What is a Competency Based Interview and How Can I Prepare?

Competency-based interviews (CBIs) are designed to assess how you’ve handled situations in the past — because past behaviour is a strong predictor of future performance.

Expect questions like:
🗣️ “Tell me about a time you led a team through a challenging project.”
🗣️ “Describe a situation where you had to influence a stakeholder.”

Each question links back to a core competency — such as leadership, problem-solving, adaptability, or communication.

How to prepare:
Use the STAR method:

• Situation – set the scene
• Task – what needed to be done
• Action – what you did
• Result – what was achieved

Pro tip: Re-read the job description and identify which competencies are key. Prepare 4–5 strong examples that you can adapt to different questions.

In executive search, we use competency-based interviews all the time — and a strong, structured answer can set you apart.