Why You Should Be Using Competency-Based Questions During the Hiring Process

Recruiting the right people is one of the most important, and challenging, tasks for any organisation. In a world where technical skills can be taught, but values and behaviours are harder to change, traditional interview techniques often fall short. That’s where competency-based questions come in.

Competency-based interviews (also known as behavioural interviews) are designed to uncover how a candidate has performed in real-world situations, giving you a much clearer picture of how they’ll handle similar challenges in your business.

Let’s look at why this approach is such a game-changer for hiring teams.

You Get Evidence, Not Just Promises

Traditional interview questions like “What would you do if…” tend to elicit theoretical answers that sound good but may not reflect reality. Competency-based questions flip that on its head.

By asking “Tell me about a time when you…” or “Give me an example of how you…”, you’re prompting candidates to share specific examples of past behaviour. This gives you tangible evidence of how they’ve demonstrated key skills and competencies, whether that’s leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, or adaptability.

They Help Predict Future Performance

The logic behind competency-based interviews is simple but powerful: past behaviour is the best predictor of future performance.

If a candidate can clearly demonstrate that they’ve managed a difficult client, led a team through change, or delivered under pressure before, there’s a strong chance they’ll do it again. This approach helps reduce hiring risk and improves your ability to spot genuine top performers.

Fairer and More Consistent Interviews

Bias is one of the biggest challenges in recruitment. Without a structured framework, interviews can become inconsistent and subjective. Competency-based questions help level the playing field.

Because each candidate is assessed against the same predefined competencies and asked the same core questions, it’s easier to make fair comparisons. This approach encourages objective decision-making, supports diversity and inclusion efforts, and reduces the influence of unconscious bias.

They Reveal More About a Candidate’s Soft Skills

While CVs can showcase technical expertise, they rarely capture how a person thinks, collaborates, or responds to challenges. Competency-based interviews help uncover these soft skills, the interpersonal abilities that often determine long-term success.

For example:

• “Tell me about a time when you had to influence someone without direct authority.”

• “Describe a situation where you had to adapt quickly to change.”

  
  

These questions open up conversations that reveal communication style, emotional intelligence, and resilience, all of which are invaluable in today’s workplace.

Better Cultural Fit and Retention

Hiring isn’t just about skills, it’s about finding people who align with your organisation’s values and culture. Competency-based questions allow you to assess this alignment early.

When you understand how a candidate approaches teamwork, conflict, and accountability, you can better gauge whether they’ll thrive in your environment. And when people fit well, retention improves, saving you time and cost in the long run.

Easier to Train Interviewers and Scale the Process

For growing businesses, consistency across hiring teams is crucial. Competency-based interviewing provides a clear framework that can be easily taught, replicated, and scaled.

It empowers hiring managers with a structured approach, reduces guesswork, and ensures every interview is focused on the behaviours that matter most to success in the role.

Final Thoughts

Competency-based questions are more than just a hiring trend, they’re a proven method for identifying high-performing, high-potential candidates.

By focusing on real experiences rather than hypothetical answers, you gain deeper insights, make fairer hiring decisions, and build stronger, more capable teams.

So next time you’re planning interviews, swap out the generic “Where do you see yourself in five years?” and try a few competency-based questions instead. You’ll be amazed at how much more you learn.