Competency-based interviewing is a structured hiring method that assesses candidates against defined competencies using behavioural questions, probing follow-ups and a scoring rubric. It makes evaluation more objective and predictive than unstructured interviews. Bodhih's 2-day workshop has interviewers build a complete interview kit for a real open role, followed by 90 days of calibration sessions.
- Delivered in person at your location or as live virtual sessions
- Designed with the ADDIE model and evaluated for behaviour change
- Offered by Bodhih since 2008 to 2,000+ organisations across 7 regions
Where and how: competency-based interviewing training as an in-person workshop in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Jaipur; as a live online course; or delivered overseas in Dubai, Singapore and across the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Last reviewed by Siddharthan VGJ, Founder · Bodhih Training, Bengaluru
In today’s competitive job market, finding the right talent is essential for organizational success. Traditional interviews often fall short in assessing a candidate’s true capabilities and potential for success. This is where competency-based interviewing emerges as a powerful tool in the hiring process. By focusing on specific skills, behaviors, and experiences, competency-based interviewing provides valuable insights into a candidate’s suitability for a role. In this article, we will explore the concept of competency-based interviewing, its benefits, and how it revolutionizes the hiring landscape.
Defining Competency-based Interviewing :
Competency-based interviewing is an approach that aims to assess a candidate’s competencies, which are the specific knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attributes required for successful job performance. Unlike traditional interviews that rely heavily on hypothetical questions and general responses, competency-based interviews delve into a candidate’s past experiences and achievements. By evaluating real-life situations and actions, employers gain a more accurate understanding of a candidate’s abilities and potential.
Benefits of Competency-based Interviewing:
Enhanced Predictability
Competency-based interviewing provides a more reliable predictor of future performance. By assessing candidates based on specific competencies, employers can gauge their ability to handle job-related challenges and responsibilities effectively.
Objective Evaluation
Competency-based interviewing introduces objectivity into the hiring process. Instead of relying on subjective impressions, employers evaluate candidates against predetermined criteria. This standardized approach minimizes biases and ensures fair assessments.
Deeper Insight
Through competency-based interviews, employers gain a deeper understanding of a candidate’s capabilities and suitability for a role. By exploring specific examples and outcomes, interviewers can assess a candidate’s problem-solving skills, adaptability, leadership potential, and other critical competencies.
Alignment with Organizational Goals
Competency-based interviewing allows employers to align candidate competencies with organizational goals and values. By identifying individuals who possess the desired competencies, organizations can build a cohesive and high-performing workforce.
Implementing Competency-based Interviewing:
Identify Key Competencies
Determine the competencies essential for success in the specific role. These may include technical skills, leadership abilities, communication skills, problem-solving capabilities, or adaptability.
Structure Interview Questions
Design interview questions that prompt candidates to provide specific examples of their experiences, behaviors, and achievements related to the identified competencies. For instance, “Tell me about a time when you faced a challenging situation and how you resolved it.”
Behavioral Probing
During the interview, delve deeper into candidates’ responses by asking follow-up questions that explore the context, actions taken, and outcomes achieved. This helps to validate the claimed competencies and assess their relevance to the role.
Consistency and Scoring
Maintain consistency by using a standardized set of questions and evaluation criteria for all candidates. Develop a scoring system to objectively assess each candidate’s performance against the identified competencies.
Competency-based interviewing revolutionizes the hiring process by providing employers with a more accurate and reliable method for assessing candidate suitability. By focusing on specific competencies, this approach enhances predictability, introduces objectivity, and provides deeper insights into a candidate’s abilities. Through competency-based interviewing, organizations can make informed hiring decisions, align candidates with their strategic goals, and build a talented workforce capable of driving success.
Two-Day Training Plan for Competency-based Interviewing
01Day 1Day 1+
Morning Session:
- Introduction to Competency-based Interviewing (2 hours)
– Overview of competency-based interviewing and its benefits
– Explanation of key competencies and their relevance to job success
– Discussion on how competency-based interviewing aligns with organizational goals - Understanding Competencies (2 hours)
– In-depth exploration of key competencies required for specific roles
– Review of competency frameworks and definitions
– Analysis of competency-based job descriptions and specifications
Afternoon Session:
- Developing Effective Interview Questions (3 hours)
– Techniques for crafting competency-based interview questions
– Examples of open-ended questions to assess specific competencies
– Group activity: Practice developing interview questions for various competencies - Behavioral Probing Techniques (2 hours)
– Introduction to behavioral probing and its importance in competency-based interviews
– Strategies for eliciting detailed responses and exploring past experiences
– Role-playing exercises to practice effective probing techniques
02Day 2Day 2+
Morning Session:
- Conducting Competency-based Interviews (3 hours)
– Structuring interviews to assess identified competencies
– Best practices for creating a comfortable and open interview environment
– Role-playing exercises for conducting competency-based interviews - Scoring and Evaluation (2 hours)
– Introduction to scoring systems and evaluation criteria
– Consistency in evaluating candidate responses against competencies
– Group discussions and exercises to practice scoring and evaluation techniques
Afternoon Session:
- Case Studies and Mock Interviews (3 hours)
– Analyzing case studies to identify relevant competencies and develop interview questions
– Conducting mock interviews using the competency-based interviewing model
– Feedback and discussion on interview performance and assessment accuracy - Wrap-up and Next Steps (1 hour)
– Review of key concepts and takeaways from the training
– Discussion on integrating competency-based interviewing into the organization’s hiring process
– Setting goals for applying the newly acquired skills in future interviews
This two-day training plan provides a comprehensive framework for equipping interviewers with the necessary skills and expertise in competency-based interviewing. By covering topics such as understanding competencies, developing effective interview questions, behavioral probing techniques, conducting interviews, and scoring and evaluation, interviewers will gain the knowledge and confidence to assess candidates accurately based on specific competencies. Through case studies, role-playing exercises, and mock interviews, they will have the opportunity to practice and refine their competency-based interviewing skills. This training plan ensures that interviewers are well-prepared to contribute to the organization’s talent selection process and make informed hiring decisions.
List of additional training for recruiters beyond competency-based interviewing
Diversity and Inclusion Training
Recruiters should receive training on diversity and inclusion to ensure fair and unbiased hiring practices. This training should cover topics such as unconscious bias, mitigating biases in the recruitment process, promoting diversity in candidate sourcing, and fostering an inclusive work environment.
Behavioral Interviewing
Training in behavioral interviewing techniques helps recruiters assess candidates’ past behaviors and experiences to predict future performance. This training equips recruiters with the skills to ask probing questions, analyze responses, and make informed hiring decisions based on observed behaviors.
Effective Candidate Sourcing
Recruiters should receive training on effective candidate sourcing strategies, including utilizing job boards, social media platforms, networking, and leveraging professional networks. This training should focus on best practices for attracting top talent and building a pipeline of qualified candidates.
Employment Law and Compliance
Training on employment law and compliance ensures that recruiters understand the legal requirements and obligations related to hiring and employment. This includes knowledge of anti-discrimination laws, equal employment opportunity regulations, data privacy, and other relevant legal considerations.
Candidate Experience and Engagement
Training in candidate experience and engagement emphasizes the importance of providing a positive and respectful experience to candidates throughout the recruitment process. This includes effective communication, timely feedback, and creating a candidate-centric approach to attract and retain top talent.
Employer Branding and Messaging
Recruiters should receive training on employer branding and messaging to effectively represent the organization to candidates. This training covers developing and communicating the organization’s value proposition, showcasing the company culture, and aligning messaging with the target audience.
Effective Screening and Selection
Training on effective screening and selection techniques equips recruiters with the skills to review resumes, conduct phone screens, and shortlist candidates. This training emphasizes identifying key qualifications, evaluating candidate fit, and making informed decisions based on objective criteria.
Interview Skills and Techniques
Recruiters should receive training on general interview skills and techniques beyond competency-based interviewing. This includes active listening, effective questioning, building rapport, and evaluating candidate responses to assess overall suitability for the role.
Technology and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
Training on technology and ATS platforms used in recruitment enables recruiters to effectively leverage these tools. This includes understanding system functionalities, optimizing candidate management processes, and utilizing data analytics for decision-making.
Continuous Professional Development
Encouraging recruiters to engage in continuous professional development is crucial. This can include attending industry conferences, webinars, workshops, and staying updated on emerging trends and best practices in recruitment and talent acquisition.
By providing comprehensive training beyond competency-based interviewing, recruiters can enhance their skills, knowledge, and abilities to effectively attract, assess, and select the best candidates for their organization.
Sample training plan: 2-day hands-on design
This two-day workshop takes interviewers from 'tell me about yourself' to structured, evidence-based hiring. Participants bring one real open role and build a complete interview kit for it over the two days: competencies with behavioural indicators, a question bank, probing follow-ups and a scoring rubric. They practise probing until vague answers turn into specific evidence, score recorded answers independently and calibrate, and run full mock interviews with facilitators playing candidates. The capstone is a mini assessment day where panels must agree a hiring decision on evidence alone.
Participants can define competencies for a real role, write strong behavioural questions and probe answers for evidence.
- 09:30–10:00Your favourite question, testedEnergiser
- 10:00–10:30Why past behaviour mattersConcept burst
- 10:30–11:15From job to competenciesBuild sprint
- 11:30–13:00Question bank workshopHands-on lab
- 13:45–14:45The probing ladderDemo & practice
- 14:45–15:30Probe till you find itSkill drill
- 15:45–16:45Probes for your roleBuild sprint
- 16:45–17:30What I will stop askingReflection
Participants can run a full structured interview, score evidence reliably and reach a panel decision on evidence alone.
- 09:30–10:00Note or no note?Energiser
- 10:00–11:00The interview flowRole-play
- 11:15–12:15Scoring without biasSkill drill
- 12:15–13:00Rubric for your roleBuild sprint
- 13:45–15:15Capstone: mini assessment daySimulation
- 15:30–16:30Decision debrief and feedbackFeedback round
- 16:30–17:30My 90-day hiring planAction planning
Every session’s activity, timings, outputs and materials, plus pre-work, a 90-day reinforcement plan and how impact is measured. Free, emailed to you instantly.
Recommended: 2 days in person (09:30–17:30), or 4 × 3-hour live virtual sessions, plus a 90-day follow-up with interview calibration. A sample design: every Bodhih program is customised after a short needs analysis.
How long is competency-based interviewing training?
The recommended design is two days in person, from 09:30 to 17:30, followed by a 90-day period with calibration sessions. It also runs as four live virtual sessions of three hours each. A one-day refresher suits experienced interviewers who need practice in probing, scoring and calibration.
What activities are included in competency-based interviewing training?
Participants build a full interview kit for a real open role, practise probing with candidates briefed to stay vague, score recorded answers independently and calibrate, run timed interviews in pairs and take part in a mini assessment day where panels must reach a hiring decision on evidence alone.
Frequently asked questions
What is competency-based interviewing?
Who is the Competency-based Interviewing program for?
HR, L&D and people managers. Bodhih tailors the examples, case studies and depth to your industry, culture and team level.
How long is the Competency-based Interviewing program?
Bodhih recommends 2 days in person (09:30–17:30), or 4 × 3-hour live virtual sessions, plus a 90-day follow-up with interview calibration. The length can be shortened or extended after a needs analysis.
Can Competency-based Interviewing be delivered online?
Yes. Competency-based Interviewing can run in person at your location, as live virtual sessions for distributed or hybrid teams, or as a blended journey that adds self-paced learning on Bodhih.org between sessions.
How is the impact of Competency-based Interviewing measured?
Success measures for Competency-based Interviewing are agreed with you before design, as part of the ADDIE model. Bodhih can add pre- and post-program assessments on AssessAll and manager check-ins to track behaviour change.