CBI Reference Guide

8/3/2019 CBI Reference Guide

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RECRUITMENT CONSULTANTS

Competency Based Interviewing - CBI

A reference guide - 2009


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Predicting perfect performance

A range of different methods can be used to assess candidates such as an in tray exercise, a roleplay, a presentation and work sampling. These vary in their reliability as illustrated by Saville andHoldsworths diagram below:

Towards perfect prediction 1.00

Assessment centres 0.65Ability tests/group exercisesStructured application formsCompetency Based Interviewing/in tray exercises 0.32

Cut off point .. 0.30

Typical employment interview(single scales of personality) 0.13Graphology/astrology/phrenology

Random prediction 0.00

Companies are now using moremethods when recruiting e.g. assessment centres, group exercisesand Competency Based Interviewing (CBI). The more methods that are used the better chance anemployer has in predicting how the candidate will perform in the job:

Impact of poor selection

An increase in staff turnoverNew starters depart in the rst 6 monthsCost of recruiting, inducting and training new startersClaims for unfair selectionRisk of employment tribunal


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Advantages of competency frameworks

What is a competency?A competency is dened as the behaviours that employees must have, or must acquire in order toachieve high levels of performance. Competencies are a signal from the company to the individualof the expected areas and levels of performance. They provide the individual with an indication ofthe behaviours that will be valued, recognised and rewarded.

What is a competency framework?A competency framework consists of both behavioural and technical elements. When puttingtogether a competency framework it is really important to limit the amount of competencies foreach role, typically aiming for no more than 12 and arranging them into clusters to make theframework more accessible. The framework should contain denitions and/or examples of eachcompetency.

It is critical that the framework must have the correct level of detail. If a framework is too generalit will not provide enough guidance either to the employees as to what is expected of them or

to managers who are assessing their staff against the framework. However, if the framework istoo detailed then the entire process becomes time consuming and may lose credibility. Typicalcompetency headings would be, for example,

Effective CommunicationRelationship BuildingOrganisational SkillsLeading Others Development

Creating a competency frameworkCompetency frameworks can be developed in a number of ways, however, OA Executiveput together their competency framework through the use of an internal project team withinOrganisational Development. The team used a methodology called Job Analysis and CompetencyDesign (JACD). This consisted of speaking directly with the job holders to examine the behavioursthey exhibit when performing their job and also used a special method to allow staff to thinkabout how their peers behave when performing their job roles. This information was then groupedtogether to come up with common themes i.e. competencies.

Strengths of a competency based system

Employees have set objectives to work towards and are clear about how they are expected toperform their jobsRecruitment systems are fairer and more openThere is a link between organisational and personal objectivesProcesses are measurable and standardised across organisational and geographicalboundaries


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Criticisms of a competency based system

They capture the past and are therefore out of dateThey cannot keep up to date with the fast changing worldThey are not user friendlyEveryone may be expected to act in the same way, producing clones

What is a Competency Based Interview?

Competency Based Interviewing, also known as CBI, is a style of interviewing used to ensure thata candidate can best show how they demonstrated certain behaviours/skills in the workplace byanswering questions about how they have reacted to and dealt with previous situations. It is anevidence based interviewing technique which examines specic examples of what a candidate cando, the questions look at how your candidate has reacted to and dealt with previous workplacesituations to paint a picture of where their real skills lie. The interview questions are carefullydesigned to probe specic skills, competencies and characteristics.

By using past experience a potential employer can predict future behaviour by:

Eliminating misunderstandingPreventing personal impressionsReducing the candidates ability to fake it

Benets of a Competency Based Interview

Targets behaviours, knowledge and motivations that lead to success within the jobConsistent standard for evaluating and systematic method for making decisionsBuilds rapport with the candidateEnables interviewer to probe effectivelyPositively impacts on the bottom line therefore increasing retention, quality of staff, return oninvestment, improved resultsPrevents personal impression and eliminates misunderstandingsProvides a systematic method for making decisions on each candidateReduces the candidates ability to lieExcellent sales tool to offer-out candidates to clientsAllows the interviewer to effectively gather information to form the basis of your call when

speccing the candidate outAllows the candidate to accurately demonstrate their capabilities irrespective of the length ofexperience they may haveAn excellent way of offering equal opportunities to all candidates


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STAR model

To prepare for a competency based interview, the potential employer would rstly review the jobdescription carefully and identify the skills and traits likely to be assessed. They would need to askthe candidate to identify some situations and experiences that they can refer to in order for themto demonstrate these skills and traits.

The STAR methodology as shown below is often used to provide the interviewer a dened structureto conduct the interview.

SituationIdentifying an example/scenario

TaskOutlining the tasks (objectives) involved

Action

Assessing what actions were taken to achieve the objectives

ResultProbing the outcome

Sample STAR questions

CBI is looking for past examples and real life situations. Give the candidate plenty of time of thinkof good examples and spend enough time ensuring you have a specic situation. Here are somecompetency based questions based on an example Planning and Organising competency:

S Highlight a time when you had to achieve a task/project within a certain timescale?T What were you trying to achieve?

What was your objective?A How did you go about it?

What were your specic duties?What obstacles did you have to overcome?

R What was the outcome?From what you learnt, what have you since put into practice?

Example CBI document

Appendix 1 is an example of an Ofce Angels CBI document. For example purposes only, wehave only provided one competency out of a possible 10.


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Appendix 1

Organisational CapabilityAble to develop and manage core processes and systems to support business activity

Highlight a time when you had to achieve a task/project within a certain timescale?1.Probes: Why was it time bound? How realistic were the timescales? What did you do to en-sure the deadlines were met? What contingencies did you build in incase timescales were notmet? Who else did you need to involve? How did you motivate them to achieve within thesame timescales? What was the result?

Give me an example of a time when you had to change your planned day to cope with an2.unexpected task/piece of work?Probes: What was your original course of action? How did that change? What was your rstreaction to that change? How did you adjust your plans? What extra work was required?What difculties did you face? How did you overcome them? What was the nal result?

Give me an example of a time when you needed to plan your time and that of others care-3.

fully to achieve a result.Probes: Why was achieving the result important? How did you go about it? How did the otherindividuals respond? What kind of adjustments did you need to make to ensure you got it alldone? What timescales were you working to? How realistic were they? How could you havemanaged your time better? What was the result?

Interview Notes

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T

A

R

Interview Notes

S

T

A

R

Documents

CBI Reference Guide