself apart from the competition. A well-prepared response should encompass a succinct sales pitch for the Hiring Manager that demonstrates the unique value you can bring to both the role and the organisation. 

Alternative Phrasings of “Why Should We Hire You?”

• Why would you be a good fit for this position?
• What makes you unique?
• Why are you the best candidate for this job?
• Explain why your background and experience would be a good fit for this job.
• What unique value could you bring to this organisation?

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How to Prepare Your Answer To “Why Should We Hire You?” – A Step-By-Step Guide

1. List your Biggest Professional Strengths & Achievements 

Maxwell Maltz once wrote that your “most important sale in life is to sell yourself to yourself.” In order to successfully sell yourself as a candidate, you have to believe in your abilities. As such, it’s important to take time to assess your unique strengths and values as a candidate. To this end, confidence-building is key.

Grab a notepad and write a master list of your professional strengths and achievements. Try to back up each item with supporting evidence such as an anecdote or data. Keep this list in a safe place so that you can use it again for other job applications. 

2. Read & Re-Read the Job Ad

Identify the key skills and qualities mentioned in the job ad and think about times when you illustrated these in your career. 

3. Cross-Compare Your List Against the Job Ad

Check if there is any overlap between the items featured on your list and the keywords featured in the job ad. Of these, choose 3-4 points to build your response around. 

4. Craft the Perfect Elevator Pitch 

Now that you have identified your talking points, you can develop your response. Remember – the main aim of your answer is to show the interviewer the unique value you could add to the role. As such, be sure to connect the dots between your skills and the needs of the organisation. A strong elevator pitch should be short, compelling, memorable and to the point. If you are working with a recruitment partner, they can help you with this step. 

5. Nail the Delivery 

Once you have prepared an elevator pitch that you are happy with, practice, practice, practice!  Ideally, you want to know your key talking points while not sounding too rehearsed. Positive body language (a.g. smiling, making eye contact, maintaining good posture) can also help you to project confidence. When you finish your answer, resist the temptation to continue rambling. Instead, ask the interviewer if they have any questions for you. 

What to Say If You Have No Relevant Professional Experience

This question can be particularly tricky for entry-level candidates who are looking to gain industry experience. Here are our top five tips for such candidates:

• Don’t forget about soft skills – think about what character traits would help you to succeed in the role.
• Don’t forget to mention any relevant volunteering experience.
• If you are a recent graduate, you can highlight how your studies are relevant to the job and how you put these skills and knowledge to use through projects and extracurricular activities.
• If you have worked in previous unrelated roles, think back on transferable soft skills that would be useful in this role.
• Highlight that you have a learning mindset and are happy to work hard and learn fast.

Why Should We Hire You? | 5 Things to Avoid in Your Answer

1. Talking Too Much

We recommend preparing a succinct response that brings together three to four points about the unique value you can bring to the role. Once you have covered your talking points, clearly indicate that you have finished answering and avoid the temptation to continue rambling on aimlessly. 

2. Being Too Modest

Everyone finds it hard to talk about themselves but now is not the time to be shy about sharing your achievements and skills. 

3. Being Arrogant

Similarly, you don’t want to come off as braggy, arrogant and overconfident. Back up your statements with relevant supporting evidence such as anecdotes and statistics. 

4. Giving A Generic Answer

Take the time to craft an original response that uniquely speaks to your skills, experience and achievements. Go the extra mile and tailor your answer to the requirements of the job and the culture of the company. 

5. Reciting an Answer By Heart

When it comes to impressing interviewers, delivery is the key. And what is the answer to a successful delivery? Confidence. So what can you do to convey confidence in the interview? Firstly, be prepared. Know your talking points inside and out so that can discuss them confidently and answer any questions that may arise. However, at the same time you don’t want to appear be robotically reciting a learned-off answer. As a candidate, you need to be able to the script while being able to deviate off-script when needed. 

What If They Don’t Ask You “Why Should We Hire You?”

Preparing a response for the question “Why Should We Hire You?” will give you plenty of talking points for the interview. If the interviewer doesn’t ask you this question, you can simply repurpose your answer by chopping and changing elements of your prepared response based on the interviewer’s question. You could re-use your answer for a number of questions such as, “What are your biggest strengths?”, “What is your greatest professional achievement?”, “Is there anything else you’d like us to know? ” etc. 

Liked This? Why Not Read Our Other Guides On Commonly-Asked Job Interview Questions

• Tell Me About Yourself
• Why Do You Want to Work With Us?
• What Are Your Strengths & Weaknesses?
• Why Should We Hire You?
• What Are Your Salary Expectations?
• Why Did You Leave Your Previous Job?
• How to Explain Gaps on Your CV in a Job Interview
• Killer Questions to Ask the Inteviewer
• How do you deal with workplace conflict?
• How to Answer Competency-Based Interview Questions

One question that is frequently asked in job interviews is “how do you manage conflict at work?” Read our guide for top tips on how to prepare a flawless response to this question.  

What is Workplace Conflict? 

Workplace conflict occurs when disagreements arise between colleagues. These disagreements may be caused by opposing ideas, interests, or beliefs. Workplace conflict can take many forms, including

• A single disagreement or argument
• Chronic difficult relationships
• Personality clashes 
• Verbal abuse
• Harassment
• Bullying
• Discrimination 

There are many reasons why a conflict may arise in the workplace, such as disagreements about leadership style, poor coordination between groups/individuals, conflicting work styles and cultural differences. 

Why Do Interviewers Ask About Workplace Conflict?

“The quality of our lives depends not on whether or not we have conflicts, but on how we respond to them.” – Thomas Crum

Most professionals will encounter conflict at some point in their working lives. While workplace conflict can be unpleasant and stressful to deal with, it offers a major learning opportunity and is a good test of interpersonal skills. As such, how a candidate answers the question “how do you manage conflict at work” can reveal a lot of useful information about their skills and personality. 

From a positive standpoint, the candidate’s response could indicate strong skills in communication and conflict resolution, empathy, a willingness to compromise and level-headedness. Conversely, their answer may also reveal weak communication and interpersonal skills, egotism, poor emotional regulation, and general unprofessionalism. These are valuable insights that allow the interviewer to assess how well the candidate would fit within their team and the wider company culture. 

Alternative Phrasings 

• How do you handle conflict? Give me an example.
• Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult co-worker. 
• Give me an example of a time when you disagreed with your boss.
• How do you deal with differences of opinion when working on a team?
• Was there ever a time when you disagreed with a rule, policy or approach and how you handled it.
• Tell me about a time you had to respond to an unhappy customer or client

How Do You Manage Workplace Conflict? | An Example of A Behavioural Interview Question 

“Behavioral interviewing is a job interviewing technique where candidates are asked to describe past performance and behaviour to determine whether they are suitable for a position. Behavioural-based interviewing provides a more objective set of facts to make employment decisions compared to other interviewing methods.” ~ University of Missouri-Kansas City

“How do you manage conflict at work?” is an example of a behavioural job interview question. This questioning style is based on the concept that past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour. Behavioural interviews involve asking the candidate to talk about their past experiences in order to demonstrate their abilities. Behavioural questions are easily recognisable because they follow a similar same format and typically start with “Tell me about a time…” or “Give me an example of…” 

Using the CAR Technique to Answer the Question “How Do You Manage Conflict at Work?”

The golden rule when you’re answering behavioural interview questions is to adhere to the CAR Principle: Context, Action, Result. Remember these three steps and you’ll be well on your way to thoroughly impressing your interviewer:

1. Context: Describe the workplace issue briefly and set the scene for a relevant example. 
2. Action: Explain the actions you took to address the conflict. Be specific and outline your steps and rationale.
3. Result: Detail the outcome of your action. Offer specific facts relating to the positive outcome of your actions e.g. figures, statistics, quotes etc.

How to Select an Example of Workplace Conflict to Talk About 

As part of your interview preparation, you will need to brainstorm an example of workplace conflict. Ideally, your chosen example should have a positive outcome that came about as a direct result of the actions you took. What’s more, your chosen story should also highlight a key learning moment for you in your career. 

@careerwithboris How to answer the conflict question in an interview #careeradvice #interviewtips #careerwithboris ♬ Swear By It – Chris Alan Lee

8 Points to Highlight in Your Answer 

1. Illustrate that you can stay calm in a stressful situation. 
2. Assure your interviewer that you are a good listener who strives to understand the other party’s opposing viewpoint without getting upset. 
3. Show them that you think logically and are willing to compromise when needed. 
4. Highlight that you keep the organisation’s best interests in mind.
5. Showcase your discretion by mentioning how the conflict resolution took place in a private space.
6. Demonstrate that you can be accountable for yourself and accept responsibility when appropriate.  Don’t be afraid to admit that you were in the wrong, if that’s what happened.
7. Show that you have learned from the incident and put it behind you. 
8. Show that in spite of your disagreement, you still respect the other party and don’t hold a grudge with them over the conflict. 

What Not to Say When Answering “How Do You Manage Workplace Conflict?”

• Don’t dodge the question by saying that you have never experienced a work conflict because you get along with everyone. 
• Similarly, don’t evade the question by giving a vague or general answer. 
• Don’t mention that you don’t handle conflict well. 
• Avoid using emotional or negative language as this may make you seem unreasonable or difficult to work with.
• Don’t blame others or bash past colleagues or bosses.
• Don’t spend too much time talking about the conflict, at the expense of explaining the resolution. 
• Don’t become confrontational when the interview asks follow-up questions.  
• Don’t waste time describing unnecessary details. 

Sample Answers to the Question “How Do You Manage Conflict at Work?”

“How do you manage conflict at work?”

Based on my professional experience, I think I handle conflict well. I feel conflict arises naturally when people care about their work and have strong opinions about how best to get it done. I admit that in the past, I have become defensive when trying to express my opinion.

These situations can be stressful, so I also need to pay careful attention to my feelings and behaviour. If I find that things are getting intense, I use calming tactics such as mindful breathing and meditation to reflect on the issue and readjust my attitude. This helps me to actively listen to the other person and better understand their point of view without becoming defensive or confrontational. 

When I have a conflict at work, my main priority is to find a resolution that is mutually beneficial for everyone involved. In order to achieve this, I need to stay calm and engage in a meaningful dialogue with the other person. 

“Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult co-worker.”

In one of my previous roles, I had a colleague who never finished her work on time. Given the fast-paced nature of the work, this led to backlogs and delays. I often found myself picking up the slack and working harder and later to cover for her. This carried on for about two months and I realised that my co-worker would never change her ways if I kept covering for her. 

So, I booked a meeting room so we could discreetly hash out the issue and find solutions. It eventually became clear that she was agreeing to more work than her job description had actually specified. In order to resolve this, we agreed that she needed to have a frank discussion with her line manager in order to clarify expectations.

In the end, her manager agreed to reassign some of her workload to more relevant people. This really helped to alleviate pressure on me, my colleague and our team and we no longer struggled to meet deadlines.  

“Tell me about a time you disagreed with your boss.”

When preparing a report about the performance of past projects, my manager asked me to delete data about unsuccessful projects. I was reluctant to do this because I knew that omitting this information would skew the report. I expressed my concerns to my manager, but he insisted that I proceed with removing the data. 

After careful consideration, I decided that the best course of action would be to escalate my concerns to the next level of management. They sided with my manager and supported his decision to remove the data. 

So, I did as I was told and removed the data. However, I added a line to the report saying that the featured data only represented successful projects. Throughout the incident, I made sure to document the situation with a digital paper trail and to document the situation, in case of a future investigation.  

While I understood my manager’s thinking, I was not willing to completely go back on my values. I feel that the actions I took offered an appropriate compromise.  As a result of these performance reports, my team did eventually receive a greater budget for future projects. 

“How do you deal with differences of opinion when working on a team?”

In my last job, I worked as part of a team to prepare a presentation for a new client. There was a disagreement within the team about how best to approach this task. Some people wanted to hold daily meetings, whereas the others, including myself, thought there was no need for this because we had a log in which we could easily report and track our progress. I felt that the other approach would take up too much valuable time.

Rather than get into an argument, we all got together so everyone got a chance to explain their reasoning for their side. Eventually, we reached a comprise and decided to hold a short daily meeting of no more than ten minutes so all team members could keep up to date with how the presentation was progressing.

More Job Interview Guides

• Tell Me About Yourself
• Why Do You Want to Work With Us?
• Why Should We Hire You?
• What Are Your Strengths & Weaknesses?
• Why Should We Hire You?
• What Are Your Salary Expectations?
• Why Did You Leave Your Previous Job?
• How to Explain Gaps on Your CV in a Job Interview
• Do You Have Any Questions for Us? 
• A Guide to Competency-Based Interview Questions