Competency-based interviews ask for real examples of how you have handled situations in the past, on the basis that past behaviour predicts future performance. Prepare two or three recent examples for each competency in the job description and structure answers using STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Focus on what you personally did.
Competency-based interviews are one of the most common interview formats in the UK. The CIPD found that 52% of UK organisations use them, and many Facilities Management employers use them for supervisory and management roles.
They rest on a simple idea: the best guide to how someone will behave in future is how they have behaved in the past. So instead of asking what you would do, the interviewer asks what you did.
What is a competency?
A competency is a skill, behaviour or area of knowledge that leads to effective performance in a role. Organisations usually have a set of core competencies that apply to everyone, plus some that are specific to the role. For a Facilities Manager, typical competencies include:
- health, safety and compliance;
- contractor and supplier management;
- communication and stakeholder management;
- problem-solving and decision-making;
- planning and organisation;
- financial and budget management;
- leadership and team development; and
- adaptability and managing change.
Why employers use them
Structured, evidence-based interviews are more reliable than informal conversations. A major review of selection research by Sackett and colleagues found that structured interviews had the highest mean validity of the common selection methods it examined, at .42, compared with .19 for unstructured interviews. In plain terms, asking every candidate the same job-related questions and scoring the answers against agreed criteria predicts performance far better than a general chat.
That matters because many organisations admit interviewing is not their strength: four in ten UK employers (39%) told the REC that their staff's interviewing and assessment skills should be improved.
How to answer: the STAR method
The most effective way to structure an answer is STAR:
- Situation: set the scene briefly. Where were you and what was the context?
- Task: what were you responsible for, or what needed to happen?
- Action: what did you do, and why? This should be the longest part of your answer.
- Result: what was the outcome, ideally with something measurable, and what did you learn?
Keep the focus on your own contribution. Interviewers want to know what you did, not what the team did. Say "I" rather than "we", while still giving credit to others where it is due.
Example questions for Facilities Management roles
Compliance and safety
Tell me about a time you found a compliance gap in a building you were responsible for. What did you do?
Contractor management
Describe a time a contractor was not meeting the agreed standard. How did you handle it, and what changed?
Problem-solving under pressure
Give an example of a significant building failure or incident you managed. What decisions did you make, and in what order?
Stakeholder management
Tell me about a time you had to give a senior stakeholder unwelcome news, such as a budget overrun or a service reduction.
Planning and organisation
Describe a time you had several competing priorities, such as a project, a compliance deadline and an urgent repair. How did you decide what came first?
Communication
Tell me about a time your communication did not land as intended. What happened, and what would you do differently?
Leadership
Give an example of how you improved the performance of a team member or a team.
Expect follow-up questions: why did you choose that approach, what were the alternatives, what would you do differently next time? Be ready to go deeper on every example.
How to prepare
- Study the job description and person specification, which often list the competencies being assessed.
- Prepare two or three examples for each competency, ideally from the last two years.
- Choose examples with a clear outcome, and be honest about anything that did not go to plan.
- Practise out loud, keeping each answer to around two minutes.
- Prepare examples, not scripts. If you rehearse only specific questions, a change of wording can catch you out.
During the interview
- Take a moment to choose the best example before you answer.
- Answer the question you were asked, not the one you prepared for.
- Ask the interviewer to repeat or clarify a question if you need to.
- Be specific. "I usually..." is a general statement; "Last March, I..." is evidence.
Advice for interviewers
If you are hiring, a competency-based interview is only as good as the way it is run. Agree the competencies and what a good answer looks like before the interviews, ask every candidate the same core questions, score independently before comparing notes, and probe for detail rather than accepting a rehearsed story. Getting it wrong is expensive: the REC found that a poor hire at mid-manager level on a £42,000 salary can cost a business more than £132,000.
Talk to Maxwell Stephens
If you are a Facilities Management professional thinking about your next move, the Facilities Management jobs we are handling span the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. You can also register your CV and we will contact you when something suitable comes up.
