Hiring the Right Person

Building Skilled, Engaged & Productive Workforces

Competency-based selection: Get it right the first time! Natasha Parfyonova, Ph.D., I/O Psych Contents: How competency-based interviews help Benefits: Focus, Assessment, Structure & Reliability

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Hiring the Right Person for the Job: How a Competency-based Interview can Help! Have you ever wondered why a new employee whom you recently hired did not live up to your expectations? He, or she did well in the interview, but turned out to be a lacklustre performer. The problem may lie in the selection interview tool that you are currently using. Does it assess the important skills and competencies for the job? Is it scored reliably? Research shows that typical interviews do not provide reliable results and do not accurately predict candidates who will be high performers.1 In today’s competitive marketplace, organizations can no longer afford making hiring errors. The quality of employees is an important factor that determines whether an organization will thrive or wither in the marketplace. Using competency-based (or behavior-based) selection tools is one way to ensure that organizations will outpace the competition by hiring the best talent. Competencies are observable abilities, skills, knowledge, motivations or traits, defined in terms of the behaviours, needed for successful job performance. Using competencies in selection interviews offers several benefits to organizations. 

Focus on job requirements. When derived from job analysis, competencies ensure the alignment of interview questions with job requirements. By asking job-relevant questions, interviewers can better evaluate the extent to which candidates’ skills and abilities match those required on the job. Interviews which rely on job-relevant questions are legally defensible. They are also less likely to result in claims of unfair discrimination because candidates can see a clear link between the interview questions and what is required on the job.

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Assessment of past behaviour. Since competencies are defined in terms of behaviours, they are well-suited to creating behaviour-based questions. Behaviour-based questions are those that ask candidates to describe what they did in the past. Past behaviour predicts future behaviour. Behaviour-based interviewing was found to be a strong predictor of job success.2

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Structure. One way to focus the interview on job requirements is to structure it. A structured interview is the one in which all candidates are assessed using the same set of questions. With a structured interview, interviewers are less likely to forget to get the necessary comparative information for each candidate. In addition, candidates are more likely to see the interview process as fair because the administration of questions is consistent across candidates.

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Reliable scoring. Competencies increase the reliability of interview scoring by providing interviewers with observable benchmarks against which to evaluate interviewees’ responses. These benchmarks help to standardize the interview assessment and ensure consistent evaluation of all applicants.

Competency-based interviews improve the effectiveness of organizational selection systems by providing job-relevant behaviours against which to assess job candidates. They add structure to the interview process and enhance the reliability of scoring. By introducing a competency-based interview in their selection system, organizations will be able to select the most suitable candidates for the jobs. 1

Judge, T. A., Cable, D. M., & Higgins, C.A (2000). The employment interview: A review of recent research and recommendations for future research. Human Resource Management Review, 10, 383-406. 2 Pulakos, E.D., & Schmitt. N. (1995). Experience-based and situational interview questions: Studies of validity. Personnel Psychology, 48, 289-308.

About the Author Natasha Parfyonova has 7 years of research and consulting experience in talent management. She managed mid-sized projects and was a contributor to large strategic projects that resulted in the development of competency-based HR processes and talent assessments for employee selection, promotion, and certification. Equipped with strong knowledge of psychometrics, Natasha was responsible for a full cycle of test development in a project that delivered a selection test for screening candidates for front-line positions with a national postal services provider. She also oversaw the development of assessment tools, including multiple-choice examinations and performance evaluations, for several certification programs in the tourism industry. One of the highlights of Natasha’s experience includes profiling jobs of police officers in leadership and investigative positions using competency approach. Working in close collaboration with a senior consultant, Natasha created task lists and competency profiles for different uniform roles in police services and validated them through interviews, surveys, and focus groups with subject matter experts.

About HRSG Human Resource Systems Group, Ltd is an international leader in developing, implementing and supporting competency-based management solutions worldwide. HRSG offers integrated solutions including professional services, training and its flagship software product i-SkillSuite® which all support competency-based initiatives. For more information about HRSG products and services, visit www.hrsg.ca.

© Competency-based selection: Get it right the first time! 2012 Published by Human Resource Systems Group, Ltd. (HRSG) All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

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