The interview process is a crucial step in finding the right candidate for your organisation. To build a well-rounded team, it's essential to assess both technical and behavioural competencies. Technical skills ensure that a candidate can handle the specific demands of the role, while behavioural skills reveal how they will interact with colleagues, manage challenges, and fit into your company culture. Striking the right balance between these two sets of competencies during interviews is key to making informed hiring decisions. Here’s how to effectively assess technical and behavioural competencies to identify the best candidate for the job.

1. Understand the Role’s Requirements

Before conducting interviews, clearly define the technical and behavioural competencies needed for the role. Technical competencies include the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job tasks—such as coding proficiency, financial analysis, or software expertise. Behavioural competencies, on the other hand, refer to the candidate’s interpersonal skills, attitude, and work ethic, such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability.

Create a list of the most important competencies for the role, categorising them into technical and behavioural. This list will serve as a guideline during the interview process, ensuring you assess each candidate against the same criteria.

Tip: Use the job description as a foundation for identifying the key competencies required. Consider input from team members and managers to ensure a comprehensive understanding of what the role entails.

2. Design Technical Assessments

For roles that require specific technical skills, conducting technical assessments is a practical way to gauge a candidate's proficiency. These assessments could take the form of coding tests, technical problem-solving exercises, case studies, or role-specific tasks. For example, if you’re hiring a software developer, you might ask them to complete a coding challenge. For a finance role, you might set up a task that involves analysing financial statements or creating a budget.

Technical assessments provide candidates with an opportunity to demonstrate their skills in a real-world context, giving you a clear indication of their capability. Additionally, these assessments can reveal how candidates approach tasks and whether they possess the necessary attention to detail and analytical thinking.

Tip: Tailor the assessment to the role’s requirements and complexity. Ensure that the test is relevant and mirrors the type of work the candidate would be doing if hired. Keep the task manageable to avoid overwhelming candidates and delaying the interview process.

3. Ask Competency-Based Questions

Behavioural competencies are best assessed through competency-based interview questions, which focus on how candidates have handled situations in the past. This method gives insight into their thought processes, interpersonal skills, and how they respond to challenges. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure these questions and encourage detailed responses.

For example:

• Teamwork: "Can you give me an example of a time when you had to work with others to achieve a goal? What was your role, and how did you handle any challenges that arose?"
• Problem-Solving: "Describe a situation where you encountered an unexpected problem at work. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?"
• Adaptability: "Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a significant change at work. How did you manage the transition?"

Competency-based questions help you understand the candidate’s behaviour in different scenarios, which can indicate how they might perform in similar situations within your organisation.

Tip: Prepare a list of key behavioural competencies for the role and develop questions that specifically target those skills. Listen for examples that align with 

4. Combine Technical and Behavioural Questions in Interviews

To get a well-rounded view of each candidate, include a mix of technical and behavioural questions in the interview. Begin with technical questions that explore the candidate’s experience and expertise in the role’s specific requirements. These could involve discussing past projects, solving a problem on the spot, or explaining how they would handle a task relevant to the job.

Follow up with behavioural questions that focus on soft skills and interpersonal competencies. This combination allows you to assess both the candidate’s technical aptitude and how they operate in a team environment, handle stress, communicate, and align with your company’s culture.

Tip: Structure the interview to balance both types of questions. For instance, start with technical questions to assess core skills, then transition to behavioural questions to explore how the candidate might fit within your team.

5. Use Real-World Scenarios for Role-Playing

Role-playing exercises or situational judgement tests can be an effective way to assess both technical and behavioural competencies in action. For example, in a customer service role, you might present the candidate with a scenario involving a difficult customer and ask how they would handle the situation. This exercise allows you to observe their problem-solving, communication, and technical knowledge in a controlled setting.

For technical roles, provide a scenario that involves troubleshooting an issue or developing a strategy. This not only tests the candidate’s technical know-how but also their ability to remain calm under pressure, work through problems methodically, and communicate their solutions effectively.

Tip: Choose scenarios that are realistic and relevant to the day-to-day challenges of the role. The candidate’s response will give you insight into how they approach work-related situations and interact with others.

6. Involve Multiple Interviewers

To ensure a balanced assessment of both technical and behavioural competencies, involve multiple interviewers in the process. This approach brings diverse perspectives and helps minimise unconscious bias, as each interviewer can focus on different aspects of the candidate's abilities.

For example, a technical lead might focus on assessing the candidate’s technical skills, while a team manager or HR representative evaluates behavioural competencies and cultural fit. After the interview, gather feedback from all interviewers to gain a comprehensive view of the candidate's suitability for the role.

Tip: Before the interview, discuss the key competencies each interviewer will assess. This clarity helps structure the interview process and ensures that all relevant skills are covered.

7. Assess Cultural Fit and Potential for Growth

While technical skills are essential for job performance, assessing a candidate’s cultural fit and potential for growth is equally important, particularly for long-term success. During the interview, explore how the candidate’s values, work style, and career aspirations align with your company’s culture. Ask questions that reveal their approach to collaboration, conflict resolution, and professional development.

For example:

• "What kind of work environment do you thrive in, and why?"
• "Can you describe a time when you received constructive feedback? How did you use that feedback to grow?"

Candidates who not only possess the required technical skills but also share your company’s values and demonstrate a willingness to learn are more likely to integrate well and contribute positively to the team over time.

Tip: Pay attention to the candidate’s body language and enthusiasm when discussing your company’s culture and growth opportunities. This can provide additional clues about their interest and fit.

Final Thoughts

Assessing both technical and behavioural competencies during interviews is crucial for finding candidates who not only have the skills to do the job but also the interpersonal qualities to thrive within your team. By preparing a mix of technical assessments, competency-based questions, and real-world scenarios, you can gain a holistic view of each candidate's strengths and potential.

Combining these techniques with input from multiple interviewers and focusing on cultural fit will help you make more informed and balanced hiring decisions. A well-rounded interview process ensures that you select candidates who are not just technically proficient but also align with your company’s values and working environment, ultimately contributing to a successful and cohesive team.