Many job seekers from all over the globe, with no exception, are coming to New Zealand looking for new opportunities. The traditional way to embark on any job is by submitting a CV and a cover letter. A job interview is a next stage that will culminate either in selection or rejection. Have you heard about a competency-based job interview? Are there any terms and conditions to get this interview done? Let’s find out!

What is a Competency-Based Interview?

Every applicant is expecting the awaiting questions of a job interview. The preparation for this meeting is essential to get the job. If you want to discover sample interview questions explained in detail, visit Fratres to know how you would structure your convincing answers. Offering different job interview guidelines is to help applicants come out with the best performance to nail the job. A competency-based interview is one of the interview types that test the competency of applicants. This interview enables recruiters to know whether you meet all the requirements. How would they conclude that? It is through trying your competencies.

There are several ways to test your skills. Some of them are:

-Evaluation: a competency-based interview is intended to evaluate your skills in some fields.

-Situational plots: this interview is also known as a structured interview. It relies on structuring some situations to see your reaction to the story.

-Behavioral questions: you may encounter questions related to the way you would behave.

-General knowledge: you may get questioned about things far from your field of expertise and have a deep connection with the general knowledge.

STAR approach: many interviewers use this technique to select the perfect applicant. For those who don’t know about STAR. It is an acronym standing for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Here is what you should expect in each section:

• Situation: your interviewer will invite you to consider a challenging situation.
• Task: this section involves all the tasks, such as the operations needed to overcome the initial challenging problem.
• Action: this section is about the actions taken during the tasks.
• Result: as it tells from its name, you will describe where your actions have taken you in the final result.

Which Competencies to Improve?

Some people are worried about this type of interview, as they think it will involve tough questions and unexpected situations. That’s why it is essential to work on the following skills:

1.Improve your communication: the competency-based interview questions usually target communication skills to see how you would communicate, inform, negotiate, etc.

2. Improve your attention to detail: there are many questions related to memory, focus, and concentration. Try not to be absent-minded during the meeting.

3. Improve your adaptability: as an applicant, you should have a level of adaptability to show in your answers, such as your ability to work on flexible schedules and in remote places.

4.Improve your problem-solving skills: try to show recruiters that you can overcome problems.

Competency-based Interview Questions and Answers:

It’s time to move to the practical side of your interview and expect the various quizzes that you need to answer.

1.Describe a project.

If you have applied to a job that requires project-management skills, you should expect this type of question. In this situation, you need to show the following points:

-Define the project in question, be it an actual project or your final year project if you are a fresh graduate.

-introduce the elements required for the project, including the skills and the expertise employed to execute the tasks.

- identify how long this project takes to get accomplished.

2.How do you overcome conflicts that can affect your work? 

This question is about testing your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with a team. You can structure an answer based on a real-life experience or on your potential preparations to overcome troubles. Always highlight that you are a good communicator. Example:

When I was a trainee, I got complaints from customers online. Since the image of the company matters, I had to intervene before the matter became more extensive and people conducted the campaign to boycott the product and services. So, I decided to communicate with the person who was dissatisfied with the services and accused the company. Since the customers’ reviews are essential for the company’s sales rate and community building, I negotiated with the client to understand the area of disappointment and took his reviews to the department that can reimburse the client. The problem is solved within a few minutes. Take a look at What are the Best Call Center jobs in New Zealand?

3.What would you say when someone is planning to quit the position you have applied for?

This question is about testing whether you see yourself as worth the position or not. Would you feel bad if someone quits the same position or takes advantage of the news and recommends getting hired instead? This question reflects your personality as well. You can say, as a new applicant, I cannot judge a book by its cover. I cannot say that this position has a dark side that pushed an employee to quit or say that this employee does not deserve the position. What matters for me is that everyone knows its proper place.

4. What makes you think that you are in the right place?

This question is associated with your answer to the previous one. You can expect questions made depending on what you have said previously. This question is similar to what makes you think that you are suitable for the job. Your answer should highlight your interest in the job, plus some motives behind your application.

I am sure I am at the right place. When I first read the job description, I found myself meeting the requirements and meeting my interests in the job. I feel that I can cope with the workplace policies, challenge myself in some new missions, and get integrated into a motivating environment.

5. Tell me about a significant decision you made recently? What were the consequences?

This question is about decision-making competency. So it would be best if you showed that you can plan and think before making any decision. It would help if you also culminated your decision with positive consequences. Here is an example:

I decided to learn sign language. I thought that this language would be a bonus for developing my communication skills with the sign language community. First, I didn’t have time to learn it. But, the lockdown started. I invested my confinement in learning this language. Within four months, I obtained a degree in sign languages, and I volunteered to translate signs for a social organization.

These were the top 5 competency-based interview questions with some challenging and behavioral situations to test your skills. You can visit Fratres for more interview guidelines.